Apr. 2001
President's
Message
Setting Up Your Own Filing System
Setting Up Your Own Filing System
- Bill Talarowski
During my many years in photography, I have searched endlessly for the perfect filing system. I wouldn't say the present system I am using is perfect, but it's a long way from the boxes, trays and albums I started out with.
I started my career in 1952 and at present I have approximately 70,000 transparencies and another 30,000 black and white and color negatives. It is easy to see something had to be done if I was ever going to be able to find the images I needed.
Strangely, a decision to get into the stock photo business helped get me started on this formidable task. I found that when you submitted images to agencies, they had to have the following information on the slide:
- Copyright Symbol
- Name
- Index Number Of Slide
- Description (including location place, activities, names of buildings, date, etc.)
All this information must take only one wide side on the front of the mount leaving the other wide side for the agencies information.
I decided to place all transparencies in archival plastic pages that held twenty mounts. I also decided to put these in binders so I could grab a whole section at a time. I could have chosen hanging files as well but with limited file drawer space, it would make for tight spacing and I felt that the binders would be easier to work with. Admittedly, looking at slide pages while still in a binder is a pain in the neck (literally), it was better and faster then trying to work with hanging files.
It became evident very early that besides my name, a date had to be incorporated in the file number to show when it was taken. Considering how much work was ahead, I opted to use a computer program rather then do it by hand. This had an added advantage in producing digital files that would not only be used for an index but in locating images as well.
I choose the Cradic Caption
Writer program produced by Perfect Niche Software Inc. (Tel: 602-945-2001).
The program sold for $69.00 with 2500 of the special labels (two on each
line side by side). Extra labels in any quantity could also be purchased.
The program allowed five lines of type, but I found four lines to be sufficient
for better legibility. On the top line I placed a registered R and my
name, a squiggly line, then the transparency number. The number started
with the year, the month, the day, a dash, then the consecutive number
taken. This number would increase by one with each label. The second line
was always to be the location and the third and fourth the activities
or building names or special information that was needed. You could put
two or three subtopics on a line as long as you separated them with a
coma.
With the digital file, and
with the help of another program (Quattro Pro), I was able to produce
copy of the file numbers with information contained in the transparency
of my whole storage pile of transparencies. I generally can remember what
subjects I have taken and about what approximate year I took them. I go
to my binder, open to the year and start searching from there. It usually
takes about ten minutes to locate what I am looking for. From there on
it’s the normal filing, billing, and shipment of good business that
has to be done.
Again, it seems it was a smooth
transaction of ideas and thoughts which is anything but the truth. This
was my first computer project and if it wasn’t for the help I received
from Ernst Tomic, I would never have gotten into stock business and my
transparencies would be in a conglomeration of trays, boxes and what ever.
I have just touched on the subject fore it is complicated to be sure. But, for those that are interested, have questions or want to see this in action, I am at your service. ?