photography – AgileAdam.com

The Problem

I have a folder of image (JPG and RAW) files of some focus bracketed shots from my OM-1 Mark 2. I need to find a way to group them… maybe there is exif data that’d help? Or maybe I can use bash to group by timestamp to find all shots within 1 second of the previous shot… if the gap is more than 1 second then it starts a new “series”.

That was my prompt for Claude.

Claude suggested I try this first, to see what’s available:

# Install exiftool if you don't have it
# brew install exiftool  # macOS
# sudo apt install libimage-exiftool-perl  # Ubuntu/Debian

# Check what EXIF data is available
exiftool P7120919.JPG | grep -i bracket
exiftool P7120919.JPG | grep -i focus
exiftool P7120919.JPG | grep -i sequence

# Install exiftool if you don't have it

# brew install exiftool # macOS

# sudo apt install libimage-exiftool-perl # Ubuntu/Debian

# Check what EXIF data is available

exiftool P7120919.JPG | grep -i bracket

exiftool P7120919.JPG | grep -i focus

exiftool P7120919.JPG | grep -i sequence

I ran the commands and replied:

Ooh good news. There appears to be some metadata in both JPG and ORF files.
Focus Bracket Step Size : 5
White Balance Bracket : 0 0
Drive Mode : Focus Bracketing, Shot 7; Electronic shutter

Claude then gave me a bash script. I made a few tweaks, re-prompted, made some tweaks, then it was done.

It turns this flat folder of files:

P7120857.JPG
P7120857.ORF
P7120858.JPG
P7120858.ORF
P7120859.JPG
P7120859.ORF
P7120860.JPG
P7120860.ORF
P7120861.JPG
P7120861.ORF
P7120863.JPG
P7120863.ORF
P7120864.JPG
P7120864.ORF
P7120865.JPG
P7120865.ORF

P7120857.JPG

P7120857.ORF

P7120858.JPG

P7120858.ORF

P7120859.JPG

P7120859.ORF

P7120860.JPG

P7120860.ORF

P7120861.JPG

P7120861.ORF

P7120863.JPG

P7120863.ORF

P7120864.JPG

P7120864.ORF

P7120865.JPG

P7120865.ORF

Into this:

├── focus_bracket_series_1
│   ├── P7120857.JPG
│   ├── P7120857.ORF
│   ├── P7120858.JPG
│   ├── P7120858.ORF
│   ├── P7120859.JPG
│   ├── P7120859.ORF
│   ├── P7120860.JPG
│   ├── P7120860.ORF
│   ├── P7120861.JPG
│   └── P7120861.ORF
├── focus_bracket_series_2
│   ├── P7120863.JPG
│   ├── P7120863.ORF
│   ├── P7120864.JPG
│   ├── P7120864.ORF
│   ├── P7120865.JPG
│   ├── P7120865.ORF

├── focus_bracket_series_1

│ ├── P7120857.JPG

│ ├── P7120857.ORF

│ ├── P7120858.JPG

│ ├── P7120858.ORF

│ ├── P7120859.JPG

│ ├── P7120859.ORF

│ ├── P7120860.JPG

│ ├── P7120860.ORF

│ ├── P7120861.JPG

│ └── P7120861.ORF

├── focus_bracket_series_2

│ ├── P7120863.JPG

│ ├── P7120863.ORF

│ ├── P7120864.JPG

│ ├── P7120864.ORF

│ ├── P7120865.JPG

│ ├── P7120865.ORF

Implementing

Write this script somewhere (e.g., ~/scripts/om1-focus-bracket-grouper.sh )
Make it executable ( chmod +x om1-focus-bracket-grouper.sh )
Go into the flat folder (e.g., cd ~/Pictures/MacroShots )
Run it ( ~/scripts/om1-focus-bracket-grouper.sh )
It will show you what the results will be and then prompt you to hit Y to move the files or N to abort.

#!/bin/bash

# Analyze focus bracket sequences (dry run)
analyze_focus_brackets() {
    echo "=== Focus Bracket Analysis ==="
    echo
    
    local series_num=1
    local prev_shot_num=999
    local series_files=()
    
    # Sort by filename (chronological order) instead of modification time
    for file in $(ls P*.ORF P*.JPG 2>/dev/null | sort); do
        [[ -f "$file" ]] || continue
        
        # Get both drive mode and timestamp for verification
        drive_mode=$(exiftool -DriveMode -T "$file" 2>/dev/null)
        timestamp=$(exiftool -DateTimeOriginal -d "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S" -T "$file" 2>/dev/null)
        
        echo "Processing: $file - Drive Mode: '$drive_mode'"
        
        if [[ "$drive_mode" =~ "Focus Bracketing, Shot "([0-9]+) ]]; then
            shot_num="${BASH_REMATCH[1]}"
            echo "  Found shot number: $shot_num"
            
            # If shot number reset (went backwards), we found a new series
            if [[ $shot_num -lt $prev_shot_num ]]; then
                if [[ ${#series_files[@]} -gt 0 ]]; then
                    echo "Series $((series_num-1)): ${#series_files[@]} shots"
                    printf "  %s\n" "${series_files[@]}"
                    echo
                fi
                
                series_files=()
                echo "--- Starting Series $series_num ---"
                ((series_num++))
            fi
            
            series_files+=("$file (Shot $shot_num, $timestamp)")
            prev_shot_num=$shot_num
        else
            echo "  Not a focus bracket shot, skipping"
        fi
    done
    
    # Print final series
    if [[ ${#series_files[@]} -gt 0 ]]; then
        echo "Series $((series_num-1)): ${#series_files[@]} shots"
        printf "  %s\n" "${series_files[@]}"
    fi
    
    echo
    echo "Total series found: $((series_num-1))"
}

# Function to actually move files after confirmation
move_focus_brackets() {
    echo "Moving files to series folders..."
    
    local series_num=1
    local prev_shot_num=999
    
    for file in $(ls P*.ORF P*.JPG 2>/dev/null | sort); do
        [[ -f "$file" ]] || continue
        
        drive_mode=$(exiftool -DriveMode -T "$file" 2>/dev/null)
        
        if [[ "$drive_mode" =~ "Focus Bracketing, Shot "([0-9]+) ]]; then
            shot_num="${BASH_REMATCH[1]}"
            
            if [[ $shot_num -lt $prev_shot_num ]]; then
                ((series_num++))
            fi
            
            series_dir="focus_bracket_series_$((series_num-1))"
            mkdir -p "$series_dir"
            
            echo "Moving $file to $series_dir"
            mv "$file" "$series_dir/"
            
            prev_shot_num=$shot_num
        fi
    done
}

# Run analysis first
analyze_focus_brackets

echo
read -p "Proceed with moving files? (y/N): " -n 1 -r
echo
if [[ $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
    move_focus_brackets
    echo "Done!"
else
    echo "Aborted. Files not moved."
fi

#!/bin/bash

# Analyze focus bracket sequences (dry run)

analyze_focus_brackets() {

echo "=== Focus Bracket Analysis ==="

echo

local series_num=1

local prev_shot_num=999

local series_files=()

# Sort by filename (chronological order) instead of modification time

for file in $(ls P*.ORF P*.JPG 2>/dev/null | sort); do

[[ -f "$file" ]] || continue

# Get both drive mode and timestamp for verification

drive_mode=$(exiftool -DriveMode -T "$file" 2>/dev/null)

timestamp=$(exiftool -DateTimeOriginal -d "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S" -T "$file" 2>/dev/null)

echo "Processing: $file - Drive Mode: '$drive_mode'"

if [[ "$drive_mode" =~ "Focus Bracketing, Shot "([0-9]+) ]]; then

shot_num="${BASH_REMATCH[1]}"

echo " Found shot number: $shot_num"

# If shot number reset (went backwards), we found a new series

if [[ $shot_num -lt $prev_shot_num ]]; then

if [[ ${#series_files[@]} -gt 0 ]]; then

echo "Series $((series_num-1)): ${#series_files[@]} shots"

printf " %s\n" "${series_files[@]}"

echo

series_files=()

echo "--- Starting Series $series_num ---"

((series_num++))

series_files+=("$file (Shot $shot_num, $timestamp)")

prev_shot_num=$shot_num

else

echo " Not a focus bracket shot, skipping"

done

# Print final series

if [[ ${#series_files[@]} -gt 0 ]]; then

echo "Series $((series_num-1)): ${#series_files[@]} shots"

printf " %s\n" "${series_files[@]}"

echo

echo "Total series found: $((series_num-1))"

}

# Function to actually move files after confirmation

move_focus_brackets() {

echo "Moving files to series folders..."

local series_num=1

local prev_shot_num=999

for file in $(ls P*.ORF P*.JPG 2>/dev/null | sort); do

[[ -f "$file" ]] || continue

drive_mode=$(exiftool -DriveMode -T "$file" 2>/dev/null)

if [[ "$drive_mode" =~ "Focus Bracketing, Shot "([0-9]+) ]]; then

shot_num="${BASH_REMATCH[1]}"

if [[ $shot_num -lt $prev_shot_num ]]; then

((series_num++))

series_dir="focus_bracket_series_$((series_num-1))"

mkdir -p "$series_dir"

echo "Moving $file to $series_dir"

mv "$file" "$series_dir/"

prev_shot_num=$shot_num

done

}

# Run analysis first

analyze_focus_brackets

echo

read -p "Proceed with moving files? (y/N): " -n 1 -r

echo

if [[ $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then

move_focus_brackets

echo "Done!"

else

echo "Aborted. Files not moved."

Grouping Focus Bracketed Photos from an OM-1 Mark 2

The Problem

Implementing

Flowers!

Walter’s First Birthday