198 ☼ How I Quickly Find Stuff in My Archive
50 images, 1 day deadline, no problem
Dear friends,
This week, a client asked for 50 images from my archive, oh and it was due the next day. In the past, that would’ve meant hours of folder-digging and head-scratching. Now, I have a better system, with a little help from AI, and it’s made a big difference.
In this issue:
A look inside my real archive-search-to-license workflow
Saving time with AI
A new video I made about this topic (low-budget, high joy)
FotoFestival Naarden is open!
A photo book giveaway you’ll want to enter
When "find this image" really means "sitting with your head in your hands"
It started with a message I’ve seen a dozen times:
"Can you send over 50 images in the category “creative workspace” by tomorrow?"
Even just a year ago, this would’ve sent me into a spiral. Because while my analog archive is organized down to the roll and frame, my digital system… wasn’t.
If you’re curious how I organize my analog archive, check out these two past issues:
Instead of tagging files or using keywords over the years, which felt overwhelming to me, I relied on memory and folder digging. Which meant:
Thinking of which past shoot may have a picture that fit the search (say “Summer Fun”, which might spark a memory of a shoot I did in Jamaica
Trying to guess what year that shoot happened (2016? I think?)
Finding the folder of that shoot in the year folder
Manually scanning the images in that folder hoping something pops (as yes, a smiling fella in the sun!)
Wasting hours I couldn’t afford to waste
I had systems. Just not the right ones.
At the start of this year, I shared some goals for 2025 with you, including a promise to myself to tighten up the business side, reduce the stress, and stop reinventing the wheel every time a licensing request came in.
My New System
Enter Excire. I’ve mentioned this tool and how I use it before and it’s what finally helped me bring order to my digital chaos. Excire have since become a sponsor of Process, but as always they have no influence over what I write and I am a genuine user of their product. More on that below.
What used to be a stressful game of memory for me is now a fast, reliable search. It still feels like magic every time it works. (And to be clear: I also still think Airdrop is magic. So that’s my baseline.)
Excire scans my entire archive and makes everything searchable with simple keywords.
Search “flowers”? 3,202 images.
Search “winter fun”? 12,109 images.
I just paste in what the client or the licensing company asks for, and get a real, useful set of results in seconds.
I also use the same search feature when I’m looking for the right image to match the 30 assignments I wrote for the upcoming Volume Three of the Process Workbook series.
For Volume One, I used the old-school manual search method. It took me an entire day. For Volume Two, using Excire, it took just two hours to find 30 spot-on images.
That kind of time savings makes this tool a no-brainer for me.
I don’t overthink tags. I don’t guess dates. I just search and send. This saves me so much time, which means I can say yes to more opportunities, without losing my mind.
The other day my friend Garrett and I got together and made a silly but real video to illustrate this whole situation. See below. Hope you enjoy it!
NOTE: This issue isn’t “sponsored content”, but Excire is a Process sponsor. They didn’t see this story or the video we made beforehand. But their support helps me keep Process sustainable this year, and I only partner with companies whose tools I genuinely use and value. What I write is always 100% my personal opinion based on my own experience.
Check out Excire here, and receive 15% off with the coupon code "PROCESS" at checkout.
One more highlight from this week
The opening of FotoFestival Naarden was such a joy. Seeing the exhibition come to life, hearing people’s reactions to my work, and connecting with my fellow photographers felt wonderful. For an extra special touch, my father attended and was thanked during the opening speeches, being that he exhibited 30 years ago at the same festival. This was so special for myself and my family. He was the exact same age then as I am now!
If you’re in the Netherlands (or planning a visit), the festival runs through July 7th. Highly worth a detour. More info here.
A Quick Creative Challenge (+ Giveaway)
🟡 GIVEAWAY: This week’s I’m giving away a photo book: “Others Magazine Volume I”, which is a curated collection of modern photography featuring 14 photographers, including Pia Riverola and Janet Delaney. Published by Parallel Editions.
To enter, let me know the answer to this question: What’s one photo you’ve taken that you keep coming back to and why?
Leave a comment on this post so we can all learn from each other, in public, one thoughtful reply at a time. The winner will be randomly drawn and notified.
Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this issue, I’d love for you to share it with a friend.
Let’s keep shooting, learning, and sharing together—one messy, human step at a time.
Warmly,
Wesley
📷 What I Used This Week
People often ask what I’m using and here’s this week’s setup:
Camera: Canon EOS R5 and the Canon RF 24-70 mm f/2.8 L IS USM. Contax G2.
Film Stock: Kodak Portra 400
This issue is supported by MPB.com — my go-to for buying, selling, or trading used photo and video gear. Everything comes with a 6-month warranty, and their support helps keep Process going.
Lab: My film is processed by Carmencita Film Lab. I trust them fully for both their work and their humanity. Use code "PROCESS" for a free upgrade on your next order.
Next Week
I share my post-shoot system: what I do after getting home from a shoot, from dumping files to editing notes to organizing everything. Plus: a Notion template with my full post-shoot checklist, featuring a recent assignment for VPRO Magazine.
Support Process & Elevate Your Photography
If these Sunday issues give you something—energy, motivation, a new way of seeing—you can support Process by picking up a book or joining the Process Photo Club.
Process Workbook Volume One & Two: Creative prompts and assignments designed to get you out of your head and into action with your camera.
€8.99 each (free for Process Photo Club members)
NOTICE Journal, Volume One: A fresh perspective on beauty and rebirth, shot in Amsterdam.
€40 (or €20 for Process Photo Club members)
📚 Order here and you help keep Process accessible to all.
🗃️ Browse the Process Archives.
📜 Read the Process Manifesto.
🚧 Currently Working On1
Currently Working On / Project Updates (r = release date)
Process Redesign — First round was amazing, making decision next week (r: Jul)
NJV1 Exhibition — Currently Show at FotoFestival Naarden
Process Workbook, Vol. 3 — Selecting images (r: Jul)
Creatives In/AMS — Prepping Archives (r: Sept)
NOTICE Journal, Volume Two — Developing concept
25 in 2025 — Outreach to communities (r: Nov 7)
One of my very first photos, shot more than 40 years ago. I developed the roll myself, printed the picture myself. And it hang for all those 40+ years in my parent’s house.
Even these days I still think it’s a great composition.
A picture of my mother, literally on her deathbed, holding a piece of art my daughter created. I appreciated how she inspired a love of art and creating in her children and her grandchildren.