how to select files from multiple folders

If you open Finder Preferences, Advanced tab, and set "When performing a search:" to Search the Current Folder.

Then, you can go to a folder and enter jpg into the search field and it will search within that folder.

It will offer to search for matches or Kind is JPEG image. You can shortcut the search for Kind with "kind:jpg" for just JPEGs or "kind:Image" for all image file types.

You can expand the List view to look like your description. You can select files within each subfolder. Multi-select by holding down the Command key.

Tagging solves the ultimate problem--inflexible organizational decisions--not the one you are asking about.

If you tag the files with, "Client", "Bird,"Color," "BW," etc

Those tags may be specific, like "Bob" and "Sparrow" or left generic like color and BW. You could also use a combination, such as "Clients" (general) and "Bob" (specific).

For example, your file 002 inside the BW folder could be tagged with, "Clients", "Bob", "BW", "Birds", and "Sparrow"

Instead of moving the file, you can delete the BW tag and replace it with another more appropriate tag.

Using spotlight, you can then search for any combination of your tags to get to the files you want.

You are "virtually" filing your images by Tag instead of by folder.

You could store the files in a folder structure that is not so complex, or no complexity at all.

If these are all just image files, then using a dedicated storage system such as iPhoto or Aperture would be better and provide similar Tagging with Keywords.

Is there something common to the files you can search on? Something even in the images metadata could work.

If you can find that commonality then you could make a smart folder to collect all the images and then copy their to there final destination.

But to be honest given your brief description it sounds like your workflow could use a rethink. Having to manually manipulate files and images in this day-and-age is not something I would want to do. If you have the volume of images that you say you have I'd seriously look into a Digital Asset Manager (DAM).

regards

Instead of moving them around, have you thought about using Tags?

OS X Mavericks: Tag files and folders with colors and labels

How to make the most of Mavericks's Finder tags | Macworld

You can try this:

Open a Finder window, maneuver to the root of the folders you want to search, type command-F this will open a Finder search window. Set kind to Folder and add Name enter something that will identify the folders you are interested in. If that all end in _jpg you can use that.

See what you get.

I was hoping that once I manually selected each folder I could then act on all the files contained as one collection.

If you want all the files in a folder you could just copy the folder, all the files in it will be copied.

If the search works you can save it using the Save button in the finder window.

Without more detail it's not really possible to be any more specific then this.

regards

Good idea.

You can really select all the items in a workflow (though it may be possible with Applescript). I think the closest you could do is this.

First, get a folder from the Service.

Then, Set value of Variable (Utilities)--Don't set the variable, yet.

Find Finder Items--Choose New Variable and pick any folder (it will get reset by workflow)

Go back to Set Value of Variable and select that new variable you just set.

Add a Find Finder Items and set the Criteria as shown. You might try Other and type in jpg (didn't test)

Copy Finder Items--check the box in Options as shown. Pick a starting point folder to traverse from, like the top level folder where you would make the backups. This will let you pick the destination for the copy when you run it.

Edit: There is a Reveal In Finder action, but that opens a single window for each file.

I had tried a Filter Finder Items after a Get Folder Contents, but I got an error about a missing "Properties..." file. I don't know if that is just broke on my end, or all around.

I also assumed since you are trying to back these up, a Copy would substitute for selecting them all.