Beginner's Guide to Saving Photos and Pictures: File Folders Camera

Software

• Many cameras come with rudimentary software that allows the operator to download photos directly from their camera to the computer. Before you begin creating file folders in a camera, you have to forget about using this software. This software is typically geared toward novice photographers. But it can get in the way of a photographer's ability to think of the camera as an independent computer. Instead, you can connect the camera to the computer through a USB cable.

Icons

• Once the camera is connected to the computer, the computer will recognize the camera as it would any peripheral device. For the purposes of saving or handling your photographs, the camera is treated as a USB drive. If you have a Macintosh computer, the camera will be represented as an icon that appears on your desktop. A windows operating system will show your camera as an icon under the computer drive. Clicking on the camera's icon will open a window into your computer's memory card.

Folders

• Most photos will already be saved under a folder in the root directory of the camera. If your camera's settings allow for multiple photos with the same numbering system, the camera automatically creates additional folders to hold your photos. That way it will not accidentally overwrite an older photo with a newer photo that has the same name. New folders are also created when you change photo formats. In other words, .gif, .jpg, .raw, or a Nikon .nef file would all be saved in different folders.

  To create a new folder for your photos in a Macintosh system, press the Command-N keys. To create a folder for a PC, right click on the screen and select the new option from the pop-up screen. A second screen will appear that allows you to select the option of creating a new folder. Give the new folder a name, and open it in a new screen. Then drag your saved photos into this folder.

  As you take new pictures, they will not be saved to this folder. Instead the camera will save them to a folder that it creates. You must move new photos into your created folder after you take them. You may not be able to see your digital photos in your camera view screen once you have moved them into a new folder. Some camera operating systems will only access photos in their root directory when using the playback feature.