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Richardjoseph

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 21, 2010
4
0
Hi,

I'm a photographer with a 5000 image photo library and want to know what other members would recommend I use for DAM cataloging.

My 1st & 2nd choices would be Idimager & imatch but there for windows only or can I install them successfully using Bootcamp ?

I've heard only bad stuff about aperture & it appears as if DAM software choices are limited for Mac users - is this the case ?

I've heard good reports about imagingester - any comments ?

My library consists mainly of slides which I will first have to scan and then import onto the Mac.

Thanks RichardJoseph
 

Vantage Point

macrumors 65816
Mar 1, 2010
1,169
1
New Jersey
I am also a photographer, mostly wildlife and landscape, with closer to 50,000 images in my library. I like to keep things simple and flexible so if I make a change to different software I can find what I need quickly (recently changed from PC to Mac).

Anyway, my software is Photoshop, currently CS4 and I just use Bridge for everything. My system is based on folders that are subgrouped like a tree. So I may have one folder for Great Smoky Mountains, and within that a folder for each region of the area or for wildlife like 'bears' folder. Same with NYC which may include folders like Nightscapes, Museums (then a folder for reach museum), Bridges, Street Photography...all folders within a NYC folder.

Each of my photos will be tagged with keywords for searches like landscape, spring, sunrise, yellowstone, national park, waterfalls, lakes, fog.... So I can simply do a keyword search within a folder, group or my entire library. With this system I can find anything and if I change software my folder system still has everything organized.

Bottom line, the system works for me and will never become obsolete no matter what software I may use next year or in 10 years.
 

Sossity

macrumors 65816
May 12, 2010
1,358
31
I use iview media pro, and microsoft expression media 1.0, it came as a free upgrade download.

Also, I adapte4d a DAM system based on a well known book called the DAM book. You can google it, it has alot of good info about DAM.
 

Richardjoseph

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 21, 2010
4
0
DAM software choices for Mac users

I am a photographer with a library of around 6,000 images mostly 35mm colour slide and black and white 35mm negatives, ( plus more recently jpegs), over the last 30 years. The collection is largely uncatalogued and not well organised. I desperately want to digitalise these images and catalogue them as ultimately I want to establish an online photo library.

Currently I use a Macbookpro, Imac desktop, Vivitar 6.2 mega pixel digital camera. The first job I need to do is scan my collection. I have an Artiscan 4000T which cans up to 4,000 dpi but what file size should I be aiming for as ultimately the images just have to look reasonable on a computer screen. The Artiscan produces either jpeg or tiff files. Will this be a problem at the cataloguing stage? Do members know of an alternative scanning/copying process?

The software choice for Mac users initially appears limited as I have read good reviews of Idimager and Imatch but they are both Windows applications only.

The scanned images will have to be imported to the Mac on a disc as the Artiscan only has a scsi card and does not connect to my Mac.

I don't plan on altering the images very much. They will all be full frame and no changes to the colour balance etc.

The choice of Mac software is the next problem area as I don't know whether I need just one or a combination of different software to handle my workflow. There will be jpeg images plus I intend in future to shoot in RAW. I take maybe 200-300 images per month.

The software needs to:

1. Catalogue my images.
2. Provide keywording and metadata.
3. Be relatively simple to use ( I would prefer just one programme to learn) and inexpensive.

Bearing in mind my ultimate aim would be the online photo library should I be looking purely at Pieware like Aperture or lightroom or go for only catalogue software. Maybe there's some great photo library software out there that I haven't heard of yet.

This is my current predicament and all comments/advice from members would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.
Richard
 
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