Adobe Photoshop vs Aperture vs Lightroom

[snberk103]

Originally Posted by snberk103
I'm not that person, I'm a professional, and I need to find my images. And every "professional" I know have abandoned managing their files by folder and name, and now use a DAM like iPhoto/LR/Aperture/Capture One. It is a lot of work to maintain one of the old-style folder directory systems, and it's hard to find images that way once you have a good number of images in it. But, YMMV.... of course.....

Just to provide some other perspectives, I also know of professional photographers who manually organize their file directory/structure in conjunction with their DAM. Sometimes you just want to be able to look at what you have without firing up your DAM, and having a logical file/folder structure allows you to do that. Especially in cases like LR where the folder/collection heirarchy within the LR databse is essentially mirrored in folders on your hard drive...
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Ruahrc

Thanks Ruahrc...
I should have made it clear that I really did just mean the photographers in my personal circle, which does not mean every photographer out there. I'm just trying to say that keywording a transparent file structure can meet the most demanding needs. It may not be used by everyone - but there are very few people whose needs can't be met by the organizational tools of a DAM.

OreoCookie makes a good point. I'd forgotten that iPhoto can work with photos in place (i.e. in the places that you have put them). You get the best of both worlds this way. Keywording and other tools, plus they are in the folders you like to use. But as others have mentioned, don't use Finder to move them around once they are catalogued... use iPhoto to move them.

 

[MSM Hobbes]

Excellent advice and thoughts here. One thing missing [unless I read over it] is mention of Photoshop Elements... for those that have used this and other programs discussed herein, what are your thoughts / advice? Currently, I've iPhoto (of course) and PS Elements (PSE 6),,, but honestly haven't really used PSE that much, still learning. Will be upgrading the s/w once I upgrade the h/w sometime later this summer.