1. Folders
I have a folder for every year, and within that folder, I have one for each month. For my business, I have folders for each phase of my editing, but for personal I just have the “RAW” files in the main folder and I cull those down to my favorites and then export them to another folder to print or edit further. If we go on a trip or have professional photos taken, those are uploaded into a special subfolder inside the monthly folder.
2. Date and Time
Most often you can set the date and time on your camera and this information will automatically show when you upload new images onto your computer. Or, with some software, you can select a name and sequence for your files to be renamed as they upload. For my personal “everyday” photos, I upload them titled by date, so “20200407-01, -02, …” For special occasions, such as a trip, I will name them with that title as well, so “Myrtle_20190423-01”. Whatever you decide to name your photos, just make sure to keep it consistent!
3. Face Recognition
Most photo software allows you to tag people in your images using facial recognition. This can be an easy way for you to find specific images of your children and significant other.
4. Keywords
It can take a little extra time to tag your images with keywords but this can make finding the images you want significantly easier. Use keywords that you will be able to remember and be consistent with them. Keywords can be single words or phrases. Some ideas for keywording your images can include the event, date, location, season, and people in the images.
5. Rate and Delete
You’d be surprised how many images are on your computer that you simply will never use or feel the need to look at again. Do you have images that are out of focus, have poor exposure, or random images of your hands, feet, or the inside of your bag? Spend an afternoon going through and deleting the images that are pointless to keep. While you’re at it, you can go through and rate the images as well. This will allow you to easily find the images you like the most.
I’ll be honest, when doing this all after the fact, you WILL get sucked down a rabbit hole reliving memories (so plan your time accordingly), but when you are done you will feel so much better and will be able to easily find your favorite photos!