Rookie Mistakes

I had a post worked out in my head that I wanted to write tonight.  It was this weeks self-portrait post and I'd been tossing around some thoughts for over a week.  All day I'd been looking forward to sitting down, maybe having a cup of tea, and putting my thoughts into words.  Instead I'm heading to bed.  Yes it's not even 9:00 cst but I need to have a good cry.  I told you I would share the important things I learn on this photography journey.  Well tonight I learned a very, very valuable lesson--NEVER EMPTY YOUR RECYCLE BIN UNTIL YOU DOUBLE CHECK IT.  Tonight I came to the horrible realization that three folders totaling about 250+ processed images are gone.  I guess I deleted them.  I've run file searches.  T has searched.  I've given myself a headache looking for them.  I've been short with T, raising my voice and dumping it all on him.  But they're just not there.  They're just gone.  Monday night I burned a disk of images and then deleted the files.  I guess I accidentally deleted these other folders as well.  I'm just sick about it.  I feel much like the little daisy in the above photo.  I just want to cover my head and cry.  I still have the raw images so I haven't lost the images all together...but I may as well have.  Processing all those images took hours upon hours of work.  In a way I almost would have rather lost the raw images.  Now I have to start all over from scratch.  I'm sick about the massive amount of work I'm going to have to put into recreating the processed images.  Not to mention the time.  God I can't even begin to estimate the amount of time that went into those 250+ pics.  I was sitting on the couch in tears and T asked why I hadn't been saving the images as both a PSD and a JPEG.  Um, maybe because I'm new at this and I had no idea I should be doing that.  No one ever told me to save the images in two different formats.  I was processing the images, converting them to JPEGs, and then putting the JPEGS into their own labeled folders while leaving the raw images in the original dated folders.  Lesson #2: SAVE ALL IMAGES AS PSD FILES AND JPEGS.  The JPEGS can still be moved to their own labeled folders while the PSD images remain with the raw images.  Keeping the PSD images will mean you won't have to start all over should you ever do what I did and delete the processed images.  So all you fellow photographers out there, those of you who know the time and energy that goes into processing images, trying to get them just right, editing out small things like spider webs and blemishes, popping the eyes and softening the colors, spending endless hours making certain each image is just the way you want it, please leave me a word of encouragement because right now I am so freakin' discouraged, not to mention pissed at myself, and completely overwhelmed, that I don't even know where to start.  That's why I'm starting by just crawling into bed and pulling the blankets over my head and having a really good cry.  God this freakin' sucks.

Comments

[Anil]

A clean slate to start can be intimidating, but a great picture nevertheless.

[Henna]

I have done that before and it does suck! I cried and worried and about three days later I realized there was nothing I could do about, so I just laughed it off and realized it was a mistake I wasn't willing to make again! And you know what, I haven't! Hugs!

[jenica]

i've lost raw photos before, unprocessed, and i know that sickness. i can still remember what they looked like, but what can you do about scanning your memory into jpeg. i'm so sorry!

[Tickled Pink]

Wow. I lost six months of family photos because I didn't back up; I feel your pain.

Have you thought of uploading to Picasa or another online site? I was thinking about it in case something happened to our home.

[hel]

Geesh! That sucks big time.

I pray for a moment of beauty to lighten your heart.

[kristen]

Oh honey, I'm sorry. This does suck. If I knew what a PSD file was, I'm sure I would feel sick to my stomach. I realize that what I've been doing once I upload photos to Flickr, I delete the file, what a dope I am.

[Sam]

Oh babe...this totally sucks. Oh, I'm so sorry. We all make accidental, major mistakes and screwups and while it is a part of life, oh how it does hurt.

I hope that pumpkin pie made the hurt a little better! :)

[Jennifer]

Oh dear. I know just how you feel. I lost an enormous paper I was working on for school...and it hurts...oh it hurts. The best thing I know to offer you is a huge hug and wishes for an easy and smooth time while you do the work again.

[claire]

Oh dear!

What an excrutiating way to learn something new.

Keep at it - you may find that you are a teensy bit quicker second time around. You may even discover just how much you've learned since the first time you manipulated the images.

Huge hug, AND a cuppa tea!

[bee]

oh, sweetie. ((((HUG))))

i have not yet begun experimenting with my dig., so this language is all new to me, and it makes no sense. but i have had the experience of losing a year's worth of writing (and love letters that were sent via email) when my computer crashed this summer.

i know how much this must suck...but you sound like you're being so hard on yourself. :(
please don't be...it WAS a mistake...now i'm going to stop telling you what i think you should do (i'm sorry if i was out of line. i just care for you.)

(hugs, again)

[gkgirl]

oh michelle,
i am soo soo sorry...
that sounds so frustrating and
you must be so disappointed.

sending you hugs and hugs and hugs
and hoping things look better in the morning
(which is what my mom always tells me)
x0

[daisies]

oh honey ... sooo very much sucks. sigh. my work flow is very similar to susannah's though when i'm done, i move everything over to an external harddrive. i learned the hard way when i lost, read accidently deleted, ALL the raw files from a shoot. Luckily, I had already given the client their disc but when I think about all those photos that are just gone ... I want to curl up in a ball and cry.

((((michelle))))

[bella]

I'm so sorry, Michelle, that you lost all of those pictures. It does suck and deserves a good cry. Take your time that you need - but hey, having the raw images is a good thing, right? Maybe you can look at those images with new eyes and new perspective - and - make them beautiful all over again?

I hope that today brings you new feelings and less overwhelmingness. Happy Turkey day!!

[Marilyn]

That really does suck--I'm sorry you're having to go through that.

[susannah]

ps. i don't save them as two formats either, but what i do do is keep edited images as .psd files - apparently jpeg files degrade a little bit each time you save them (including auto-save) but .psd files don't (plus you can keep the layers open if you want). i'll make a jpeg from them as and when needed (to put in a client's gallery, or on flickr etc)

i tend to delete jpegs after i've used them so my disk space doesn't get clogged up (note to self: need new computer)

love you.. xo

[susannah]

you poor darling, that does really suck - *BUT* at least you still have the raw images! (breathes a big sigh of relief) so don't kick yourself too much hon, okay? xo

[liz elayne]

dear michelle...i am so sorry...this does indeed suck.
i am sending you a huge hug...
and a little bit of peace (or a lot...whatever you need dear one)...

[Kirsten Michelle]

oh sweetie,
i don't honestly know what to say.
i hope things feel a little less overwhelming in the morning light.
(((hugs)))
(((really big hugs)))
xo