You didn't pick up a camera to spend your evenings hunting for files.

Live Online Workshop · March 26, 2026

Photo Storage Simplified Workshop

A 90-minute live workshop teaching photographers how to organize RAW files, Lightroom catalogs, and backups using one simple, predictable system.

📅 March 26, 2026 💻 Live Online ⏱ 90 Minutes 📁 Templates Included
Reserve Your Seat
$47 live · upgrade to the full course for $40 more

Can You Find a Photo From 5 Years Ago in 30 Seconds?

Most photographers can't. Not because they don't care — but because photo storage has a way of quietly becoming a disaster over time. A drive here, a catalog there, a folder named "FINAL_v2_USE_THIS" that no longer means anything.

Photographers don't lose photos because they're disorganized. They lose them because nobody ever showed them a system. This workshop changes that.

A fast storage system isn't just about organization. It's about getting back to the work you actually love faster.

Photographers gathered around laptops at a warm community workshop session

What Your Photo Library Will Feel Like After This Workshop

You open your drive. You know exactly where to look. You navigate to the folder in three clicks. The file is there. You're done.

No searching. No panic. No opening four different Lightroom catalogs hoping one of them has what you need. Just a clean, organized system that works the same way every single time.

Couple silhouetted at sunset on Lake Michigan beach — wedding photography by michael kent
michael kent teaching photography in fall colors at a photo walk
Workshop Curriculum

What You'll Learn in the Workshop

Every concept is practical and immediately usable. No theory, no fluff — just the system.

  • The Hard Drive Graveyard Problem — why most storage systems fail
  • The Predictable File Structure — Genre → Year → Project, every time
  • The Base Name Rule — one name across RAW files, catalogs, and exports
  • Lightroom File Organization — catalogs that mirror your folder system
  • The 3-2-1 Backup Strategy — three copies, two types, one off-site
  • The Line in the Sand Method — start today, no cleanup required
  • The 30-Second Challenge — live proof the system works

Who This Workshop Is For

It doesn't matter what gear you shoot or how long you've been shooting. If your archive is a source of stress instead of a resource, this workshop is for you.

The best photographers aren't more organized. They built systems that get out of their way.

Creative engagement portrait by Our Photo Club photographer michael kent Golden hour engagement couple photographed by michael kent in Northern Michigan

How to Organize Photo Files for Photographers

Photographers store photos in many different ways — external hard drives, NAS systems, cloud storage, internal drives. The problem is rarely the hardware. It's the lack of a consistent naming convention and folder structure that makes everything impossible to navigate over time.

The most reliable photo storage workflow for photographers uses a folder structure based on three levels: Genre, Year, and Project. Every shoot gets its own folder. Every folder follows the same naming pattern. Lightroom catalogs are organized to mirror — not replace — that folder structure.

Where photographers store photos matters less than how consistently they store them. A simple external drive with a clear, repeatable system will outperform a complex cloud setup with no naming conventions every single time.

Photographer working at laptop reviewing and organizing images
Photographers gathered at a community editing and learning session with laptops
The Method

The Line in the Sand Method

The biggest reason photographers never fix their storage system is the same reason people never start a diet on a Wednesday: it feels wrong to start in the middle.

The Line in the Sand Method solves this. You draw a line at today. Everything from this point forward goes into the new system. Your old archive stays exactly where it is — messy, imperfect, completely untouched.

You don't need a clean archive to start a good system. You just need to start.

Workshop Details

Date
March 26, 2026
Format
Live Online Workshop
Duration
60 min teaching + 30 min Q&A
Price
$47
Everything Included With Your Ticket
  • Live 90-minute workshop with michael kent
  • 30-minute open Q&A session
  • Folder structure template
  • Naming convention cheat sheet
  • Lightroom workflow checklist
  • Backup strategy overview
  • Early Access pricing — attend the live workshop, then upgrade to the full course for just $40 more

Early Access

Everyone who registers for the live workshop gets Early Access pricing on the full Photo Storage Simplified course when it launches.

Attend the workshop for $47. When the full course drops, upgrade for just $40 more. That's $87 total versus $149 if you wait — you save $62. And your questions in the live Q&A help shape what the full course actually becomes.

Workshop: $47  ·  Early Access upgrade: $40  ·  Your total: $87  ·  You save: $62

Common Photography Storage Mistakes

Most photographer storage systems fail for the same predictable reasons. This workshop is built around solving all of them.

No consistent folder structure

Files end up in Downloads, on the Desktop, in dated folders with no context. Nothing is findable after six months.

Multiple Lightroom catalogs

One per year, one per client, one from a laptop — none of them complete, none of them current.

No off-site backup

A single external drive is not a backup. It can fail, be stolen, or be destroyed in the same event as your computer.

Waiting to clean the old archive

The perfect time to fix your system never arrives. The Line in the Sand Method removes this excuse entirely.

Inconsistent naming conventions

When RAW files, catalogs, and exports all have different names, cross-referencing becomes impossible.

Over-engineering the system

Complex systems get abandoned. The best photo backup workflow is the simplest one you'll actually maintain.

FAQ

Do I need to clean up my existing archive before the workshop?

No. The Line in the Sand Method means you start fresh today and leave your old archive as-is. No cleanup required before, during, or after.

What software do I need?

The system is designed around Adobe Lightroom Classic, but the folder structure and naming conventions work with any software — or no software at all.

What is included with the $47 ticket?

The live workshop, 30-minute Q&A, folder structure template, naming convention cheat sheet, Lightroom workflow checklist, backup strategy overview, aand Early Access pricing on the full course.

What is the 3-2-1 backup strategy?

Three copies of your files, stored on two different types of media, with one copy stored off-site. The workshop covers exactly how to implement it practically.

Will the workshop be recorded?

Recording details will be shared with registered attendees. We recommend attending live to participate in the Q&A.

Our Photo Club community gathered together during fall photo walk in Northern Michigan

This is what the other side looks like.

Fix your system. Get back to making images. Come shoot with us.

Reserve Your Seat — $47

Reserve Your Seat

The workshop is March 26, 2026. Live online. 90 minutes. Everything included.

$47
$47 live  ·  upgrade to the full course for $40 more
Reserve Your Seat Now