Reading path: Coastal field methods →
Build a filename that sorts well
Use a fixed pattern with a date, site code, and sequence number. A format such as YYYYMMDD_SITE_### sorts chronologically and keeps frames from one location together. For example, “20261028_CW03_014” identifies the fourteenth image taken for site CW03 on 28 October 2026.
Choose a date format with year first so files from different years do not become mixed when sorted by name. Keep the site code short but unique within your project, and use leading zeroes in sequence numbers—014 rather than 14—so file managers place 2 and 14 in the expected order. Avoid relying on a camera’s default number alone, since it may reset or repeat.
Keep details in a separate key
The filename is an index, not a full caption. Maintain a key that maps each image name to the notebook page or entry, time, subject, and any useful note about view or image quality. This prevents long descriptive names from becoming unwieldy and gives the photograph a clear relationship to the field record.
A key row might read: “20261028_CW03_014 — notebook p. 6, 10:42; small hydrozoan colony on shaded rock; scale visible; focus soft.” The image can be found quickly, while the notebook retains the fuller conditions and identification reasoning.
Handle bursts and exceptions
If a camera makes several frames of one subject, assign each a sequential number and group them in the key with a shared observation code. Do not rename a file in a way that breaks an existing link unless you update the key as well. If the camera clock is wrong, preserve the filename convention but record the clock offset in the notebook or photo log.
For example, if the camera was 6 minutes fast, write “camera clock +6 min” and use the notebook time as the field reference. That note prevents a later reader from treating the filename timestamp as exact observation time. If a frame is deleted because it is blank, note the gap only when the sequence is being used as a complete record.
Check the link before leaving the file
At the end of the visit, compare the key with the image folder. Confirm that names match, sequence numbers have not been duplicated, and every selected frame points to a notebook entry. A single typo can make the best photograph difficult to interpret later.
A consistent naming pattern turns a folder of images into a navigable record. Pairing it with a separate key preserves both easy retrieval and the scientific context behind each frame.
Have a correction or a source to suggest? Send a note →