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Files, Metadata & Workflow

Folder Structure

The hierarchy of directories in which image files are physically stored.

In depth

A durable structure is chronological and shallow — year, then date and shoot name — because dates never change and subjects do. Organising folders by subject or client seems natural and fails within a few years, when images belong to several subjects at once. Everything other than capture order belongs in metadata.

Examples in practice

A path of 2024 / 2024-06-14 Coastal Walk holds every frame from that day and never needs reorganising.