Using One Image For Many Purposes
I often use each of several slightly different variations of an image for different purposes. I may use one as an original for my Canon S3 gallery, one as a quickly adjusted image for my desktop wallpaper, and one as a "made better" image for showing off.
How do I manage these variations? If I keep these versions in different places that are related to the way the image is to be used (such as in projects or albums), then how will I ever find all the variations of one image? If I keep them all together, then how will I know what purpose each is to be used for?
I solve the dilemma by putting all of the variations into a stack so they are grouped together and then using keywords to reveal their purpose. Here is an example:
The leftmost image has a caption, keywords, and ratings and it has been adjusted. That is my show-off image, so it is the pick. The center image is a copy of the leftmost image, but has different adjustments, including cropping. This one has an extra keyword attached: Actions > Wallpaper. The rightmost image is completely unadjusted and unrated. The only keyword attached is Actions > Bagelturf Gallery.
With my images all collected together into a stack, if find one, I find them all. To use them for different purposes I create smart albums, one per purpose. One of them looks for recent wallpaper images. As well as filtering on the Wallpaper keyword, it also has the following settings:
The date condition defines recent as shot in the last three months. The checkbox at the bottom is important because it allows this filter to look inside stacks. Without that the stack that I used above would hide the non-pick variations I want to find. I have a similar filter for Bagelturf Gallery that collects all the images that I post in the Canon S3 gallery.
To use one of the smart albums I just select it, let the images load, and then export the result, or use the associated previews.
As an alternative I could have not used a stack, but instead have tagged all the related images with a common keyword. But this quickly runs into trouble. I have to make all of my tags different, and when I have many images and just a few purposes, it is easier to tag for purpose than for image. Using versions names could work, but it is easily broken because version names are often modified.
How do I manage these variations? If I keep these versions in different places that are related to the way the image is to be used (such as in projects or albums), then how will I ever find all the variations of one image? If I keep them all together, then how will I know what purpose each is to be used for?
I solve the dilemma by putting all of the variations into a stack so they are grouped together and then using keywords to reveal their purpose. Here is an example:
The leftmost image has a caption, keywords, and ratings and it has been adjusted. That is my show-off image, so it is the pick. The center image is a copy of the leftmost image, but has different adjustments, including cropping. This one has an extra keyword attached: Actions > Wallpaper. The rightmost image is completely unadjusted and unrated. The only keyword attached is Actions > Bagelturf Gallery.
With my images all collected together into a stack, if find one, I find them all. To use them for different purposes I create smart albums, one per purpose. One of them looks for recent wallpaper images. As well as filtering on the Wallpaper keyword, it also has the following settings:
The date condition defines recent as shot in the last three months. The checkbox at the bottom is important because it allows this filter to look inside stacks. Without that the stack that I used above would hide the non-pick variations I want to find. I have a similar filter for Bagelturf Gallery that collects all the images that I post in the Canon S3 gallery.
To use one of the smart albums I just select it, let the images load, and then export the result, or use the associated previews.
As an alternative I could have not used a stack, but instead have tagged all the related images with a common keyword. But this quickly runs into trouble. I have to make all of my tags different, and when I have many images and just a few purposes, it is easier to tag for purpose than for image. Using versions names could work, but it is easily broken because version names are often modified.
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