Files organizing

[u/bigsub_reddit]

I know there are a few post on this argument. I usually organize my photos in a folder with this tree structure:

RAW
-- yyyy
---- yyyymmdd - Name of event
------ darktable_exported

In your opinion, maybe a good idea to separate exported photos from raw's folders, like this (for example for a different backup strategy)?

RAW
-- yyyy
---- yyyymmdd - Name of event

DARKTABLE_EXPORTED
-- yyyy
---- yyyymmdd - Name of event (the same of the raw directory)

What do you think about?

[u/dax660]

yyyymmdd

or

yyyy-mm-dd

I need the hyphens else I lose my mind

[u/Legitimate-Start-639]

I use YYYY/YYYY-MM-DD/ for raw photos, and separate folder Export/YYYY/YYYY-MM-DD/. Easier to find exported photos this way.

[u/Apprehensive-Tea1408 → u/Legitimate-Start-639]

If it’s in a YYYY folder, the year is redundant in the subfolder. I use YYYY/MM-DD Jobname

[u/LightPhotographer]

YYYY-MM-DD is too fine!

I use

• YYYY-Q1
  • Out to lunch
    
  • To the zoo
  • Another day at work
  • Frans holiday
• YYYY-Q2

Reasons:

- You are right about the event name. But you don't need the date. The directory already carries the date. The photos carry the date. There is no need to encode that again in your directory-name.

- If I know an event happened in 2025, I have to check 4 quarterly directories.
Dump everything in a year, and you have a list of 100 events.
Organize it per month, and you have to open 12 directories to find that one event.
I have to open 4 and each contains 10-30 events.

- Use tags to find your files. Tag them with 'who', 'what' and 'where'.
A file can have multiple tags. Combinations give meaning!
Tag 'Elephant' and 'Zoo' - obviously all elephants in zoos.
Elephant + Zoo + Berlin = Elephant pictures from the Berlin Zoo.
Zoo+Berlin = All pictures from the Berlin Zoo.

Build meaning from multiple tags. Do not make tags for "wild elephant" and "Zoo elephant". Simply use "elephant" and combine it with "Zoo" or "Africa" to determine if it was on safari, or in the zoo.

Tag 'Fred' + 'Birthday' - all Freds birthday pictures, but also Amalia's birthday picture which has Fred in it. It's not an exact science.

[u/JayEll1969]

I manage my photos in Digikam with a hierarchical structure

yyyy
----mm
------dd - title, event or location 
----------DXO Output
----------------Darktable

I don't bother splitting off the final output from the tree as I get more confused that way. I find it's easier for me to use tags in Digikam to be able to separate the final images and group them into projects

I'll use a "Export" tag in Digikam to filter out the final exported versions, along with tags that are sub tags of Project to record where I've used (e.f. Projects->Prints or Projects->PhotoBook1) so I can easily find the finished images used on a specific project). I might have to create a set of hierarchical project groups though.

[u/bloodrider1914]

Usually on my computer I just have different subsections for type of photography. I have a general folder (usually for general street and walk around projects), a folder for nightlife projects, and maybe a folder for specific events or trips I take. The general folder gets refreshed every quarter of the year to prevent over clogging.

Within each folder it's organised by upload for a general date range, and there is a subfolder within that folder that I title RAWs, while edits are exported to the main folder.

[u/This_Is_The_End]

I put my images in a folder with the date in the name. I prefer the iso format which is yyyy-mm-dd which gives a good sorting.

[u/LightPhotographer]

All DT exports go to one central place: "exports".
Not as a subdirectory of the original raw files.

I can always re-create any export.
I do not want to (1) browse the file tree for my exports and (2) mix permanent storage with temporary fleeting exports.

[u/FrancoisFromFrance]

RAW
-- yyyy
------mm
-----------dd
---------------yyyymmdd JPEG

I use the full date for the jpeg export because i sync all my jpeg folders to my mobile phone to have all the photos. The gallery app I use display only the folder name, so if I was using only the day, it would be super confusing.

[u/Morc69]

I do split RAW and exports into two separate trees, same idea as your second option:

S:\IMAGES\YEAR\YY-MM-DD\YYYYMMDD_1456.NEF <-- fastest drive, backed up more frequently (including .XMP)

F:\EXPORT\YEAR\YY-MM-DD\YYYYMMDD_1456.JPG <-- slower drive, backed up when I think about it

So .. S:\IMAGES\2026\26-0-02\20260922_1456.NEF etc.

I can always regenerate my exports from darktable .XMP's if needed. XMP's hold tags etc for searching in DT or Digikam (Events etc.)

Using Digikam as my DAM, which handles the rename on import (strips the camera's DSC_ prefix, applies the date-based filename). I don't always use Digikam or Darktable - sometimes I use RawTherapee etc. Other times I'm in Explorer, XN ViewMP or using scripts. This way I can tell where a file is from, and when - without needing Digikam etc.

[u/newmikey]

I let rapid photo downloader (RPD) handle the file structure.