Canon PowerShot S200 ELPH

[Jo Ann Meyer Stratton]

My advantage with my system over you people in the big cities is that I reuse comparables photos quite frequently. If I was using a system like Bens, I would be driving past the same house once a week to take a photo. I have been sick for the past week, finally starting to write up reports of properties I saw on Jan 30, have all my data in APN order with the photo numbers on them. So didn't have to make a special trip just to take comparable photos again. Most of of my comparables have been photographed from several angles over the years, as I drive by them I make mental notes to myself which I write down when I get back to the office. And so when I do write up the report--I've got more knowledge of those comparables then if I had just driven by them once on the same day as the subject. Every so often on a nice sunny day I make of list of photos I need, if morning, take photos of houses on the west side of street, if afternoon photos of houses on the east side--gives me very sharp and clear photos to insert into any report I need. If a subject property is far away, take a list of all sales and listings in that area and get my photos whether they apply to the subject or not. Headed for Greenlee County tomorrow, will be a 150 round trip for the day, but I will take as many photos as I can think of and then I am set for any order that comes my way in Greenlee County for the next 2-3 months or longer. So there are some advantages to doing appraisals out here in the midst of nowhere! And I get to see such lovely scenery while I am at it!

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

I just number the comps #1, #2, #3 etc as I take the photos on my map which is on the front of each folder. Havent had a real problem identifying them when I am ready to down load.

I probably have a couple thousand pics on my computer at any one time. My program automatically removes them after 7 months. Normally I drive all the comps at the time I am doing the inspection anyway so that the pictures are fresh. Sorta hard to convenience the underwriter I drove the comps when the subject is buried in snow but the comp photos show bright skys and green grass.

Actually we dont even have to photograph the comparables. You can use MLS pictures provided you certify you did personally view the comparables. Sometimes the MLS pic is much better than I can get so I use them, this is especially true in the case of homes on 5 to 35 acres. I do not go past closed gates.

My ex partner made up a photo log sheet and listed each pic with the address and the picture number as shown on the camera.

Appraisal 101 Hot Tip.....always keep an extra memory card in the glove box of the car. I did it again the other day....left the card in the sandisk reader.

 

[Richard Carlsen]

Ben;

Don't forget that after a photo is downloaded you can rename it if you want. I have a lot of comps that exchanged outside of the MLS that I keep in a "Comp Photo" file. If the sales grid does not refer to an MLS number but says Pvt Sale, the photo is in the Comp Photo file by full address.

With all of the 7 MLS photos and my own 6 to 8,000 photos taken per year, I have in excess of 45,000 photos on my two hard drives. You have to be systematic about storing them or you'll forget where they are.

 

[Thomas N. Morgan]

Jo Ann,

Haven't used the Elph - but am thinking about it. Son #3 showed me the 200 last evening. Great little camera. I curretnly use the Kodak DC 4800.

The subject of this thread has changed to one that has been very troubling for me: The amount of time it takes to "download", identify, arrange the presentation, and label each photo on the photo pages of the report.

I usually come back from one REO inspection with about 45 photos. It's driving me wild! Am using a la mode' Athena "Quick Pix" And frankly, I don't really understand the thing - the part about identifying which is what. Thumbs are so small I can't tell what I'm looking at.

For lots of photos, nothing can beat the a la mode page where you can put six small photos per page.

Regards

 

[Richard Carlsen]

Thomas

Just a thought but you might want to check your settings to see if you can enlarge the size of the Thumbnails. I think there is a setting for that somewhere. It takes a little more disk space but sure helps the old eyes.

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

Just double click on the thumb and it will enlarge for viewing.

 

[Leon Stewart]

Leon;

Good question.

When I'm in the field I have routine that I go through so I don't miss anything. That includes taking the photos. Road, front, rear, garage, pole buildings, etc. Then measure outside and start collecting data. Once the data is collected, then I shoot all of the interior photos I want.

When I'm finished for the day and slip the compact flash card into the SanDisk reader, the program opens and gives me previews of the pictures I've taken. I know what my schedule was and the houses are identified from the thumbnails. I select the photos of the first house I visited and then tell the program where to save them on the hard drive and what to name them. This is where I use my file number such as 3052 with the 3 being for the year 2003 and the 052 being the 52nd order we've received in 2003. The address is then added to the file number and the photos of the 1st house I visited are save in the working file on the hard drive as 3052 - 232 Center St, Gaylord 001. The next will be 3052 - 232 Center St, Gaylord 002, etc. The numbers 001, 002, 003, etc. are added automatically by the program since all of the pictures being save have the same name. When all of the photos of that house are saved (15-20 seconds) I do the same thing for the second house I visited that day. When I am done, the photos are all saved by file number in my working file in the computer and we can easily search them out using a la modes photo search. We don't have to know what day or date the picture was taken. All we need is the file number or I supose we could search by address.

What is really happening here is I am not letting the camera name the photos but I am giving them the name that I want them to have and doing this during the download process.

As I said, I also save all of the photos to a "Bulk photo" file where they are named for the day of the inspection and each is automatically given a number. This is my backup just in case.

Hope that clarifies it. I'm sure this is one of those things that makes a lot more sense if you see it done.

Richard:

I think we are on the right track, but we are talking about two different parts of the process. Using your example, it's ok to lable your photo's 3052 232 Any Street 001,002,003, but the problem I'm having is how do you identify (other than from memory) what house is 001,002,003,etc., prior to labeling them in quick pic, and when you decide to label them in quick pic, how do you know for sure if the label you gave it was correct, especially if the Camera does not list photo's in the order that they were taken, which it the problem in my case. My last shot taken might end up being listed in the middle of the group. In other words the 10th shot taken might be listed on the disk as number 5, and when you multiply that by 30 or 40 photos you could have a little problem. I was using the numbering system successfully until the Camera started listing the photo's out of order, and if I only take 14 or 15 shots, I can usually figure it out, but if there are a lot of pictures, I have a problem. I've even tried to take notes based on the characteristics of the dwelling like a large bush or tree in the front yard or the color of the dwelling, or the type of porch or domer, etc..

leon

 

[Leon Stewart]

The photo itself doesn't have the time and date, but the file number extensions does. I either makes mental or written notes as I take photos. Then when after I have transferred them to the computer and installed them in the album for the month, I look through the album. First place I went that day was 123 main street, rear photos from several angles, living room, kitchen, master bedroom, anything odd or unusual, front photos from several angles, street photo--make notes on the job folder of what the photo number is for each shoot, then on 456 s 1st avenue, etc, etc. Then I start taking comp photos, #1, #2, #3, etc gets written on the info that I have with me, after they are in the album I can match up the info with the photo, write down the real photo number on the info. It would probably be all confusing to someone watching, but after using the same procedure with 35 MM photos and then digital photos for 20 years it all makes sense to me. With 35 mm the address was written on the plastic sleeve for the negative and then filed in situs address order (somebody else's office--that didn't use APNs).

Jo Ann:

But what if your #1, #2, & #3 shots were not listed on your disk as #1, #2, & #3?

 

[Richard Carlsen]

Leon

By following a routine when I do my visits, the photos are very readily identifiable. Each begins with a street photo, then there's a front shot, then a rear. So there are three outdoor shots beginning each series. The photos are downloaded consecutively so they are in order. I use ACDSee as my photo program for viewing and editing the downloaded photos.

One other thing is that I have a 19' monitor so the thumbnails are quit clear and large enough to readily identify. Of course, I only identify the outside shots on the thumbnails. The inside of all of the houses look very similar. But by following the routine, I can differentiate between the houses.

One other way to tell the difference between the houses would be to download the Bulk Storage photos first and then use ACDSee to view then and pick out which house is which and then download those photos with the file name, etc to the working file. But I don't have trouble viewing them on screen so that is not a problem.

 

[Jo Ann Meyer Stratton]

That is why I like the Epson software to identify the photos. Like Richard, I have a routine, the photos are in sequence so after they loaded into the album, which creates thumbnails, I can look at each photo, recognize the photo because of sequence and then note the number assigned by the camera on my notes. The thumbnail can be looked at as an individual photo by double clicking on--and then enlarged as much as I want until I can see whatever I am looking for. The 1" hole in the wall in the lower right hand corner for example. The Epson thumbnails are very sharp and clear. The Polaroid and Kodak thumbnails were fuzzy and strange colors. Also if I need to do some editing (like I got a picture of my thumb in a corner-so have to do some trimming) while I am looking at the individual thumbnail print. Or increase/decrease brightness, etc. And then in the Nova Image program I can rezsize it to the same size as all the others, which saves it the new size in Epson. So from then on, I've got this neat and tidy photo forever and ever. Just downloaded 79 photos last night, took less then five mintutes all together to download, identify and make my notes--now I am set to write up five reports.