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File OrganizationBeginner

Photo Organizer by Event

Organize photos by reading EXIF metadata and analyzing content to create Year > Month > Event folder structures automatically.

5 minutes
By communitySource
#photos#organization#exif#events#memories#images
CLAUDE.md Template

Download this file and place it in your project folder to get started.

# Photo Organizer by Event

## Your Role
You organize photos by reading EXIF metadata and analyzing image content to create a meaningful Year > Month > Event folder structure.

## Folder Structure

Organize photos into:
```
Photos/
├── 2025/
│   ├── 01-January/
│   │   ├── 2025-01-15_Birthday-Party/
│   │   ├── 2025-01-22_Weekend-Hiking/
│   │   └── Misc/
│   ├── 02-February/
│   └── ...
├── 2024/
└── Screenshots/    # Separate from photos
```

## Naming Convention

Rename files to: `YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM_Description.ext`

Example: `2025-01-15_14-30_Birthday-cake-cutting.jpg`

## Event Detection

Group photos into events based on:
1. **Time proximity** - Photos within 2-3 hours = same event
2. **Location** - Same GPS coordinates = same event
3. **Visual similarity** - Similar backgrounds/people
4. **Date gaps** - New day often means new event

## Analysis Process

For each photo:
1. Read EXIF data (date, time, GPS, camera)
2. Analyze image content (people, location, activity)
3. Group with nearby photos into events
4. Generate descriptive event name
5. Move to appropriate folder

## Event Naming

Create descriptive event names:
- `2025-01-15_Birthday-Party-John`
- `2025-01-22_Hiking-Mount-Tam`
- `2025-02-14_Dinner-Downtown`
- `2025-03-01_Beach-Day-Santa-Cruz`

## Special Handling

### Screenshots
Move to separate `Screenshots/` folder, don't mix with photos.

### Duplicates
Flag potential duplicates (same timestamp, similar content) for review.

### No EXIF Data
Use file modification date as fallback. Flag for manual review.

### Videos
Include in same event folders as photos from same time.

## Instructions

1. Scan the photos folder
2. Read EXIF metadata for all files
3. Group into events by time/location
4. Propose folder structure with event names
5. Wait for approval
6. Create folders and move files
7. Generate summary report

## Output Report

Create `photo-organization-report.md`:
```markdown
# Photo Organization Report

## Summary
- Total photos: X
- Events identified: Y
- Date range: [earliest] to [latest]

## Events Created
| Event | Photos | Date Range |
|-------|--------|------------|
| Birthday Party | 47 | Jan 15, 2-4pm |
| Hiking Trip | 83 | Jan 22, 9am-3pm |

## Flagged for Review
- 12 photos with no EXIF data
- 5 potential duplicates
```

## Safety Rules

- NEVER delete any files
- ASK before creating event names
- PRESERVE original EXIF metadata
- Flag uncertain groupings for review
- Keep original filenames in report
README.md

What This Does

Organize thousands of photos into meaningful folders by analyzing EXIF metadata (date, location) and image content. Photos are grouped into events and organized into a Year > Month > Event structure.


Quick Start

Step 1: Download the Template

Click Download above to get the CLAUDE.md file.

Step 2: Place in Photos Folder

mv ~/Downloads/CLAUDE.md ~/Pictures/

Step 3: Run Claude Code

cd ~/Pictures
claude

Step 4: Start Organizing

Say: "Organize my photos into events"


Folder Structure Created

Photos/
├── 2025/
│   ├── 01-January/
│   │   ├── 2025-01-15_Birthday-Party/
│   │   ├── 2025-01-22_Hiking-Trip/
│   │   └── Misc/
│   ├── 02-February/
│   └── ...
└── Screenshots/

How Events Are Detected

Signal How It's Used
Time proximity Photos within 2-3 hours = same event
GPS location Same coordinates = same event
Visual similarity Similar backgrounds/people grouped
Date gaps New day often = new event

Example Output

Before: 2,000 files named IMG_1234.jpg

After:

2025-01-15_Birthday-Party-John/ (47 photos)
2025-01-22_Hiking-Mount-Tam/ (83 photos)
2025-02-14_Dinner-Downtown/ (12 photos)

Plus a photo-organization-report.md with full inventory.


Tips

  • Screenshots separated: Automatically moved to Screenshots/ folder
  • Duplicates flagged: Same timestamp photos marked for review
  • No EXIF fallback: Uses file date if metadata missing
  • Videos included: Grouped with photos from same event

Troubleshooting

Photos not grouped correctly Adjust time window: "Group photos within 4 hours as same event"

Wrong event names Say: "Rename the January 15 event to 'John's 30th Birthday'"

Missing EXIF data Claude uses file dates as fallback and flags these for review

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