Fellow photographers don’t make the mistake I made.  There a lot of mistakes one can make as a photographer.  Some mistakes are made in the taking of the photo.  Other mistakes are made after the image is already created.  There are always was to avoid making mistake, but they invariably happen at some point.  It is critical to make sure mistakes do not become compounding.

When I started out in photography I concentrated on wildlife with some scenic landscape shots mixed in.  As I became more experienced I began to mix in other types of photography.  I began to photograph trees and flowers and insects.  As I did this I simply categorized them into broadly categorized folders of trees, flowers, and insects without regard to what species each individual was.  I did this because when I started out taking these types of photos I didn’t anticipate taking very many.  And I certainly didn’t envision a time or place where I would actually need to know what each species is.

Now I am in the process of beginning a career as a stock photographer.  My specialty is in wildlife and nature.  If I want to offer my services to editors I need a complete list of all the various subjects I have photographed.  Now because I had originally grouped all my photos of trees, flowers, and insects into broad categories I have to take on the daunting task of sorting through all of those photos.  I need to identify all the species I have photographed in those categories and create separate folders for all of them and move them to those folders.

My advice is whenever you take a photograph be meticulous in your categorization from the beginning.  Even if you don’t think you will ever have any need for it.  This will inevitably save you a headache in the long run.  Even if you never become a professional photographer it will still come in handy.  You will take great photos that you will want to share with friends and family.  If you have them meticulously categorized it will be fast and simple to find that photo and show it off.