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08-29-2018, 11:48 AM   #1
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Photo indexer/organizer for Mac

Hello.

Basically, I need a software where I can see all my photos, organized by either date/people/pets/landscape.... without restrictions as to where they are saved on my internal hard drive (many subfolders!!!).

I'll explain:

My workflow basically is - shoot RAW - LightRoom + convert to JPG - Save JPG on sub folders under my "pictures" main folder (my subfolders could be named after date shots were taken, event, or a combo of both).

Recently, I wanted to make prints of my young child's 1st year in pictures (photos taken since she was born until just before her first Bday)... I started going folder by folder (I do have a sub folder where I place all her pics, then another sub folder with her 0-1 yrs, then 1-2 yrs... I try to keep organized); this operation was too frustrating, and I remember how my android phone can show me photos categorized by people/pets/flowers....

Is there something like this for Mac? Also, seeking opinions on 3rd party software - while I have worked off Macs since the Titanium PowerBook G4 (early 2000's), I honestly dislike all Apple software.

08-29-2018, 12:02 PM   #2
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Would Bridge CC do what you need? It has a labeling feature, and this would allow you to quickly view files across many sub-directories.

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08-29-2018, 12:06 PM   #3
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Maybe I'm confused on what you are trying to do but isn't that what Lightroom is for? Facial recognition works surprisingly well, though the child might need to be a bit older for it to work consistently. It works fine with my 3 year old granddaughter.


All my folders are named for the date shot. All other indexing is either by adding keywords or using the facial recognition of Lightroom. Easy to find all pictures of any person.
08-29-2018, 12:59 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by Adam Quote
Bridge CC
I'll look into this, thanks.

---------- Post added 08-29-18 at 04:00 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by jatrax Quote
isn't that what Lightroom is for?
I think I have seen this in LR - but I've never used it.... I might give it a try, but it might be too much for my 2010 Mac to load LR for this (it is already slow for my PP).

Hence, I'm looking for a light stand alone (should've mentioned this on my Original Post).

08-29-2018, 01:44 PM - 1 Like   #5
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Apple's Photos will do what you want, though maybe not for you if you hate Apple software.

Change where Photos stores photos and video

---------- Post added 08-29-18 at 01:46 PM ----------

You can also do it in iPhoto, if you have an older machine and only have that.
08-29-2018, 05:55 PM   #6
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Seems like a workflow issue, since you already have Lr.

Use either keywords or the face recognition pane (which also applies the names as keywords). Then a smart collection or filter or whatever will find the people you're looking for. Folders are a horrible way to organize. Hard to find stuff, and you have to decide if say a picture of her belongs in a date folder, birthday event folder, mom's folder (if she's in a pix with mom), etc. But keywords are more adaptable, since one photo can have lotsa keywords but only one folder.

And why the jpeg folders? You can always export another jpeg, so why keep those? I have virtual copies for say a print, and just go back and reprint if need be or even re-export (I also keyword my VCs with say "printed 8x10").

I doubt another software program will solve the problem since few have as many tools as Lr.
08-29-2018, 10:03 PM - 2 Likes   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by leekil Quote
Apple's Photos will do what you want, though maybe not for you if you hate Apple software.

Change where Photos stores photos and video

---------- Post added 08-29-18 at 01:46 PM ----------

You can also do it in iPhoto, if you have an older machine and only have that.
Apple's Photos is OK if you want to search for a keyword (assuming you have assigned keywords) and can also find search words in the text of your captions or titles (if you write captions and titles). I have not set up face recognition, so I can't comment on that.

But Lightroom's search function is VASTLY superior to Apple's.

In iPhoto, you were able to rate images as 1-star, 2-star, 3-star, etc. In Photos, no more star ratings - you can rate an image only as a Favorite, or not. Lightroom allows flagging your favorites as "picks" and provides star ratings, and color ratings, too.

Lightroom also allows you create sub-sets of keywords, which you can customize, so you can have a different set of keywords for your car shots vs. family photos, etc.

In addition to everything Photos can search for LR adds many metadata fields - you can find photos taken with a particular camera, or lens, or shutter speed, or F-stop, and on and on.

Obviously, most of the above is not automatically set up, and the photographer has to assign the flags, keywords and ratings. (Except Metadata, which is collected automatically.)

So if the OP has Lightroom, he/she already has one of the best organization tool available - it's just a matter of setting it up and using it. I would suggest starting with assigning Keywords, and I would start with family member's names first.

08-29-2018, 10:24 PM - 1 Like   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by edom31 Quote
Hello.

Basically, I need a software where I can see all my photos, organized by either date/people/pets/landscape.... without restrictions as to where they are saved on my internal hard drive (many subfolders!!!).

I'll explain:

My workflow basically is - shoot RAW - LightRoom + convert to JPG - Save JPG on sub folders under my "pictures" main folder (my subfolders could be named after date shots were taken, event, or a combo of both).

Recently, I wanted to make prints of my young child's 1st year in pictures (photos taken since she was born until just before her first Bday)... I started going folder by folder (I do have a sub folder where I place all her pics, then another sub folder with her 0-1 yrs, then 1-2 yrs... I try to keep organized); this operation was too frustrating, and I remember how my android phone can show me photos categorized by people/pets/flowers....

Is there something like this for Mac? Also, seeking opinions on 3rd party software - while I have worked off Macs since the Titanium PowerBook G4 (early 2000's), I honestly dislike all Apple software.
Apple's built-in Search function is actually pretty good. You can search for items :

Kind = Image
File Extension = "jpg"
Created Date is After dd/mm/yy
Created Date is before dd/mm/yy
This will bring up ALL the jpgs from that year, but what you want will be there (mixed in with all the others). Might help, might not.

One possible problem: The "Created date" may be the date you converted from RAW to JPG rather than the camera exposure date; you would need to check.

Which brings up the question, Why convert all your RAW files to JPG? One of the beautiful things about Lightroom is that it's non-destructive. I keep the RAW files in my Lightroom folders, and I output to JPG only if I need one to post on a website, or send in an email, etc. So if I decide later I didn't get the color balance quite right or I want to undo a crop, not problem, just go the one-and-only RAW file and fix it. I assume you are saving the RAW files, right?
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08-30-2018, 07:29 AM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by runswithsizzers Quote
Apple's built-in Search function is actually pretty good.
Thanks for you input - yeah I am pretty much able to navigate through my whole collection - the problem arises when a significant other wants to see every single photo to choose for a printed album.

I used Photos yesterday and I am going to see if it works (basically I copied every single photo of the baby into a library and told my wife to erase all but for those which she'd like me to print - hence, I still have my copies and do not loose anything)

QuoteOriginally posted by runswithsizzers Quote
Why convert all your RAW files to JPG? One of the beautiful things about Lightroom is that it's non-destructive. I keep the RAW files in my Lightroom folders, and I output to JPG only if I need one to post on a website, or send in an email, etc.
Ohh I never toss out my RAW files - I misspoke - Just like you, I output into JPG (but usually, I output everything and just keep the RAWs on separate folders in case I want to go back, or in case I want a BW version that I did not do at the first PP)

---------- Post added 08-30-18 at 10:32 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by runswithsizzers Quote
Apple's Photos is OK if you want to search for a keyword
I gave it a try yesterday - rather than a search engine, I need a visual engine - and actually I think it will serve my purpose, as I replied to @runswithsizzers - (basically I copied every single photo of the baby into a library and told my wife to erase all but for those which she'd like me to print - hence, I still have my copies and do not loose anything).

I hope it works - transferring over 3K images (a year's worth of baby pics) took me all night!

EDIT - I did not realize that I was replying to two different comments from you...

---------- Post added 08-30-18 at 10:35 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by leekil Quote
Apple's Photos will do what you want
I think you're right - see above.

Thanks!

---------- Post added 08-30-18 at 10:36 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Oakland Rob Quote
And why the jpeg folders? You can always export another jpeg, so why keep those? I have virtual copies for say a print, and just go back and reprint if need be or even re-export (I also keyword my VCs with say "printed 8x10").
I do like to have my JPG folders, since my computer is slow, if I want to show someone a quick album, loading every RAW image takes 2-3 seconds (I use Xee to "see" my photos), while the JPG is quick.

Last edited by edom31; 08-30-2018 at 07:33 AM. Reason: LOL
08-30-2018, 08:06 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by edom31 Quote

I do like to have my JPG folders, since my computer is slow, if I want to show someone a quick album, loading every RAW image takes 2-3 seconds (I use Xee to "see" my photos), while the JPG is quick.
That makes it really tough, as any work you do in a program like Lr is gonna be wasted to a certain extent.

In Lr, what are you using for preview settings? If you're in the library, it should be pretty quick, even on an older machine, even if Develop is slow.

I forgot what version of Lr you're using, but one thing you could do is make a collection of say all the baby photos you've culled, keyworded, cropped, adjusted, etc for her to review. Then synch that collection to Lr's cloud. Then she could view them and comment on which she wants printed, or cropped, or whatever. Share photos for comments and feedback in Lightroom Classic CC
08-30-2018, 08:43 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by Oakland Rob Quote
I forgot what version of Lr you're using, but one thing you could do is make a collection of say all the baby photos you've culled, keyworded, cropped, adjusted, etc for her to review. Then synch that collection to Lr's cloud. Then she could view them and comment on which she wants printed, or cropped, or whatever. Share photos for comments and feedback in Lightroom Classic CC
I will read this article/tutorial - You're right, I am likely not using LR to its fullest potential, so it should be a good read. My version - 6.8 according to the EXIF info on a photo I have in Flickr.

Nevertheless, I am attached to folders and creating my own filing systems - that is a habit from my few MS-DOS days
08-30-2018, 12:56 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by runswithsizzers Quote
Apple's built-in Search function is actually pretty good. You can search for items :

Kind = Image
File Extension = "jpg"
Created Date is After dd/mm/yy
Created Date is before dd/mm/yy
This will bring up ALL the jpgs from that year, but what you want will be there (mixed in with all the others). Might help, might not.
You can also search for camera-specific items -- like Camera model, shutter speed, aperture, resolution, etc.
08-30-2018, 02:42 PM - 2 Likes   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by edom31 Quote
Nevertheless, I am attached to folders and creating my own filing systems - that is a habit from my few MS-DOS days
Nothing wrong with using folders. LR makes a new folder for every date when I import. So all photos are in a folder by the date taken. BUT, you have in LR an excellent tool to go way beyond folders. Using a few simple keywords, and if you want the facial recognition system greatly increases the adapability of your system. And in the long run is the only way to actually find something when the number of images gets big enough.

I used folders named for each shoot for many years but eventually realized that looking at a folder title like "waterfall on hike" was rather useless 10 years later. Took me a lot of time but I have my images in folders by date and all images indexed by keyword going back to 2008.
08-30-2018, 02:58 PM - 1 Like   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by edom31 Quote
Hello.

[...]
My workflow basically is - shoot RAW - LightRoom + convert to JPG - Save JPG on sub folders under my "pictures" main folder (my subfolders could be named after date shots were taken, event, or a combo of both).

[...]
One last suggestion:
In Lightroom's Library module, I give all my images a descriptive name in the TITLE field like: "lighthouse+boat-3666" The last four digits are the same last four digits assigned by the camera when it named the raw file.

Whenever I Export a JPG from Lightroom, I have Lightroom set up to substitute my Title for the original filename. Having a descriptive file name is much better than the camera filename when working with the JPGs in other programs (like making a book or a slideshow). AND searching for a JPG is much easier, because all software can search by filename.

Using the last four digits of the camera file name has two advantages: every JPG will have a unique file name (so I don't end up with TWO jpgs named "lighthouse+boat). And it also helps me find the correct raw file if I need to go back and edit/export again.

It's a bit tricky to get Lightroom to substitute my Title for the Filename when exporting, but once I figured it out, I created a Lightroom Export preset so I wouldn't have to jump through the same hoops everytime.

And if you are exporting a batch of images which you want to keep in correct sort order, like for making a slideshow, Lightroom also enables you to add a sequence of numbers in front of your Title like:
Attached Images
 

Last edited by runswithsizzers; 08-30-2018 at 03:06 PM.
08-30-2018, 03:05 PM   #15
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I'm anxious to see what Skylum does with the DAM in Luminar. It "should" be out this year...
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