Best tool for Photo Library management...

[deanflory]

Adobe Bridge (came with CS3 Master Collection)

I currently have CS3 Design Premium and iPhoto.

I can't find how CS3 can manage image location well...

I recently purchased Adobe CS3 Master Collection and find Adobe Bridge to be awesome for viewing files in organized folders on my drive. I held off using iPhoto for a long time because it was so locked into it's own library.

Adobe Bridge offers Camera RAW as well for TIFFs, JPEGs and one other I can't think of right now. The Camera RAW settings do not change the original image unless you export them but do stay intact as settings when reopening the original with RAW settings. I can't say enough about Camera RAW, my photos are able to achieve so much better results and I rarely have to use Photoshop for image correction (just layering, etc.).

Adobe Bridge also displays other types of files in any particular folder (doesn't have it's own library, so it's like Finder on steroids. It also allows meta data, keywords, etc. Keywords can quickly be applied to batches.

I'm glad I held out and didn't really use iPhoto for all my work and personal images. However you set up folders and files on your drive is how Bridge can navigate to them. You can also search for metadata, specs like CMYK, keywords, color labels, 5 stars, etc.

This is how I prefer to keep my images and I can't say enough about the Camera RAW "Recovery" and "Fill Light" sliders, they can save so much detail from less-than-optimum images. These act differently and produce much better results than just Levels, Curves, Hue, etc. in Photoshop, trust me, like a whole new world where some of your photos can be saved from the dulldroms.

 

[caspiyoav]

Waiting for picasa

One persons' opinion:
1. you can create sub-folders (but not sub-albums): just create a new folder and drag it onto an existing folder, and it will move to be a sub-folder.

Yes, I meant sub-sub folders. Sorry, I wasn't clear.

Also the wedding analogy doesn't really represent my needs because I treat all pictures as equal. I don't have my favourites. I keep all of them and like to see all of them when browsing/organising.

I too am waiting for Picasa. don't know what the mac version will be like, but the windows version is very flexible.
yes, it is very low on editing capabilities, but for organising I found it very good.

Although there will probably be the same problem with the .mac gallery compatibility as there is with the PSE6.0.

I guess the bottom line is that there isn't yet the one perfect solution for everyone's needs...

Adobe Bridge also displays other types of files in any particular folder (doesn't have it's own library, so it's like Finder on steroids.

I'm glad I held out and didn't really use iPhoto for all my work and personal images. However you set up folders and files on your drive is how Bridge can navigate to them.

This sounds good, but what happens if I am already working on iPhoto and now want to move to bridge - all of my pics are now controlled by iPhoto and are therefore in one big 'date' library...

can bridge take control and put them back in folders according to their names or something, or will I have to rebuild my folders?

 

[147798]

I guess the bottom line is that there isn't yet the one perfect solution for everyone's needs...

Agreed! Nor, could there ever be. Because "light-and-fast" does not go well with "full-featured" and "for everyone". You get to pick only two

(that is, any software application can be light-and-fast and full featured, but narrow in scope; full featured and for everyone, but big and clunky, or fast and for everyone, but low on features. It is impossible to make an application that has all three)

 

[deanflory]

How Adobe Bridge Works

This sounds good, but what happens if I am already working on iPhoto and now want to move to bridge - all of my pics are now controlled by iPhoto and are therefore in one big 'date' library...

can bridge take control and put them back in folders according to their names or something, or will I have to rebuild my folders?

I believe Bridge could easily "look" into your iPhoto library folder (no clue if it picks up on any iPhoto settings, etc.)

I keep my photos sorted like older versions of iPhoto, in separate YYYY / MM / DD. Bridge isn't really there to resort your folder structure according to some album name. You'd have to add metadata keywords to them first and could then sort/search your photos folder for a match. It's not some automated, snap your fingers and read your mind kind of application. You would have to organize your photos however you want the folder structure to be for the long term. You can move files around in Bridge like in Finder.

I haven't used or seen all that comes with Aperture but I have a feeling it has more than Bridge does to offer.

I just took a look at the Aperture site on Apple and it appears that Aperture has all that Adobe Bridge does, but is a few years more advanced.

They seem to both be centered around Camera RAW but Aperture has quite a few more features/functions.

Bridge came with CS3 MC but if it didn't I would have just placed an order for Aperture, might do so anyway after a 'puter upgrade.

 

[147798]

I believe Bridge could easily "look" into your iPhoto library folder (no clue if it picks up on any iPhoto settings, etc.)

I keep my photos sorted like older versions of iPhoto, in separate YYYY / MM / DD. Bridge isn't really there to resort your folder structure according to some album name. You'd have to add metadata keywords to them first and could then sort/search your photos folder for a match. It's not some automated, snap your fingers and read your mind kind of application. You would have to organize your photos however you want the folder structure to be for the long term. You can move files around in Bridge like in Finder.

I haven't used or seen all that comes with Aperture but I have a feeling it has more than Bridge does to offer.

I wasn't able to get Bridge to look into my iPhoto 08 library (pictures are loaded into iPhoto, not referenced). Does anyone know if this is possible?

 

[caspiyoav]

Any ideas about Picasa D-day?

any clues? hints?

 

[Digital Skunk]

I just took a look at the Aperture site on Apple and it appears that Aperture has all that Adobe Bridge does, but is a few years more advanced.

They seem to both be centered around Camera RAW but Aperture has quite a few more features/functions.

Bridge came with CS3 MC but if it didn't I would have just placed an order for Aperture, might do so anyway after a 'puter upgrade.

Also remember that Bridge was intended as a go between for all of the CS/CS2/CS3 apps. It started as a simple browser locked into all of the CS apps, then in CS2 they made it a stand alone application. Now it functions somewhat better than Finder when it comes to graphics, photos, videos, and PDF documents.

I wasn't able to get Bridge to look into my iPhoto 08 library (pictures are loaded into iPhoto, not referenced). Does anyone know if this is possible?

If possible, you can download the free trial of Aperture, import your iPhoto library from there, then export from the Aperture library to the folders that you want. If you want to go through with that I can give you the long version of what to do.

 

[mr.666]

most of the catalog / library apps out on the market work off your original image ingest. they simply fine tune the organization of files once you have taken them off your cf/sd card. as mentioned, iview (now expression media) is a great tool for organizing/structuring a data base. others include; photo mechanic, extensis portfolio, canto cumulus, etc.

the key is to create your own file structure/hierarchy within your given os platform, and structure your cataloging app to taylor to your specific needs. be it as simple as a file structure of year<month, or via client - your time is best spent on this portion. every other cataloging app can adjust from there. then you can concentrate on how you want to structure individual images from there.

where do you want to take this process? do you want to adjust exif data, add keywords, batch process by client, automate some of the basic tasks? the list goes on. what works for one person may not work for you. personally, i work in two management programs. the first is iview, where i do most of my weeding out. then i go into portfolio to copy and catalogue the keepers - adding pertinent data to each batch based on job, client and keyword. is this the best way? for me it is the most comfortable. from portfolio i take them into ps, and color correct, etc. then back into portfolio with a "watch" folder that automatically logs them for me.

again, this works for me, and many may feel it's a waist of time when portfolio can do it all (minus major image editing) on it's own - or vice versa with iview. but, this works for me, and affords me the flexibility i need. your needs may very. the only way to know for sure, is to take your time to think out what you need personally, and go from there. unfortunately, it's really not a decision that someone can make for you without knowing how you think, or what your needs are.

hth's

art

The Bridge... that's it. learn how to use it (take a class if need be). you can even give photo "picks" star ratings and sort by star rating etc.

 

[ChrisA]

I recently purchased Adobe CS3 Master Collection and find Adobe Bridge to be awesome for viewing files in organized folders on my drive. I held off using iPhoto for a long time because it was so locked into it's own library.

Adobe Bridge offers Camera RAW as well for TIFFs, JPEGs and one other I can't think of right now. The Camera RAW settings do not change the original image unless you export them but do stay intact as settings when reopening the original with RAW settings. I can't say enough about Camera RAW, my photos are able to achieve so much better results and I rarely have to use Photoshop for image correction (just layering, etc.).

Adobe Bridge also displays other types of files in any particular folder (doesn't have it's own library, so it's like Finder on steroids. It also allows meta data, keywords, etc. Keywords can quickly be applied to batches.

I'm glad I held out and didn't really use iPhoto for all my work and personal images. However you set up folders and files on your drive is how Bridge can navigate to them. You can also search for metadata, specs like CMYK, keywords, color labels, 5 stars, etc.

This is how I prefer to keep my images and I can't say enough about the Camera RAW "Recovery" and "Fill Light" sliders, they can save so much detail from less-than-optimum images. These act differently and produce much better results than just Levels, Curves, Hue, etc. in Photoshop, trust me, like a whole new world where some of your photos can be saved from the dulldroms.

Lightroom and Aperture have this same featre set. Hihlite recovery and so on. Aperture 2.0 has a couple things like this that ACR does not but then the next verson of ACR will add more refinments I'm sure.

As for organization, ACR work within your normal finder folders. Lots of people like this because it is easy to understand and simple. Aperture introduces a layer oover top of these finder folders that some people are not used to. Aperture does two things (1) It allows you to build any number of folder stuctures, for example you can have a date based system and a subjet based system and a location based system and the phots can be sorted there ways. This drive some people nuts because they want to be able to know where their photo "really is" and (2) it allows you to define folders that automaticaly adjust their content based on some rules. For example you make a folder called "four star or more photos of birds" and then all you better bird shots get automatically 'sucked" into that folder and as you add more they will go their too and if you downgrad a rating to 2 strar it wil get removed. You can make hundreds of these "smart" folder and keep them in a big nested structure. Notice that Apple's iTunes and iPhoto also work this way.

"Folders" was the great invention of the 1970's and works well if you only have a few items to store. But as you move into storing 100,000 items or more the idea starts to break down. That is why we are seeing databases merged into file systems and things like Spotlight and smart folders