Thursday 20 August 2015

Label Your Photos Whilst You Remember...

Having two blogs to run, this one and Serena's, I thought I'd have a look through some of my old (back-up) CD/DVDs to choose a few of my archived pictures to accompany the next few posts.

Oh dear...

In (the past) my inexperience of digital photography I never individually labelled the images. So whatever was on the memory card at the start was what it was labelled.

It's not that I don't know the year they were taken, or where, I do, although I'll need to search the exact names of buildings shown in them.

But it's the odd ones that are the issue. Specifically this one.
Postcard image, source unknown...

It's a picture of a postcard of Weymouth Harbour, unknown date.

I've no idea where the postcard was on display, I just know the photo of it was taken on holiday in the summer of 2008.

It may be the detail is written down somewhere, but it wasn't on the photo information, nor on the back-up disc. Then about a year after that my old computer had to be wiped after a damaging virus got onto my machine- despite a security package. So a couple of documents and photos not backed up were lost forever... :(

Since then I've learnt a lot about correct labelling and adding tags to my images, so I don't have this issue now. And I always make a back-up copy too.

So I've now got a lot of pictures that need sorting out and relabelling-including numerous images of my (now grown-up) sons, buried in sand on Weymouth and Lyme Regis beaches, and in pebbles on Chesil Beach. :D

If anyone can enlighten me on the postcard, do get in touch; I want to credit the original source location of the postcard too.

8 comments:

Teresa Ashby said...

Good advice, Carol. I have many old photos, some from about 100 years ago and I so wish they had been labelled! I hope someone recognises the postcard and can help xx

Susan A Eames said...

Timely reminder, Carol. I can't enlighten you, but I know what you mean about accurate labelling! I bought my first digital camera back in 2003 prior to an eight month long trip around the world. I was very inexperienced with digital cameras and computers. I have had to use my journals in order to 'place' many of the photos (stored on old CD's and backed up to a hard drive).

liz young said...

Can't help on the postcard, I'm afraid, but you've nudged my conscience about my own labelling skills - or rather, lack thereof!

Carolb said...

I have a lot of old photos like that too, Teresa, they came from my Dad's aunt. A couple of them we were certain of because of other photos that were labelled, but another which I believe was of my great-aunts I don't know who was who. :(

Carolb said...

That was my problem, Susan, it has taken me years to be more organised with the photos, and my photo organisational skills have improved a lot since I read Simon Whaley's book, Photography for Writers.

Carolb said...

Lizy, I think our problem is that with digital we can take so many photos and don't always remember to note down the details.

Wendy's Writing said...

Hardly any if my hundreds if photos are labelled, causing much time wasting when I'm looking fir something specifies. For my blog. I know I must get around to it but the task is daunting!

Carolb said...

I know exactly what you mean, Wendy. The best way to start is with your latest photos and so you get into the habit of labelling, then you can slowly tackle the back-log.

Good luck. :-)