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Photo Upload Process

How to rename, upload, curate, and log photos in Dropbox and Jira after every shoot.

Version May 2026 — v1
Owner Eric Nystrom
Sources Upload tutorial video, Eric upload guide, Ackley post-shoot workflow, delivery times SOP
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Overview
Overview & Deadlines
Upload Steps
1 Prepare & Rename Files 2 Access Dropbox 3 Upload All Photos 4 Curate & Trim 5 Update Jira & Wrap Up
Reference
Delivery Times Edge Cases & Rules

Overview & Deadlines

The big picture, deadlines, and why this process matters

After every shoot, Media Pros are responsible for renaming their files, uploading them to the correct Dropbox folder, trimming to the right photo count, and updating the Jira card. This needs to happen the same day as the shoot so our editors can turn around deliverables on time for clients.

1. Prepare & Rename
2. Access Dropbox
3. Upload Photos
4. Curate & Trim
5. Update Jira

Upload Deadlines

🎯
Target Goal: 6:00 PM local time Upload by 6PM whenever possible. No notification needed if you miss this target — just do your best.
🔴
Final Deadline: 9:00 PM local time All media must be uploaded by 9PM. If you can't make this, notify the team in Slack with your estimated upload time. Live twilight shoots are exempt — just upload as soon as you can after the shoot wraps.
Why It Matters

Our commitment to clients is next-day delivery. Late uploads push back the editing timeline and directly affect when the client gets their photos. Timely uploads keep the whole operation running.

1

Prepare & Rename Files

Copy your photos and rename them with the property address

Before uploading anything, rename all of your photo files to include the property address. This is a critical safety net — if photos ever end up in the wrong Dropbox folder, renaming makes it possible to search for them and track them down quickly.

Step-by-Step

  1. Copy your photo files from your camera card to a folder on your computer.
  2. Open the Jira card for the shoot and grab the first part of the property address (e.g. 130 Orchard Way).
  3. Go to your photo folder, select all files, right-click, and choose Rename.
  4. Use the Custom Format option. Paste in the address with a space, then set the start number to 1 after the name.
  5. Click Rename. Confirm all files now have the address in the filename.
Mac Finder rename dialog showing address in Custom Format field
Use Custom Format with the property address — files will be named like "130 Orchard Way 1.jpg"
Important

Renaming files before upload is not optional. It protects everyone if files get misrouted and makes it easy for operations to locate photos by address.

2

Access Dropbox

Find the Raw Media Folder link in the Jira card

The Dropbox upload link lives inside the Jira card. It gets created automatically when the card moves to Shoot Complete status.

Step-by-Step

  1. Open the Jira card for the shoot.
  2. On the right-hand side, find and click the NDPU Raw Media Folder Link.
  3. The Dropbox folder will open in your browser.
  4. Verify you are logged in to the Next Door Photos Location account — not your personal Dropbox account. Check the account name in the top right before uploading.
Jira card showing NDPU Raw Media Folder Link field with Dropbox link
The NDPU Raw Media Folder Link appears in the pinned fields panel on the right side of the Jira card
Link Not Showing Up?

The Raw Media Folder link is auto-generated when the Jira card moves to Shoot Complete. It can take up to 30 minutes to appear. If you have been waiting more than 30 minutes, reach out to operations in Slack and they will get you a link.

Important: Do Not Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Do not set up two-factor authentication on the Dropbox account. Setting up 2FA will lock other team members out of the account. Leave the security settings as-is.

3

Upload All Photos

Upload every file to the Raw Media folder and verify the count

Upload all of your photos directly to the main Raw Media folder in Dropbox. Do not put them in any subfolders — our editing automation skips anything that is not in the main folder.

Step-by-Step

  1. In the Dropbox folder, click Upload Files on the right-hand side.
  2. Select all of your renamed photo files and upload them.
  3. Wait for the green upload success bar to confirm all files uploaded.
  4. Refresh the Dropbox window and check the file count. Cross-reference with the total number of files on your computer to confirm they match.
Critical Rule

Photos that need to be edited must be in the main Raw Media folder only. Any photos placed in a subfolder will be skipped by the editing system and will not get edited.

4

Curate & Trim

Get your photo count within range of the ordered photo pack

We recommend overshooting by 5–10 photos at the property to give editors the best selection. Once uploaded, you need to bring the count down to the ordered photo pack size. We ask that you stay within one or two photos of that number — so for a 25-pack, 26 or 27 is fine.

What to Eliminate First

When narrowing down your count, start by removing these categories:

  • Similar shots (duplicates of the same angle)
  • Extra exterior shots
  • Second angles on non-master bedrooms
  • Closets and utility rooms (unless the agent specifically requested these)

How to Remove Extras (Do Not Edit Folder)

Never delete photos from Dropbox. Instead, move your unwanted shots to a Do Not Edit folder inside the Raw Media folder. Anything in that folder will be skipped by the editing system.

Step-by-Step

  1. Inside the Raw Media Dropbox folder, create a new folder called Do not edit.
  2. Go back to your uploaded photos and identify the shots you want to exclude.
  3. Select those photos and move them into the Do not edit folder.
  4. Once moved, select all remaining photos in the main folder and check the count shown in the selection info. This is your final edit count — write it down.
Dropbox showing 85 files selected with Don't Edit folder visible
After moving extras to the Do Not Edit folder, select all remaining photos — the count shown (85 here) is your final number for Jira
Photo Pack Field

The expected output size is listed in the Jira card under the photo package field. Use this number as your target when trimming down.

Add Editor Notes

If the agent had any specific requests or if there are things you want the editor to know, add those to the NDPU Notes for Editor field in the Jira card before moving on.

5

Update Jira & Wrap Up

Log your raw photo count, transition the card, and keep a backup

Step-by-Step

  1. Confirm all photos have finished uploading to Dropbox before touching the Jira card.
  2. In the Jira card, find the NDPU Number of Raw Photos field on the right-hand side.
  3. Enter the final count of photos remaining in the main Raw Media folder (not counting anything in the Do Not Edit folder).
  4. Make sure the field saves.
  5. If needed, log your mileage in the NDPU Media Pro Mileage and Return Home Mileage fields.
  6. Add any editing notes or object removal requests to the NDPU Notes for Editor field (see screenshot below).
  7. Transition the Jira card status to Uploaded.
Do Not Transition Early

Do not change the Jira card to Uploaded until every file is fully done uploading in Dropbox. Transitioning early can trigger the editing workflow before all files are available.

Dropbox showing 85 selected with arrow pointing to NDPU Number of Raw Photos field in Jira
Select all photos in the main folder, note the count, then enter that number into the NDPU Number of Raw Photos field in Jira

Keep a Backup

Keep a copy of all your photo files on your local computer for two weeks after the shoot. This gives us a window to catch any file issues during the edit. After two weeks, go ahead and delete the local copies.

Delivery Times

When clients receive their photos based on upload time

Upload time directly affects when the client gets their photos. The earlier you upload, the sooner they get delivered.

Weekday Uploads

Uploaded 8AM – 6PM Next day 8AM
Uploaded 6PM – 9PM Next day 11AM
Uploaded 9PM – 12AM Next day 4PM
Uploaded 12AM – 8AM 24 hours after upload

Weekend Uploads

By 9PM Saturday Monday 11AM
9PM Sat – 9PM Sun Monday 4PM
9PM Sun – 8AM Mon 24 hours after upload
Reminder

All times are local time. Late twilight shoots are an exception to the 9PM deadline — communicate with operations in Slack if you have a late twilight.

Edge Cases & Rules

Multiple Jira cards, additional photo packs, and critical reminders

Multiple Jira Cards for One Shoot

If you have more than one Jira card for a shoot (e.g. aerial, amenity, or community photos), each card has its own Raw Media Folder link. Upload those photos to their respective Jira cards.

Exception: Additional Photos

If a card is labeled Additional Photos (for example, an agent ordered a 45-pack and added 20 more on top), you can upload those additional photos together with the main photo pack card — they do not need a separate upload. Enter 0 as the number of raw files on the Additional Photos card itself.

Quick Rules Summary

Rule Details
Upload deadline 9:00 PM local time. Notify Slack if you will miss it.
Rename before upload All files must include the property address in the filename.
Main folder only Photos to be edited go in the root Raw Media folder. Subfolders are skipped.
Do Not Edit folder Only created if you have extra photos to exclude. Extras go here — never delete.
Dropbox account Make sure you are logged in to the NDP Location account, not your personal account.
Card transition Do not change status to Uploaded until all files are fully done uploading.
Aerials / amenity Upload to their own Jira cards with their own Raw Media links.
Local backup Keep a copy of all files on your computer for 2 weeks, then delete.
Subfolders The only allowed subfolder in Raw Media is "Do Not Edit." Any other subfolders are skipped by the editing system.