Digital workflow – Numbering Files

                

Louis Little as out digital workflow tutor, who assisted for Martin Parr. In his first workshop, he talked about how we organize digital files by using Adobe Bridge, an introduction of Metadata as well as making adjustment via camera raw in Adobe Photoshop.

Numbering files is based on Magnum Numbering System, adding name, date, story number in 3 digits, medium you use, roll number and frame number. Starting with name, you wouldn’t put your full name on it, it would look massive, so basically we take the first letter of first name and the first two letters of surname as abbreviation of file name, for example,

• Martin Parr – PAM
• Alec Soth – SOA

Or we could take both first letter of first name and family name, for instance, Martin Parr would be MP.

                 

Creating a spread sheet to help you clarify your digital files, which involved the year, story number, the location and events.

                     

                       

Back to Magnum Numbering System, Little went through each capital letter stand for as well as showing the function if putting it on image information of online gallery.

Besides, we could create our own numbering system, consistency is the key which help creating a rule, secondly, starting with names helping identify images. After that, using name followed by a year date to improve your locating a story quickly. Finally, suggesting changing the story number to a name to help you narrow down the files you’ve got or it gives you another way to find your image.

After practicing numbering image, we looked at Metadata, Metadata is a summary of basic information stored within an image. For example, author, date created and date modified and file size document metadata, in addition, key elements of metadata to include, who, where when, what. Using Adobe Bridge to create Metadata template, also, copyright notice needs to be put in to protect your rights and avoiding someone uses your image without notifying you.

On the second half of workshop, we talked about each function of camera raw on Adobe Photoshop and were suggested which we could apply on our image. We looked at the basic of highlight, contrast, mainly changing those elements to decline the strong intensity in the edge of white space.

The session is much helpful for me, I have learnt a lot from it, and gaining ability to use Bridge and Photoshop to make whole process look professional. Sounds a bit complicated for me on the step by sept of numbering files and it would take time to get used to it with organized way but it would increase the quality of overall on the process and make my life easier.

Reference

Little, L. (2017, October 09). Digital workflow – Numbering Files. Lecture presented at Digital workflow – Numbering Files in Sion Hill campus, Bath Spa University, Bath.