I always like to keep a copy of the original unedited photo. This allows me to go back if I want to change the photo again. There are a wide variety of different ways to do this. Here's a couple of different methods.
- After opening the original photo in PE, go to Image > Duplicate Image. This makes a copy of the original photo and allows you to rename it. You can then close the original.
- When you are done editing, use File > Save As and always give the photo a different name. PE2 has a check box to save as a copy on File > Save As that can be useful if you remember to check it.
- Save for the Web will remember the folder where you saved the previous photo. Make a special folder for your edited photos and always save them in a different location.
- Make a copy of the file or copy all the photos to a separate folder for back up before going into PE.
I don't think there is a way of automating this or at least not in PE2. For me, I have a routine on how I handle the photos and made it a habit. I use different folders for organizing my photos. I keep each group of photos in a separate folder. I will then save the edited photos in a sub-folder.
So far this has worked well for me and I've still been able to locate photos. Organizing photos is another challenge. And cleaning up all the copies.
Posts: 7493 | Location: Edmonds, WA | Registered: 25 October 2001
Roz - that's a great site. So useful. I've put it on my desktop.
Marta - my questions will be getting way off topic from sharpening photos, I apologize. But I do need to ask you:
quote:
After opening the original photo in PE, go to Image > Duplicate Image. This makes a copy of the original photo and allows you to rename it. You can then close the original
So, in other words, if the original is named IMG 001, eg, then you always rename it - like, eg, picture of flower? And where does the original go, and where does the duplicate go?
quote:
When you are done editing, use File > Save As and always give the photo a different name. PE2 has a check box to save as a copy on File > Save As that can be useful if you remember to check it.
Do you mean that you now rename the photo a second time?
I am having serious problems with my photo files, both on PE and on my computer. I'm hoping that this renaming may help solve them.
if the original is named IMG 001, eg, then you always rename it - like, eg, picture of flower?
In my Canon camera, all the pictures are numbered consecutively -- the numbers keep increasing and don't start over. What I do with mine is to keep that IMG_001 or whatever as the first part of the name, and then add a descriptor. For example: IMG_1001Rome.jpg.
That way I can be sure I won't duplicate the photo name, as I might if I just called it Rome. Also, I have a rough chronological sorting by the numerical name, but I have enough information in the filename to see at a glance what it is or where it was taken.
As for making a copy, if for example, I'm downsizing it to upload to the web, I would always save it under yet another name or at least in a different folder so I don't overwrite the good copy. But if I'm just tweaking it to make a better image, I wouldn't keep a duplicate copy. I don't erase the originals from my SD card right away so if I totally screw it up in Photoshop I can go back and get the original photo again. But I take a lot of photos, and I don't want to have tons of duplicate copies taking up so much space on my hard drive.
Thanks for the explanation, Roz. I have a Canon, too (A520), and my photos are numbered consecutively also.
Could I ask you to walk me through something? When you import photos from your camera card, and let's say you've taken 200 photos, do you individually rename each one as you described above, or is there a way to do this to the whole load at once?
Also, from my rudimentary understanding, it appears that all photos, when imported from your card, are first put on your hard drive (for me, it's in a folder, new or otherwise to my choosing, in My Pictures - I own a PC) and then the computer "links" to the hard drive to get the photos.
If you change the name of the photos after editing them in PE, then what happens?
Also, does the original unedited photo always remain in My Pictures - is that what Marta was talking about - so that I will always have access to it in case I need to retrieve it?
Well, I have a Mac, but I don't think my procedure would be very different from yours, since I keep all my photos in my Pictures folder, in subfolder(s) of my own choosing. However, the first thing I do is to catalog them in a program that I use called iView Media. (Note to any other Mac users: I do not use iPhoto because I do not like the way it forces me into its own database structure.)
With iView, while I'm looking at the thumbnails of the photos, I can rename them in the thumbnail view, and have the new name carry over to the computer filename. iView Media is available for the PC as well, but it isn't cheap -- $199. I don't know what other options there may be for cataloging on the PC. I actually bought my copy when it was a shareware program, and was able to upgrade it fairly cheaply, but now Microsoft owns it.
But you can change the name of the photo from your desktop view (by using Rename) after you edit and save it without causing any problems. The original unedited photo will only remain if you save it under a new name from Photoshop or whatever editing program you use, or if you make a copy of it before renaming. This will, of course, mean that the picture will take up double the space on your hard drive if you have 2 copies of it.
Originally posted by teaberry: Could I ask you to walk me through something? When you import photos from your camera card, and let's say you've taken 200 photos, do you individually rename each one as you described above, or is there a way to do this to the whole load at once?
Also, from my rudimentary understanding, it appears that all photos, when imported from your card, are first put on your hard drive (for me, it's in a folder, new or otherwise to my choosing, in My Pictures - I own a PC) and then the computer "links" to the hard drive to get the photos.
If you change the name of the photos after editing them in PE, then what happens?
Also, does the original unedited photo always remain in My Pictures - is that what Marta was talking about - so that I will always have access to it in case I need to retrieve it?
I also have a Canon. When I import from the camera using Canon's ZoomBrowser, I always first create a new folder which I give a descriptive name, then copy pictures from the camera to the folder. The pictures will have the number assigned by camera. I do not rename the photos. I leave them with the number assigned by camera.
When I open them in PE, they will have the camera name. Then you have a couple of options. One option is make a copy in PE. You give the second copy a new name. Then you can close the first copy. It will stay on your computer with the original name. You can now modify the new copy and then save it. By default, PE puts 'copy' at the end of the name so you can always just keep it as camera name + copy. Or you can rename it to something more meaningful such as Paris.jpg or if you have changed it maybe even Paris_small.jpg. You can now save it in the same folder as the original or make a new folder to save all the changed copies. Yes, you end up with two copies of the photo, the original and the one you changed. When you change the name, the original isn't changed.
Another way to do this is not to use "Make Duplicate' to copy the picture in PE. Instead make all the changes and then use File Save As, and give the modified copy with a new name. Because you have saved it with a different name the original remains unchanged.
Another thing that I do a lot is when I make a new folder in My Pictures is to change the 'type' of the folder so it will show thumbnails. Double-click and open My Pictures, then double click a sub-folder (folder in My Pictures). There are different option for displaying the files (pictures). Go to View and in the second section, you have options for filmstrip, thumbnails, Tiles, Icons, list and details. For pictures, I like thumbnails or filmstrip. This allows me to quickly locate the photo I want.
Posts: 7493 | Location: Edmonds, WA | Registered: 25 October 2001
Thanks, both Roz and Marta, for your helpful replies.
So Marta, does that mean that you keep photos in Zoom Browser, PE, and My Pictures? This leads into my next question....
Where do you keep all of your photo files? It seems like I have them all over the place, and I'd like to organize things a little better.
For instance, I have all of my photos in My Pictures, in various folders. Then I also have them in the PE catalog, some in "collections." I'm guessing this is really not necessary? (I've also burned them on CD.) BTW, I've bypassed Zoom Browser altogether - should I be utilizing it?
I really like viewing my photo collections through PE, because during the slide show I can play music, along with viewing my captions, and they fill the whole screen, even after editing. But aside from the collections, am I able to remove photos from PE without deleting them from the hard drive?
Thanks for your replies. I really do appreciate your help.
It sounds like you use more of the features of PE than I do. I don't use it for more than just editing. I'm still using PE2 and I haven't upgraded to a later version because my PC runs slow now. I'm worried that the later version of PE will be even slower.
Also, there is no need to use Zoom Browser. I don't use it any longer except for my older digital camera. I actually just use a feature of XP to import my pictures directly into a folder. I don't have them in 'My Pictures' because I ran out of room on my main hard drive. I have a separate external drive that I use to store all my music and pictures which serves the same function as 'My Pictures'.
I have some older pictures 'indexed' in Zoom Browser but they physically located in only one place. I don't have them indexed in PE but I use a Browse feature to find them. I probably should try to use some program to organize them. I've thought about looking at Picassa. I don't do anything special for slide shows. I just copy them to a CD and let my DVD play them.
I don't think there is a 'best' way to handle these. There are many different methods and everyone has a way that they have found that works for them. I really don't think my way is that good but it currently works for me. It is probably best to stick with one and learn it well.
Posts: 7493 | Location: Edmonds, WA | Registered: 25 October 2001
I shoot on average 20,000 photos a year in RAW and even have roll over a few of my digital cameras file sequence back to 1.
I have installed a 300 GB hard drive, which is only used for photos to download my photos to and use it as a library (Backup #1) when working on them. Backup#2 are my DVDs. Backup#3 is a external hard drive , now two, that I keep in the basement. I have over seven years of photos and do not wish to lose my memories.
If I loose Drive C, I will not lose the library of photos or my current work because it is on a seprate HD. Also my system is not dependant on what OS (Vista maybe on day?) or software I currently using, to edit and manage my photos.
While most of you are using Zoombrowser, what about the future? Will you still use it to manage your photos. I like the freedom not to be hook in with a certain program. I current use Photoshop C3, Lightroom, BreezeBrowser I will not let them manage my photos.
I use a niffy program, that is not free, called Downloader Pro to help me track my photos.
I add the date I shoot the photo to the photo's file name, as I am downloading it off the camera's memory card. It will also create on my photo hard drive a folder with the date the photos were shoot. If I want I add add the location where shoot to the photo's IPTC.
This has been a time saver when I downloading photos I have taken over a series of days.
I have all of my photos in My Pictures, in various folders. Then I also have them in the PE catalog, some in "collections." I'm guessing this is really not necessary? (I've also burned them on CD.) BTW, I've bypassed Zoom Browser altogether - should I be utilizing it?
I really like viewing my photo collections through PE, because during the slide show I can play music, along with viewing my captions, and they fill the whole screen, even after editing. But aside from the collections, am I able to remove photos from PE without deleting them from the hard drive?
Terry, I (like Marta) only have Photoshop Elements 2, which I don't think has the "Collections" option. But if I understand that correctly, it is just a way of organizing, viewing, and finding your photographs on your hard drive. It doesn't make another copy of them, and removing the photo from one of the PE collections would not delete it from the hard drive. That is just a pointer from within PE to show where it "lives." What you are doing with PE Collections sounds exactly like what I do with the iView program I mentioned.
I don't think you need to use Zoom Browser, especially with the PE collections. I think that would just be a duplication of effort, and as Bill said, introduce another program which might eventually be outdated.
Topic Closed
