Briefly comment on the organizing software you currently use, or how you track and catalog your digital images.

Briefly comment on the organizing software you currently use, or how you track and catalog your digital images.
Yes, it is a regular part of my regimen.
64% (114 votes)
No, but I will be looking at options closely as I realize the importance of this task.
25% (45 votes)
No, I don't consider it that important.
11% (19 votes)
Total votes: 178

COMMENTS
DJ Hernandez's picture

I print contact sheets for all of my files and download the files to DVD's which are then labaeled with the fikes that DVD contains.

Michael's picture

A very manual process with no software. I need info on good software.

David Sarti's picture

Funny thing it seems Photoshop Elements 3 has a better catalog system than Photoshop CS2.

Jeff's picture

I haven't heard of these softwares yet, but being in the news industry I realize the importance of cataloging and saving every photo I take, unless it is of poor lighting or focus.

Leon Wardell's picture

Why take alot of photo's and NOT take time to organize the moments you've captured.

Sam's picture

I recently lost my "catalog" in photoshop album... What a bummer to re-organise all pictures! That's why I organize on every upload.

M.  Alv's picture

I use Photoshop Album and try to organize imagines shortly after downloading from camera.

Adrian's picture

Whatever solution I choose, it's going to need to be beyond easy. My problem (in addition to just being lazy) is that in my 'real life' I'm a software engineer so the last thing I want to do as part of my hobby is to sit down and fiddle with my images on a blasted computer. This is part of the reason I still shoot film almost exclusively and I refuse to Photoshop anything. However...I admit that I have been scanning old negatives and prints and I'm gonna have to come up with some way to organize the files. Soon.

David A.  Belew's picture

I have my own system where I catalog by: 1) Date 2) subject then sub divide under the main daily heading. I then back up to an external hard drive and DVD's.

Colin Pearson's picture

I use IMatch from photools.com but only for my "finished" images. I can't imagine any database or organising program coping with my dozens of not-yet-perfect intermediate images!

Steve Zaslavsky's picture

I'm currently using Aperture. So far I haven't had any problems. I'm also testing Ligthroom which is a very impressive application as well. I try to organize then edit when possible.

JB Kramer's picture

I'm using Adobe Bridge right now but am looking at other dedicated applications.

Glenn Parker's picture

An image database is vital if you take more than a few hundred images a year. Last year I shot about 4000 images and they would be fairly useless to me without a system to catalog, rate, and tag them for quick searches. I currently use IMatch from photools.com, which is fast and configurable, but not very camera-centric. I anticipate that Adobe Lightroom (when it comes out on the WinXP platform) will deliver a more integrated workflow.

Hal Muhrlein's picture

I have switched from ACDSEE to using Adobe Bridge.

Bob Hall's picture

I put files in a folder labeled by event and date, organized by year. I rename files in the folder.

Tom Gee's picture

Why organizing software? I just store in directories labeled by date.

Ira Schwartz's picture

I create folders for specific events and then archive the photos on CDs. I also have folders that to which I constantly add pictures and archive them periodically on CDs and a backup portable hard drive.

Milt Cuppy's picture

I copy all photos from the hard drive in specific folders to a CD, and make proof sheets from Adobe Photoshop CS. They are kept in a book, with CD #'s labeled.

Howard Martinez's picture

I use Digital Pro 4 to catalog my images.

Steve's picture

It does add some work to the shoot, but it's a lot easier to invest an extra hour to my shoot now, than to try and find a needle in a multi-GB (and growing) haystack later!

Lewis Soroka's picture

I use the catalog section of Microsoft Elements 4.0. It's easy, and it works well for me.

Richard Groff's picture

I use Imatch v3.4 from photools.com. It is an excellent, powerful and flexible tool that never gets the press it deserves.

Jerry Godwin's picture

I use both an event/job based and a library/subject based cataloging scheme. Use DigitalPro4 software.

Karen's picture

I organize as much as I can without any software, but I know I need organizing software. Right now all I can do is rename the scanned images into folders: new one per roll, by date and roll and place or event. I haven't been regularly filling in the File Info because it is so time consuming, but I will probably be sorry.

Bruce Coxley's picture

Images are downloaded to specific folder named for the job, month and year. After the necessary manipulation in PS and returned to folder the job is burned to a cd and stored with a hard copy with file numbers. It is a little more complicated than that but this is the basic outline.

Bill Peake's picture

I currently use Photoshop's Bridge as well as ACDSee 6.0

Ed's picture

I find that Picassa is very adept at managing my images. The editing capabilities are limited but I don't do a lot of post-processing, and the price is right!

Ted Wade's picture

I use Extensis Portfolio - a great program for what I do. It is a bit overpriced, in my opinion.

Syed Alimuddin Raaj's picture

Being a Pro, I organize my assignment digital photos date and subject wise. I find Picasa very useful and I also use Photoshop. But I prefer Using Picasa to Organise, resize, degregate the Photos.

Susannah Sofaer Kramer's picture

I currently use ACDsee. I can track and organize all my hard drives, internal and external and also files archived to DVD. I am about to upgrade my computer and am thinking about upgrading to ACDSee Pro or Extensis Portfolio. It's time to do some research.

Pages

X