Managing Photos on PC

[pboreham]

I wonder how you all manage your images?

Do you solely use an online facility (like Flickr), do you just lump the images into directories on your PC, or is there some other software for managing your portfolio?

[LFC_SL]

I use flickr (pro account). But I have neglected it and it needs a major overhaul as well as a need for photos to be uploaded

I use Adobe Lightroom on my laptop and it is a breeze to use (search for past threads). Unfortunately even then due to the volume of photos it took a while for me to sort them all. I now have a system and having learned from experience sort photos straight away in the batch that they are uploaded in

Hindsight is a wonderful thing

[monkey butler]

I used to use Flickr too as it simple to use and in design, and it's not filled with adverts.

However I'm a big Google fan (gmail, calendars, maps) so I recently jumped ships to Picasa.

I think it's better, certainly as a free service. It's gives greater flexibility over shared folders (invite any email address). It also allows you to have more folders / sets than the 1 folder that Flickr allows you (for free).

There's also a completely free download application allowing you to monitor, fix and upload, which is definately worth a look at.

[kBm]

I stick all my pictures into folders based on the year, sub folders of the month, then sub sub of the event or location; 2008/ July 08 / Trip to zoo etc

Also doubles up as a handy diary so i can keep track of what i was doing, trips out etc.

As for processing - any adjustment is saved on a copy of the file. All the adjusted files have 'filename_copy.jpg' at the end etc. Again, easy to find when i want to print or stick on the internet.

I've just re-done my 'portfoilo' into various albums Landscape, sunset & sunrise, B&W etc plus specific events or locations.

Put the work in now while your just starting, once your collection grows its a nightmare sorting it out.

...as for deleting images that you not sure you'll need.....

[dodfaefife]

iPhoto for local storage, flickr for personal online and photobucket for my AV Forum links. And Photoshop for editing.

[johnaalex]

I do use flickr (pro account) as a backup and sharing tool, but my main tool for organising my files is PSE6. My primary filing method is country then location/city then date (PSE automatically creates folders based on date shot taken.

[cedmondson]

Hierarchical structures have a limited merit for backing up, moving, copying etc but surely tagging is vastly more powerful? I store my stuff in a year/month/event sort of structure but use Lightroom tags to find images by place, event, date, people, genre, colour and pretty much anything else I can think of to tag them by.
Lightroom does this well - the only thing 'missing' that I'd like to see is a tag cloud view. But Photoshop Elements does a fair job too (and is much cheaper).

Bottom line though - tagging is the way to go

[ryart]

Originally Posted by cedmondson

Bottom line though - tagging is the way to go

Very true, but make sure that whatever the chosen programme, that it writes the tags or keywords to the IPTC fields in jpg, tif and (I think) most RAW formats.

This means that your data goes with the file and that all your hard work tagging isn't lost if your database is corrupted or you change to a different software solution at a later date.

Lightroom is very good but not to my personal taste so I currently use ACDSee Pro2, as much because I can copy information easily from ACDSee categories and keywords to IPTC fields. The only stability issues I've had with ACDSee (and also Adobe Bridge) is that corrupted tif files can make it hang.

[kBm]

Originally Posted by ryart

Very true, but make sure that whatever the chosen programme, that it writes the tags or keywords to the IPTC fields in jpg, tif and (I think) most RAW formats.

This means that your data goes with the file and that all your hard work tagging isn't lost if your database is corrupted or you change to a different software solution at a later date.

Does Adobe browser have this? Do image files work the same way as music files? All my Mp3's are tagged and can work/ be recognised on most mp3 players etc.

The only problem with tagging is if you dont do it from the start you never really catch up! You need discipline!

[ryart]

Originally Posted by kBm

Does Adobe browser have this? Do image files work the same way as music files? All my Mp3's are tagged and can work/ be recognised on most mp3 players etc.

The only problem with tagging is if you don't do it from the start you never really catch up! You need discipline!

I assume you mean Adobe Bridge. If so I have just done a very quick check in the latest version that comes with CS3 (can't comment on earlier versions). I entered a name into a Bridge keyword and it appears to be stored as an IPTC field which showed in ACDSee and (hopefully) any other programmes that display IPTC fields.

There are two ways of tagging image files. One is to use IPTC fields and the other is for the software to build a database of information which refers to the file. With the database approach movement of files needs to be done in the software or the database can lose track of where the file is, although some software attempts to keep track. Some software can make use of IPTC fields and also run its own database.

You are right about tagging, it is difficult to catch up and stay up to date. This is something you only want to do once and the only safe way is to make sure your tags are written to the IPTC fields so that the tags travel with the file and can be recognised in other (decent?) software programmes.

You will also come across exif fields embedded in the file but these fields are written by primarily by the camera and carry information about the exposure etc. They can be edited but it is best to stick to the IPTC fields which are deigned to be edited by the user.

One thing to be aware of is that not all image files (such as .bmp) support IPTC fields, so saving a files as a .bmp will mean that your IPTC tags are not carried forward. This of course is the advantage of the database approach, but in IMHO it is best to stick to file formats that support IPTC fields.

Apologies if that all appears a bit of a muddle -its a confusing subject!

[pboreham]

Originally Posted by ryart

Very true, but make sure that whatever the chosen programme, that it writes the tags or keywords to the IPTC fields in jpg, tif and (I think) most RAW formats.

This means that your data goes with the file and that all your hard work tagging isn't lost if your database is corrupted or you change to a different software solution at a later date.

Lightroom is very good but not to my personal taste so I currently use ACDSee Pro2, as much because I can copy information easily from ACDSee categories and keywords to IPTC fields. The only stability issues I've had with ACDSee (and also Adobe Bridge) is that corrupted tif files can make it hang.

I just tried ACDsee and when I did a browser search it didnt pick up any keywords from the 'Keyword' field of the IPTC field

[ryart]

Originally Posted by pboreham

I just tried ACDSee and when I did a browser search it didn't pick up any keywords from the 'Keyword' field of the IPTC field

You need to display properties (alt+enter to switch it on and off), and then you should see tabs for Database, File, EXIF and IPTC at bottom right of screen. With a file selected, you should see what is written to each field, and have the opportunity to edit the field. In ACDPro 2 you can write to multiple files by selecting a number of files first and then pressing ctrl+m. This will bring up a dialogue for writing to multiple fields and copying data from one type of field to another. If you find yourself doing the same thing repeatedly (eg entering your copyright details) you can save to a template. It appears a bit confusing at first but with a bit of practise and a few mistakes it is surprisingly versatile.

You may have noticed that their are two versions of ACDSee; PhotoManager 10 and Pro2. The only difference I can see are the above ability to edit IPTC fields on multiple files, a not very special RAW processor, and the availability of a quick tag in its own database. Its annoying to have to pay more for one useful feature but such is life .

Hope this ramble helps.

Just re-read your query and have a funny feeling that I might have misunderstood your question. There is a quick search and a full search. Which are you using?

[pboreham]

Thanks for the detailed reply, but yes, it was regarding the search

I couldnt find a 'full search' and was just using the quick search bar at the top of the screen...

Originally Posted by ryart

You need to display properties (alt+enter to switch it on and off), and then you should see tabs for Database, File, EXIF and IPTC at bottom right of screen. With a file selected, you should see what is written to each field, and have the opportunity to edit the field. In ACDPro 2 you can write to multiple files by selecting a number of files first and then pressing ctrl+m. This will bring up a dialogue for writing to multiple fields and copying data from one type of field to another. If you find yourself doing the same thing repeatedly (eg entering your copyright details) you can save to a template. It appears a bit confusing at first but with a bit of practise and a few mistakes it is surprisingly versatile.

You may have noticed that their are two versions of ACDSee; PhotoManager 10 and Pro2. The only difference I can see are the above ability to edit IPTC fields on multiple files, a not very special RAW processor, and the availability of a quick tag in its own database. Its annoying to have to pay more for one useful feature but such is life .

Hope this ramble helps.

Just re-read your query and have a funny feeling that I might have misunderstood your question. There is a quick search and a full search. Which are you using?