OK... here I go.
-I use a sorting system base on the ISO date format. YYYY-MM-DD-Film number of the day
-If needed, I add more info at the end of the number format.
-I use an electronic Dymo machine (Brother P-Touch) to make numbers consistent, besides, it looks better when all neatly filed.
-Monochrome film gets stored in Print File sleeves. Lab processed color film gets left in their envelopes. 4x5 film gets stored in paper CD holders (I got them cheap). Instant film gets inserted in regular 4x5 print sleeves.
-I always put the labels on the top right side. It's neater than sticking them anywhere.
-Contact prints and index prints get numbered in the same way and stored in a small photo album. For color work, the album gets stored in the same box as the film and print envelopes. I use Ikea Kassette DVD boxes to store them as they're the right size and have a nice metal label holder on the front. I put the start and end year on the box labels (but I could be more descriptive there). I still use the Dymo for that.
-B&W contact prints get stored in binders using 8x10 print pages. I fold the negative sheet behind the index print.
I tried adding a database component to that but found it a bit too much work for what I do... but I might eventually get to it.
Oh my god, I think I need a cigarette after reading that.
I long to be that organized but alas, I'm not quite there. For many of my pictures when I was still making prints and not scanning, I have photo boxes organized by location with the negatives filed with the matching prints. As I was going through them a couple of weeks ago, however, I realized that the negatives don't always correspond and they've gotten misplaced and disorganized.
For newer stuff, I've been trying to keep all the negatives in one place, but nothing is labeled yet. My instant material is fairly new so I'm trying to develop a system. So far I have them in envelopes: prints, washed negatives, unwashed negatives, prints for practicing emulsion lifts, emulsion lifts, and emulsion transfers. There's not that many of them yet (I've only recently started working with my Polaroid) so as the collection grows, I might have to reorganize. I'm also just getting up the nerve to start doing some pinhole with photo paper and contact printing, so I'll have to develop another system for that.
On my computer, things are a bit more organized. I categorize first by camera, then by B&W vs Color, and then each batch is labeled with film, location and date. I think that's ideally how I would organize the physical materials as well. Most of my stuff is from my Pentax, so my existing system wouldn't have to be drastically reorganized.
My kingdom for a decent label maker.
