Author Topic: How do you track/manage image database (Read 7363 times)

nscotta · « **on:** July 25, 2006, 17:39 »

Great forum! I just started with Micro Stock submissions, and wondering if anybody has any tips on the best system to track/monitor your image databases. Specifically with relation to images submitted/accepted/denied/earnings per sites, etc. I've been using a table in Word format with various columns, but looking for other ideas (spreadsheet, database, special stock mgmt software). Same holds true for hard-drive image management (i just started using iview media pro...but am far from an organized stock library system). Any thoughts?

leaf · « **Reply #1 on:** July 25, 2006, 18:24 »

i don't keep track of which photos are rejected/accepted where. I just keep track to submit the photos everywhere and hope for the best.

As for tracking sales. I don't do it by individual photo, just by the day and by the site. I keep track of this on excel.

admart01 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 27, 2006, 05:02 »

I have a relatively small number of photos per site (about 200) so all tracking and managment is simple and labor-intensive. For management, keep folders by category (e.g. people, nature) and a folder of shots ready to be uploaded. Every so often I make a CD. Also keep folders of "exclusive" shots accepted on the sites that take that kind of thing.

I use to track per photo sales but this got too cumbersome - now I track end-of-month sales $ and number plus total number of photos accepted per site.

Welcome to the site!

T

a.k.a.-tom · « **Reply #3 on:** July 21, 2007, 09:21 »

Quote from: leaf on July 25, 2006, 18:24

i don't keep track of which photos are rejected/accepted where. I just keep track to submit the photos everywhere and hope for the best.

As for tracking sales. I don't do it by individual photo, just by the day and by the site. I keep track of this on excel.

Wow... doing a search on databases ... only this thread turned up and really........ no great response. I know you all must track your submissions and sales on something besides a legal pad, LOL...
Like leaf, I just wrote a spreadsheet in excel and started plugging away at it. But now, after a year in the business, spreading hundreds of pix over up to 10 sites.... I track each pic on each site ( I also keep track of rejections and reason. why? some that had been rejected for "not stock material", "too many on site", "not interested"... I have later resubmited, had accepted and sold) ...but now, it is getting a bit large and bulky to manage. I find I'm spending too much time toggling back and forth, paging up and down to document my daily sales. There's gotta be a better way.
I just read about Adobe's "Lightroom". Anyone out there know anything about it besides what I can read in the ad???
Also, I try again putting out the original question. What are you folks using to manage your photo database and sales? I'd appreciate any insight or pointers.

-tom

Bateleur · « **Reply #4 on:** July 21, 2007, 16:01 »

Wow ... yes. Interesting, and maybe worrying, that this thread has been dormant for a year.

I was just about to ask the same question myself. Do people track their images? And if so, how?

I track every image - not sales, that would be too much, but submission/acceptance/rejection - with a simple system. But it is a bit time consuming.

I give every image that I put up for sale a unique personal code based on a broad classification system (Architecture ... graphics ... animals ... plants ... etc.) and a number based on the date it was taken.

I track these with an Excel spreadsheet, a new one each year. Each year's spreadsheet has one worksheet per subject, and in each worksheet one row per image and one column per agency. I give an 'S' for submitted, 'A' for accepted and 'R' for rejected. This helps prevent double submissions, and allows me to see the good images (accepted by all) and the bum ones (rejected by all, or most).

madelaide · « **Reply #5 on:** July 21, 2007, 18:04 »

I use an Excel spreadsheet. For each image (row) at each site (column) I track accepted (green cell background), pending (yellow) and rejected (red) images, and on each I track the number of downloads. I also use different sheets (tabs) for different types of images. And if I don't forget, I include a description of the edition steps I did, so I can repeat them in other similar ones.

Regards,
Adelaide

Clivia · « **Reply #6 on:** July 22, 2007, 03:57 »

I use a similar system to Madelade except that I also add my keywords as a comment. (Just right click on a cell and add comment.) This is really useful when you take a similar picture months later, saves searching and loading the original to get the keywords.

If the pictures are rejected for technical reasons I colour them red as a warning not to upload anywhere else. (I don't have many reds I am pleased to say.) If the rejection is for 'too many on site', they are coloured pink.

My pictures are filed using the line number from the spreadsheet as the file name. Dead easy to find them.

The spreadsheet is archived onto a hard disc alongside the pictures. I do this once a month.

It work beautifully. As soon as a picture is ready for sale, I enter it onto the sheet, and I can see at a glance where each picture is up for sale.

I like to track sales by the balance in my bank account!!!

nicklaw17 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 29, 2007, 08:52 »

I'm just starting out with all of this, but like many of you, I've taken to using excel to track submissions (all the while thinking "there has to be a better way..."). Similar setup to most of you, I have two columns per submission site, one with submission date, and one indicating Accepted or Denied.

Quote from: Clivia on July 22, 2007, 03:57

My pictures are filed using the line number from the spreadsheet as the file name. Dead easy to find them.

I really like this idea! It's amazing how easy it is to overlook the obvious - currently I'm using a very convoluted naming scheme based on my initials and the "batch" of pictures I've uploaded. Realizing this will spiral out of control and quickly become unwieldly soon, I think i'll go back and implement this asap - unless someone comes up with a miracle tracking program/method in the meantime!

Thanks!

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Author Topic: How do you track/manage image database (Read 7363 times)

nscotta

leaf

admart01

a.k.a.-tom

Bateleur

madelaide

Clivia

nicklaw17

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