OK, here's my bit on file numbering...
I still shoot film (gasp) as well as digital and I've been archiving all
my film shooting in the form of digital files (in *addition* to the
original transparencies/negatives, wise guys!) for years now. I
developed my own file numbering system long before the first affordable
DSLR (the Canon D30) hit the market, but it's flexible enough that I was
prepared to "go digital" long before the time came for me to do so.
Here's the digital & film workflow:
1 - Download digital files from the CF card to the computer
(or scan the negs/slides from each roll into its own directory).
2 - Digital only: Separate the files into additional directories if
necessary (I group my photos into batches, approximating rolls of
film, even amongst shots in the same project. All files in any given
directory are restricted to a single ISO setting.)
3 - Browse each directory in Adobe Bridge and cull any obvious rejects.
4 - Rename files according to my own system: Three-character hexadecimal
notation for the year, three-digit (decimal) for the batch number
and two digit exposure number. This limits me to 999 batches (or
rolls of film) per year and 99 images per batch, but it's been
sufficient so far. (I use the batch rename feature in IrfanView to
do the renaming, BTW.)
5 - Digital only: Batch convert each directory's images into JPEG's
using RAWshooter Essentials. Minimal white balance and exposure
adjustments.
6 - Browse each directory in IrfanView and "thin the herd" once again :)
7 - Add a brief description of the contents of each roll/batch/directory
in my own custom database (but you could easily use a spreadsheet
like Excel for this).
8 - Archive everything onto CD-ROM or DVD.
--
Mark Roberts
Photography and writing
www.robertstech.com
