Author Topic: how do you keep track of what was submitted? (Read 10978 times)

sensovision · « **on:** February 19, 2008, 18:08 »

Wonder how do you keep track of what photographs have been submitted by you?
Personally I've just sorted all photos for submission created folders for each stock and copied there what was already submitted. But thanks to Lee's idea I decide to make excel file where store numbers of submitted photos and keep track of what was submit and where, exclusive images and rest of info.
I also think about writing own program which would keep track of this but not sure if it's really needed as right now I think that spreadsheet should do the job.
Wonder if anyone use different ways of storing such info or maybe use some program?

Phil · « **Reply #1 on:** February 19, 2008, 18:36 »

I have

pile of raw images waiting to be processed to tif
pile of tif images waiting to go through photoshop
pile of images waiting to be keyworded
3 piles of images waiting to be submitted 1 pile is macro, 1 pile is istock because of there upload limits, 1 pile is all other micros.
then I have an archive of everything sorted by category.

I started keeping thumbnail size images of what got submitted / accepted at each site, but now I can't be bothered.
I just accept what gets through for each site, except for the odd image that I really want to get on, or images where I have missed a logo or something and everyone rejects then I may come back to that image and rework.

I also had a spreadsheet I tracked sales and acceptance with but gave up after about 200 images, because it was a pain (My wife was pushing me on the weekend to redo it and track again but I reckon tracked 2000+ images would be a hell of a lot of work).

so in answer to your question, I dont

Phil

vphoto · « **Reply #2 on:** February 19, 2008, 18:51 »

I use Lightroom. Many find it very good for organizing images. I keep folders by year dates and subfolders by subjects. Without LR I would have been lost with my 800+ images (plus equal number of tiffs).

sensovision · « **Reply #3 on:** February 19, 2008, 18:52 »

Thanks for sharing this info, Phil! now I'm also thinking that it could be probably easier to create program which would generate thumbnails from images and would also incorporate spreadsheet features...

Thanks, vphoto, I'll check up Lightroom but guess it wouldn't work on Linux natively anyway.

madelaide · « **Reply #4 on:** February 19, 2008, 19:58 »

I use a spreadsheet. Different sheets for different subjects - landscapes, finance, textures, etc. Sites in columns, images in lines, at the crossing I mark in yellow what is waiting for submission, in green what was accepted and in red what was rejected. Then on these green squares I keep track of number of sales. Unsubmitted remains clear, except when an image is smaller than a site's minimum size, so I know I can not upload it there. On each line (i.e., each image) I also make notes about the edition process. I insert a comment in images that got ELs.

All my edited files go to one folder with subfolders that relate to the subjects in the spreadsheet.

Regards,
Adelaide

Phil · « **Reply #5 on:** February 19, 2008, 22:45 »

take a look at cushy stock. it uploads, keywords and tracks your images. it may be what you're after

(taking a look at it now too)

a.k.a.-tom · « **Reply #6 on:** February 19, 2008, 23:08 »

wrote an excel spreadsheet.... I track everything about the image across 12 agencies now. I'm still thinking about Lightroom.

=tom

unicorn · « **Reply #7 on:** February 23, 2008, 08:28 »

FYI. Cushy stock updated to 1.6.3. version.

MikLav · « **Reply #8 on:** February 23, 2008, 14:42 »

I use a simple Excel spreadsheet. One column with file names, and one column per stock. Cell shows status - can upload, pending, accepted or rejected. I can get a good overview in one glance.

I use a separate sheet for sales statistics - I only track totals per stock per month.

sensovision · « **Reply #9 on:** February 24, 2008, 06:22 »

Thanks everyone for responses! I'm already started to write my own tracking program on PHP & mySQL which would incorporate some of features you've mentioned here, this way I can upload this program to server and use it from any PC connected to the web, so I can check what's submitted/accepted/declined/etc. from anywhere.

Quote from: rustyphil on February 19, 2008, 22:45

take a look at cushy stock. it uploads, keywords and tracks your images. it may be what you're after

(taking a look at it now too)

Thanks for suggestion Rustyphil! I've checked program and it's look like a good one but it doesn't natively works under Linux which is my only OS and it's price isn't looks good to me either at current moment, so I'd better continue writing my own program.
But thanks for your suggestion!

Mormegil · « **Reply #10 on:** February 25, 2008, 03:28 »

Combination of LightRoom and MS Access.

After a shoot in LR, I'm give star ratings
* = trash
** = personal keeper
*** = submit for stock

After processing, *** become **** - at which point I have a JPEG in my stock folder.

I just arrange by dates - 2 folders per year (probably break it down by quarter soon).

Once I've uploaded an image, I put it into my Access database
I have a duplicate set of fields for each stock site, with image ID numbe r(if there is one, then I've uploaded it, if not, I haven't uploaded it yet). I've got a checkbox for accepted, and a notes to why it was rejected and if I will bother resubmitting).

Jack Schiffer · « **Reply #11 on:** February 25, 2008, 15:41 »

Poor mans database

dir d:
Dir –Dreamstime uploads
Subdir pending
Subdir refused
simple :-)

RacePhoto · « **Reply #12 on:** February 26, 2008, 22:04 »

Quote from: Jack Schiffer on February 25, 2008, 15:41

Poor mans database

dir d:
Dir –Dreamstime uploads
Subdir pending
Subdir refused
simple :-)

That's about the size or it for me too.

When I create a new batch of at least five new photos...

D: New Stock to Upload (where I have final photos after editing and keywording) Then I copy all of them to:

One directory for each stock agency, under that in the tree or each agency: 1) New to be uploaded, 2) Uploaded, 3) accepted, 4) Rejected. I'm getting to the point of dropping #4 because who cares, and #3 is useless after they are accepted, because they are on the site. But that way I move them out of the #2 uploaded folder. Once entered into the database, they are removed from 3 and 4.

As for tracking uploads and sales in a simple printout, I started using Excel, photo name in the left column, then each agency across the top.

Under review / uploaded = Lt. Blue, (as a reminder to myself that I did upload them) If accepted Yellow, rejected Pink, When something sells, I change it to Green. Simple visual way to see if there's a line going across of Pink, I shouldn't bother uploading it elsewhere and remove it from the to be uploaded folder. Yellow line, consider for other agencies. Green, make sure it goes to everyplace.

I don't track sales other than if it sold at least once.

The mixed lines are the most interesting. But everyone here knows that by now. Accepted at 7 sites, rejected at 2. Next photo accepted at 7 but rejected at a different 2.

Photos that go to Alamy or Featurepics as editorial, don't go to RF. Art photos that are on that type site, don't go to EN (editorial/News) or RF. Everything at Alamy and Featurepics, is exclusive to one or the other of them. Which has more to do with content than anything else.

Subject to change at any moment or on a whim.

ebola · « **Reply #13 on:** February 27, 2008, 13:34 »

I also use a spreadsheet to track all kinds info on each site. Photos are sorted into folders for the various sites, accepted and rejected. This way I can look for trends.

The Corey · « **Reply #14 on:** February 27, 2008, 15:47 »

Database - File Maker Pro. ( I use it on a MAC)

I am self-taught and it is really easy to figure out. I had never used a database program until I started working at my current job.

I use it to keep track of all sorts of image and contact information.

For example I work for a stock photo company and we send out images to 50+ distributors each time we finish a shoot. I set up one database that keeps track of the distributors contact and submission information.

I set up another database for our 10,000 images containing all of the metadata and photo information (including a thumbnail preview). I also set up a database for tracking which drives and assets are sent where. This way I can generate any number of reports on demand.

I use to do all of this in Excel and it became overwhelming.

-Corey

graficallyminded · « **Reply #15 on:** March 04, 2008, 18:27 »

I just take a folder, name it the upload date. Then I type into the filename which sites I've submitted to.

"03-03-08 uploaded SS-BS-FT-DT-IS-FP-----" would mean I uploaded this folder to shutterstock, bigstock, etc. The empty spots between the dashes means I left a few of my sites out, or if their FTP was down that day. Or, it means I haven't gotten around to uploading to them yet. Obviously, I know the abbreviations for the sites I upload to and which ones.

Now that I'm starting to upload to Alamy, I'm going to have to copy each of the images into a folder within this folder, and then upsize them. When it comes to knowing whether or not I've keyworded an image yet or not, I put a letter "i" at the beginning of the filename. That's because I used to use an exclamation point (!) but some ftps don't like these characters, so I went with the one that looks the most similar (an i is an upside down !) HA I'm weird.

bravajulia · « **Reply #16 on:** March 05, 2008, 00:43 »

may you share your template? have you write some applescripts to import thumbnails or other usefull tasks in the records? I do one for File maker pro 5.0 version but it don't work in the last release. I can share it if someone like to adapt it to his database

Quote from: The Corey on February 27, 2008, 15:47

Database - File Maker Pro. ( I use it on a MAC)

I am self-taught and it is really easy to figure out. I had never used a database program until I started working at my current job.

I use it to keep track of all sorts of image and contact information.

For example I work for a stock photo company and we send out images to 50+ distributors each time we finish a shoot. I set up one database that keeps track of the distributors contact and submission information.

I set up another database for our 10,000 images containing all of the metadata and photo information (including a thumbnail preview). I also set up a database for tracking which drives and assets are sent where. This way I can generate any number of reports on demand.

-Corey

Seren · « **Reply #17 on:** March 05, 2008, 02:11 »

I wanted file maker pro,but it's so expensive. Which is why I'm looking at Bento instead. Has anyone tried both?

zymmetricaldotcom · « **Reply #18 on:** March 05, 2008, 06:18 »

Our new Submissions page on Zymmetrical (http://www.zymmetrical.com/account/submissions/) let's you export your submission history to Excel, CSV, Word or PDF.

PDF + Word output include thumbs of the pics too. Some of the formatting may not be perfect on different systems so any feedback is appreciated.

null · « **Reply #19 on:** March 05, 2008, 08:50 »

Quote from: graficallyminded on March 04, 2008, 18:27

HA I'm weird.

In that case I'm weird too coz I use a similar scheme based on file names. I have a folder per upload batch too, numbered from 000 to 132 or so now. It contains copies while the original shots (included the TIF stay in their original folder).

null · « **Reply #20 on:** March 05, 2008, 09:16 »

Quote from: zymmetricaldotcom on March 05, 2008, 06:18

PDF + Word output include thumbs of the pics too. Some of the formatting may not be perfect on different systems so any feedback is appreciated.

Neither of the 3 first methods gives thumbs (the most important!)

The PDF method gives this:
A critical error has occurred.
Could not find file

Great idea. We could do it with a simple offline webpage save too, but the Change page and Page size textboxes can't be altered.

Funny comments of YawningDog ;-)

Image thumbs 2215-2217 (uploaded August) are gone in this page. I hope these thumbs are a different set of what the customers can view.

In the Sales Manager we can see for how much we sold and when, but a tiny thumb there would help.

CofkoCof · « **Reply #21 on:** March 05, 2008, 09:28 »

Basicly my workflow is like this:
- transfer images from the camera
- start slideshow presentation and mark the picture that might be stock material
- do a detailed expection/edit the images
- put the selected/edited ones in the Non-keyworded folder
- keyword them and make packages ready for download (folder containing date and brief description)
- start uploading (I have a excel spredsheet which marks which packages were uploaded to which site)

Something like that. I don't track which were accepted/rejected on which sites.

zymmetricaldotcom · « **Reply #22 on:** March 05, 2008, 09:37 »

Quote from: FlemishDreams on March 05, 2008, 09:16

Quote from: zymmetricaldotcom on March 05, 2008, 06:18
PDF + Word output include thumbs of the pics too. Some of the formatting may not be perfect on different systems so any feedback is appreciated.

Neither of the 3 first methods gives thumbs (the most important!)

The PDF method gives this:
A critical error has occurred.

Great idea. We could do it with a simple offline webpage save too, but the Change page and Page size textboxes can't be altered.

Offline web page save would be pretty hard to clean up.. plus we have the options: Export only data and Ignore paging (exports all pages) so getting the data out this way is no problem. I guess the only one missing is XML but thats more geek-friendly than user-friendly.

I looked at your queue and I believe the problem is you have some incomplete JPG's that were rejected, they didn't get uploaded all the way. Once I remove these the thumbs should show up and it won't throw that error.

Waldo4 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 05, 2008, 10:15 »

I do it with a folder based system. I have one master folder for stock, then each agency has a subfolder, with a general subfolder that holds the latest copy of each file. The subfolder for each agency is basically an upload que, once I have uploaded it I delete it from the folder. In some of those folders I keep a second folder for resubmit files (agencies I resubmit to) or an application subfolder (1 left to go). I keep it completely untied to my database system used for tracking, that isn't used for files until they have been approved.

The Corey · « **Reply #24 on:** March 05, 2008, 15:50 »

"may you share your template? have you write some applescripts to import thumbnails or other useful tasks in the records? I do one for File maker pro 5.0 version but it don't work in the last release. I can share it if someone like to adapt it to his database"

I do all of the work within in File Maker Pro 8.5 I don't use Apple scripts because FMP does all of this for you. I simply add a thumbnail field to the database, point FMP to the thumbnail folder, and if the Image IDs match, FMP imports the thumbnail.

I also create scrips in FMP to run multiple batch operations at once. For example I need to send our new images and metadata to 50+ distributors all over the world and some like Alamy, Jupiter, and Veer have very specific metadata requirements. Instead of building all these metadata sheets by hand in excel ( which I was doing a first) I import the all metadata fields into FMP first and write a script that exports the metadata fields into the correct format based on distributor. Then I wrote a script that runs all of the individual exports at once so I don't have to do them one by one. This all may sound confusing but it really isn't if you just spend a little time to understand databases and FMP ( I had no formal training when I opened up FMP). Spending a few hours learning FMP has saved me, and my company, hundreds of hours of time, money, and headaches.

Databases are powerful in that if you set them up correctly, you only have to put the information in once and use any number of reporting functions to customize the data the you want to see it.

My rule of thumb with any type of digital information is " If you find yourself doing a repetitive task on a computer, someone has written software that can do it better..."

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