Recommend photo software?

[ecotec]

I'm looking for some new photo storage and editing software, bit of background i have been using iphoto since 2007ish and now the imac screen is dying so I need a new solution. I have both an ubuntu (linux) and windows machine (8.1) - any suggestions for archiving a collection of some 60,000 pictures.

thanks!

[rich888]

ecotec said:

I'm looking for some new photo storage and editing software, bit of background i have been using iphoto since 2007ish and now the imac screen is dying so I need a new solution. I have both an ubuntu (linux) and windows machine (8.1) - any suggestions for archiving a collection of some 60,000 pictures.

thanks!

How about using Google Picasa which is a free download and provides basic editing facilities along with cloud options for both Mac and PC users, alternatively upload your collection to Flickr.com photo website which doesn't currently offer editing facilities but at least your collection would be in the cloud and ready to be downloaded at a later date and edited as necessary.

As a footnote, it might be an idea to purchase an external HD from PC World to copy your files onto, perhaps a WD 2TB external drive, no need to purchase the more expensive Mac version, just ensure that you format it using the Apple 'Disk Utility' which is installed on your iMac, and format it 'Mac OS Extended (journaled).

I have two of these WD 2TB drives attached to my iMac so am very pleased with them and certainly vouch that using these drives beats replacing the internal iMac HD which would be a right bh.

[The_Jackal]

Lightroom should be perfect for you.
Yes you will need to learn its ins and outs, but do that and you will have something that will improve and speed up your photo management and editing.

[ecotec]

rich888 said:

How about using Google Picasa which is a free download and provides basic editing facilities along with cloud options for both Mac and PC users, alternatively upload your collection to Flickr.com photo website which doesn't currently offer editing facilities but at least your collection would be in the cloud and ready to be downloaded at a later date and edited as necessary.

As a footnote, it might be an idea to purchase an external HD from PC World to copy your files onto, perhaps a WD 2TB external drive, no need to purchase the more expensive Mac version, just ensure that you format it using the Apple 'Disk Utility' which is installed on your iMac, and format it 'Mac OS Extended (journaled).

I have two of these WD 2TB drives attached to my iMac so am very pleased with them and certainly vouch that using these drives beats replacing the internal iMac HD which would be a right bh.

Hi rich, thanks for your post - have previously used picasa but not for some time, i will download and take a look. RE storage - already a bit paranoid about losing data so the data is backed up on two separate HDDs - although these are getting a bit long in the tooth now.

[ecotec]

The_Jackal said:

Lightroom should be perfect for you.
Yes you will need to learn its ins and outs, but do that and you will have something that will improve and speed up your photo management and editing.

thanks The_Jackal, just been looking at lightroom - looks like a great product, thanks

[Ultuous]

Another vote for Lightroom - only been using it a couple of weeks, and having come from the GIMP/ Photoshop I always thought it would be a bit 'lightweight', but the truth is it's made cataloguing my images and getting into a 'creative flow' with regard to processing far less faffy!

[JSS 911]

I have never used this, has anyone had any experience with it, Serif PhotoPlus X7 about £60
Storage again as mentioned above WD 2TB

Edited by JSS 911 on Wednesday 31st December 12:34

[alock]

ecotec said:

... any suggestions for archiving a collection of some 60,000 pictures.

I'm confused what problem you are trying to solve? You've had several suggestions for photo editing and short-term indexing software but your question mentions archiving which is something very different. Do you really mean archiving? If so, then for how long? 10 years? 20 years? Longer?

[LongQ]

alock said:

I'm confused what problem you are trying to solve? You've had several suggestions for photo editing and short-term indexing software but your question mentions archiving which is something very different. Do you really mean archiving? If so, then for how long? 10 years? 20 years? Longer?

Taking that observation a stage further ....

Are your 60k images "complete" output files that will likely never be re-edited (and therefore archive material)?

Or are you looking for something that will store them in an active and editable form?

If the latter the challenge then becomes not so much storing the files in some form of library/catalogue system as what to decide about whether or not you can keep existing edit instructions (assuming non-destructive editing) and make use of them in a new product. (Presumably a product that you will use in the future for preparing new images.)

It's possible you may be best off looking at more than one tool.

[pilbeam_mp62]

Lightroom... it does everything you will need.... check out some of the videos that can be found on Youtube for examples of the functionality.

[steveatesh]

Ultuous said:

Another vote for Lightroom - only been using it a couple of weeks, and having come from the GIMP/ Photoshop I always thought it would be a bit 'lightweight', but the truth is it's made cataloguing my images and getting into a 'creative flow' with regard to processing far less faffy!

Can I ask where you got it, was it a life license download or creative cloud subscription?
I'm currently weighing up Lightoom or Capture 1 Pro 8. Every bit of info helps

[ecotec]

alock said:

I'm confused what problem you are trying to solve? You've had several suggestions for photo editing and short-term indexing software but your question mentions archiving which is something very different. Do you really mean archiving? If so, then for how long? 10 years? 20 years? Longer?

Hi alock,

I'm really looking for software to store my photos in an easy to view format and offer some basic editing. I guess I have 10 years worth at present and also a few thousand scanned negs.

If i'm better off with an editing application and an archive application can you suggest any I can look into?

[ecotec]

steveatesh said:

Can I ask where you got it, was it a life license download or creative cloud subscription?
I'm currently weighing up Lightoom or Capture 1 Pro 8. Every bit of info helps

I found it on amazon for £99 - perpetual licence
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Adobe-Photoshop-Lightroom-...

[ecotec]

LongQ said:

Taking that observation a stage further ....

Are your 60k images "complete" output files that will likely never be re-edited (and therefore archive material)?

Or are you looking for something that will store them in an active and editable form?

If the latter the challenge then becomes not so much storing the files in some form of library/catalogue system as what to decide about whether or not you can keep existing edit instructions (assuming non-destructive editing) and make use of them in a new product. (Presumably a product that you will use in the future for preparing new images.)

It's possible you may be best off looking at more than one tool.

Firstly thanks LongQ,

Following on from my last post, they are all jpg images and yes I may wish to edit again. As above, any suggestions if I should be looking at an archive tool and an editing tool?

[alock]

ecotec said:

Hi alock,

I'm really looking for software to store my photos in an easy to view format and offer some basic editing. I guess I have 10 years worth at present and also a few thousand scanned negs.

If i'm better off with an editing application and an archive application can you suggest any I can look into?

I would have a good look at your folder structure and naming convention to make it as easy as possible to find files in the future. If you then want to tag images I would look at software that uses the Exif properties on your jpegs. I would avoid anything that uses its own database.

This will last for 10+ years. If jpeg goes out of flavour then batch convert the lot to the replacement standard. If you transport this library to the latest hardware every 5 years it should last 30+ years.

The more complication you add the more likely it is to go wrong. KISS

[LongQ]

ecotec said:

Firstly thanks LongQ,

Following on from my last post, they are all jpg images and yes I may wish to edit again. As above, any suggestions if I should be looking at an archive tool and an editing tool?

If all the images are jpg are they original jpgs and also the edited versions or just the edited versions of the originals?

The point here is that every time you edit a jpg you are working with a compressed files with some of the original information discarded and each change/ new edit will, to some extent, take a little more away from what is available. Whether this matters to you or the specific images is another matter but it is something to be aware of.

Just about any editor will allow editing of a jpg file and most editors these days are "non-destructive". In other words they create a new copy of the file and work on that or add an edit file to be applied to the unmolested source file whereas not so long ago they might have just allowed you to make changed that were then written back into the original file, changing it for ever. Back then one needed to have a solid policy for ensuring the a copy of the original was kept somewhere safe in case it was needed. That is still likely to be true today but most editors will also protect the original files from directly overwritten changes.

I don't think there is a specific approach that will suit everyone. Needs are different and can be very different indeed. Even a "finished image" may, for optimal display or printing, need to be finished in different versions to suit different reproduction requirements.

If you are working mostly with jpgs there are many free edit and "library" tools that will offer means to manage a collection. It might be useful to try a few to see which you find most intuitive and complete for your needs. In a worst case scenario you would spend some time defining the "must haves" and "things to avoid" in order to help you towards your final selection.


ETA: I meant to say that alock's suggestions are very much in line with my own conclusions here.

Edited by LongQ on Thursday 1st January 12:31

[Ultuous]

steveatesh said:

Ultuous said:

Another vote for Lightroom - only been using it a couple of weeks, and having come from the GIMP/ Photoshop I always thought it would be a bit 'lightweight', but the truth is it's made cataloguing my images and getting into a 'creative flow' with regard to processing far less faffy!

Can I ask where you got it, was it a life license download or creative cloud subscription?
I'm currently weighing up Lightoom or Capture 1 Pro 8. Every bit of info helps

I went for Creative Cloud, as under a tenner a month seemed a no-brainer to have the latest Photoshop... Whilst I'm sure I'll use it at some point, I'm starting to conclude that LR is alI I actually needed!