One thing that has become very clear, my new foray into digital
photography is going to produce a lot of pictures which translates into
a lot of files on my computer. So, I would be interested in some
thoughts on how to organize these files. The files come from my camera
with just sequential numbers, not very descriptive of what the photo is.
During organization, do you rename these files so you know better what
the photo is from the file name?
Is there some good software out there that helps organize photos? I
spend about 95+% of my computer time using Linux. So far I have been
using digiKam and Gwenview but both have there issues. Is there
something better? What do you Linux/Unix geekazoids use?
I'm not totally opposed to setting up a shared drive that I can access
with both Linux and Windows if the best software for the purpose is a
Windows only app. What are some good Windows apps for the purpose?
For simple organization, along with some light photo editing..Google's free
Picasa works pretty well. Just Google up --Picasa download----. I
know it works on Windows xp and vista, but I do not know if it works on
Linux....though I wouldn't be surprised if it did.
regards, Rich
p.s. my naming system is simple enough..Files are in date order with a
description...
i.e. ---- 080709 Redbirds in tree ---- 080708 Picnic at lake--- 080707
John's new bike
My picutres are left with the camera's own numbering system, though they are
changed if I modified the photo..i.e.
DSC34567 becomes 1DSC34567 if I amended or edited the picture in any way.
That way, those shots that I edited are shown --first-- in the My Pictures
folder.
If more detail is needed one can easily add it to the END of the numbering
system within a particualr folder... i.e.
----1DSC34567 biggest redbird------ 1DSC34568 smallest redbird---
etc...
>One thing that has become very clear, my new foray into digital
>photography is going to produce a lot of pictures which translates into
>a lot of files on my computer. So, I would be interested in some
>thoughts on how to organize these files. The files come from my camera
>with just sequential numbers, not very descriptive of what the photo is.
>During organization, do you rename these files so you know better what
>the photo is from the file name?
>
>Is there some good software out there that helps organize photos? I
>spend about 95+% of my computer time using Linux. So far I have been
>using digiKam and Gwenview but both have there issues. Is there
>something better? What do you Linux/Unix geekazoids use?
>
>I'm not totally opposed to setting up a shared drive that I can access
>with both Linux and Windows if the best software for the purpose is a
>Windows only app. What are some good Windows apps for the purpose?
There are seventy-'leven different programs available to view and
organize photos. Picasa (free) is used by many, but I don't like the
way it takes control.
I use FastStone (free) because it has quite a few bells-and-whistles
and is very simple to use. All of my images are uploaded to a
designated folder for uploading, then gone through and the misses
deleted, and then re-numbered by date - 2008-07-09-0001 - with
FastStone, and then moved to an appropriately named folder (family,
topic, etc.) or sub-folder. I find naming images by subject too
cumbersome, and naming the folder or subfolder much easier.
Russell D. wrote:
> Is there some good software out there that helps organize photos? I
> spend about 95+% of my computer time using Linux. So far I have been
> using digiKam and Gwenview but both have there issues. Is there
> something better? What do you Linux/Unix geekazoids use?
>
Funny, I starte to use these two just a few month ago (before this I
just put the pics in folders wich where named YYYYMMDD_comment).
With the capabilities of tagging the photos with digiKam I'm more than
happy! It even sets the IPTC-Tags (copyright, keywords) and can search
for keywords.
For editing I fire up gimp out of digiKam. I don't think I need more at
the Moment. I'm happy with my 20000+ photos.
My only issue is speed... but that's my Hardware (Server with older
sata-disks, network with only 100MBit and /home on nfs, Desktopy-System
with onboard-graphics and 1GB Memory).
What are the issues you have woth gwenview and digiKam?
> I'm not totally opposed to setting up a shared drive that I can access
> with both Linux and Windows if the best software for the purpose is a
> Windows only app. What are some good Windows apps for the purpose?
>
If you want to take a look at Google picsa... there i a linux-version,
but afaik just the windows-app with wine.
Russell D. wrote:
> One thing that has become very clear, my new foray into digital
> photography is going to produce a lot of pictures which translates into
> a lot of files on my computer. So, I would be interested in some
> thoughts on how to organize these files. The files come from my camera
> with just sequential numbers, not very descriptive of what the photo is.
> During organization, do you rename these files so you know better what
> the photo is from the file name?
>
> Is there some good software out there that helps organize photos? I
> spend about 95+% of my computer time using Linux. So far I have been
> using digiKam and Gwenview but both have there issues. Is there
> something better? What do you Linux/Unix geekazoids use?
>
> I'm not totally opposed to setting up a shared drive that I can access
> with both Linux and Windows if the best software for the purpose is a
> Windows only app. What are some good Windows apps for the purpose?
>
> TIA,
>
> Russell
Digital Photography does lead to an excess of photos. I have about
20,000 photos and have been looking at various programs to categorize
and index them. What I have found is there is no good answer. There
are lots of programs that attempt but usually fall apart for various
reasons. What I have found is a linux program called KphotoAlbum http://www.kphotoalbum.org/ which shows a lot of promise. It is only
designed to organize your photos, so if you want something to do it all
then this in not for you.
Here is my work flow:
1) download and rename all photos to YYMMDD_seqno.ext (IrfenView)
2) store the photos in directory structure YEAR|MONTH (IrfanView)
This becomes my "negative" shoebox.
I then index the photos with KPhotoAlbum supplying keywords,
descriptions, etc. Then I make a backup to another harddrive.
If I need a photo I retrieve it from the "shoebox" and do the necessary
modification for that usage. (FastStone, UFRaw, Gimp, Raw The****e,
ExifTool, Inkscape, Scribus, etc)
I can do everything from Linux, or use a combination of Linux and
Windows. Yes, I use Gimp, UFRaw, FastStone, Irfanview, and a number of
other programs. I have no bias against Photoshop, Apple, or any other
hardware/software, I would rather spend my money where it provides the
biggest bang (ie. better glass).
Russell D. wrote:
> One thing that has become very clear, my new foray into digital
> photography is going to produce a lot of pictures which translates into
> a lot of files on my computer. So, I would be interested in some
> thoughts on how to organize these files. The files come from my camera
> with just sequential numbers, not very descriptive of what the photo is.
> During organization, do you rename these files so you know better what
> the photo is from the file name?
>
> Is there some good software out there that helps organize photos? I
> spend about 95+% of my computer time using Linux. So far I have been
> using digiKam and Gwenview but both have there issues. Is there
> something better? What do you Linux/Unix geekazoids use?
>
> I'm not totally opposed to setting up a shared drive that I can access
> with both Linux and Windows if the best software for the purpose is a
> Windows only app. What are some good Windows apps for the purpose?
Windows drive formatted as FAT32. Linux can read/write to it directly.
Linux' can read NTFS but I haven't seen one write to it.
(This issue may have been solved by now, BTW).
You could also use an external drive set up for multiple serial
interfaces (aka: ersatz server) (note: I've heard of these, just never
seen one).
Go Mac and don't worry. Run OS X and Win XP concurrently on one
machine. Drag/drop between the two.
Renaming: I import raw files from the camera or card into the computer
via DNG and rename on the fly. This also saves the raw files as DNG so
I get a small (10-20 % or so) space savings. (Does not rename the JPG's
however).
On Jul 9, 11:37*am, "Russell D." <r...@sfcn.org> wrote:
> One thing that has become very clear, my new foray into digital
> photography is going to produce a lot of pictures which translates into
> a lot of files on my computer. So, I would be interested in some
> thoughts on how to organize these files. The files come from my camera
> with just sequential numbers, not very descriptive of what the photo is.
> During organization, do you rename these files so you know better what
> the photo is from the file name?
>
> Is there some good software out there that helps organize photos? I
> spend about 95+% of my computer time using Linux. So far I have been
> using digiKam and Gwenview but both have there issues. Is there
> something better? What do you Linux/Unix geekazoids use?
>
> I'm not totally opposed to setting up a shared drive that I can access
> with both Linux and Windows if the best software for the purpose is a
> Windows only app. What are some good Windows apps for the purpose?
>
> TIA,
>
> Russell
Hi Russell,
You're right that you'll be overwhelmed pretty quickly if you don't
come up with some kind of a system. There are tons of filing schemes
and software out there. What's best depends on your own taste. IMO,
some of the best file management software is free, but you can
download trial versions of the other stuff.
Like the other posters, I keep my photos in folders named by the year,
month and date I took them followed by one or two word description
(080516BronxZoo; 071113MomsBday; 020608JimsWedding). I don't rename
the files. That keeps them in chronological order in the folders. If
I edit the files I just add a letter suffix to the original file name
(IMG_0125a.jpg; IMG_0125b.jpg, etc) when I "save as". And of course,
I never save a .jpg more than once. If a shot needs more editing I go
back to the original and start over.
As to software, I use IrfanView, a very nice freeware program, for
file maintenance and light duty editing. For more serious editing I
use Adobe Photoshop Elements; about 85% of Photoshop CS functionality
for about 15% of the price. Elements lets me tag files with key words
so I can easily find them later no matter which folder they're in. I
don't try to tag everything. But I figure if the shot is important
enough to open in Elements, thats when it gets a tag. My tags are
usually just the names of the people in the shot.
On Jul 9, 11:37*am, "Russell D." <r...@sfcn.org> wrote:
> One thing that has become very clear, my new foray into digital
> photography is going to produce a lot of pictures which translates into
> a lot of files on my computer. So, I would be interested in some
> thoughts on how to organize these files. The files come from my camera
> with just sequential numbers, not very descriptive of what the photo is.
> During organization, do you rename these files so you know better what
> the photo is from the file name?
>
> Is there some good software out there that helps organize photos? I
> spend about 95+% of my computer time using Linux. So far I have been
> using digiKam and Gwenview but both have there issues. Is there
> something better? What do you Linux/Unix geekazoids use?
>
> I'm not totally opposed to setting up a shared drive that I can access
> with both Linux and Windows if the best software for the purpose is a
> Windows only app. What are some good Windows apps for the purpose?
>
> TIA,
>
> Russell
Hi Russell,
You're right that you'll be overwhelmed pretty quickly if you don't
come up with some kind of a system. There are tons of filing schemes
and software out there. What's best depends on your own taste. IMO,
some of the best file management software is free, but you can
download trial versions of the other stuff.
Like the other posters, I keep my photos in folders named by the year,
month and date I took them followed by one or two word description
(080516BronxZoo; 071113MomsBday; 020608JimsWedding). I don't rename
the files. That keeps them in chronological order in the folders. If
I edit the files I just add a letter suffix to the original file name
(IMG_0125a.jpg; IMG_0125b.jpg, etc) when I "save as". And of course,
I never save a .jpg more than once. If a shot needs more editing I go
back to the original and start over.
As to software, I use IrfanView, a very nice freeware program, for
file maintenance and light duty editing. For more serious editing I
use Adobe Photoshop Elements; about 85% of Photoshop CS functionality
for about 15% of the price. Elements lets me tag files with key words
so I can easily find them later no matter which folder they're in. I
don't try to tag everything. But I figure if the shot is important
enough to open in Elements, thats when it gets a tag. My tags are
usually just the names of the people in the shot.
On Jul 9, 11:37*am, "Russell D." <r...@sfcn.org> wrote:
> One thing that has become very clear, my new foray into digital
> photography is going to produce a lot of pictures which translates into
> a lot of files on my computer. So, I would be interested in some
> thoughts on how to organize these files. The files come from my camera
> with just sequential numbers, not very descriptive of what the photo is.
> During organization, do you rename these files so you know better what
> the photo is from the file name?
>
> Is there some good software out there that helps organize photos? I
> spend about 95+% of my computer time using Linux. So far I have been
> using digiKam and Gwenview but both have there issues. Is there
> something better? What do you Linux/Unix geekazoids use?
>
> I'm not totally opposed to setting up a shared drive that I can access
> with both Linux and Windows if the best software for the purpose is a
> Windows only app. What are some good Windows apps for the purpose?
>
> TIA,
>
> Russell
Hi Russell,
You're right that you'll be overwhelmed pretty quickly if you don't
come up with some kind of a system. There are tons of filing schemes
and software out there. What's best depends on your own taste. IMO,
some of the best file management software is free, but you can
download trial versions of the other stuff.
Like the other posters, I keep my photos in folders named by the year,
month and date I took them followed by one or two word description
(080516BronxZoo; 071113MomsBday; 020608JimsWedding). I don't rename
the files. That keeps them in chronological order in the folders. If
I edit the files I just add a letter suffix to the original file name
(IMG_0125a.jpg; IMG_0125b.jpg, etc) when I "save as". And of course,
I never save a .jpg more than once. If a shot needs more editing I go
back to the original and start over.
As to software, I use IrfanView, a very nice freeware program, for
file maintenance and light duty editing. For more serious editing I
use Adobe Photoshop Elements; about 85% of Photoshop CS functionality
for about 15% of the price. Elements lets me tag files with key words
so I can easily find them later no matter which folder they're in. I
don't try to tag everything. But I figure if the shot is important
enough to open in Elements, thats when it gets a tag. My tags are
usually just the names of the people in the shot.
>On Jul 9, 11:37*am, "Russell D." <r...@sfcn.org> wrote:
>> One thing that has become very clear, my new foray into digital
>> photography is going to produce a lot of pictures which translates into
>> a lot of files on my computer. So, I would be interested in some
>> thoughts on how to organize these files. The files come from my camera
>> with just sequential numbers, not very descriptive of what the photo is.
>> During organization, do you rename these files so you know better what
>> the photo is from the file name?
>>
>> Is there some good software out there that helps organize photos? I
>> spend about 95+% of my computer time using Linux. So far I have been
>> using digiKam and Gwenview but both have there issues. Is there
>> something better? What do you Linux/Unix geekazoids use?
>>
>> I'm not totally opposed to setting up a shared drive that I can access
>> with both Linux and Windows if the best software for the purpose is a
>> Windows only app. What are some good Windows apps for the purpose?
>>
>> TIA,
>>
>> Russell
>
>Hi Russell,
>
>You're right that you'll be overwhelmed pretty quickly if you don't
>come up with some kind of a system.
The best file management key is the "delete" key. If you don't cull
out the ones that didn't quite make it, the file bloat problem can
become overwhelming.
I'm shooting more and more in the burst mode where people are in the
image. With 40 snaps, I'm bound to get one shot with all eyes open.
Then, I force myself to delete at least 35 of the 40; often 39.
Photo overload 
Linear Mode
