I'm rapidly becoming overwhelmed by all the images I'm creating. Can someone recommend a program that will help me organize them?

I'm using a MAC and Jaguar.

thanks!

I'm also using a Mac and Jaguar - don't make the same mistake I did. I used iPhoto and sorted everything - looked good but iPhoto gets bogged down. You can create new libraries, but you have to rename the libraries so you can see them in iphoto and you can only have one active library at a time - in other words, you can't move a photo from one library to another.

I gave up on iPhoto. I tried several other similar apps, but they all got bogged down after a certain point - I have 100's of images and I'm sure you do too.

Then I discovered that you can make Jaguar display the photo as an icon in the finder. View>Show View Options click on
Show Icon Preview. Once I was dealing with actual images instead of rows of dcp_000123.jpg, I could sort them quite efficiently.

Now here's where I ran into a problem. In iPhoto, you can sort a library into albums. When you look at the album list in the finder, it looks like it's the real image, but it's only an alias - I ended up saving the aliases, and deleting the real thing.:bawling: :bawling:

For work I do for customers, I make folders named yyyymm, (200303 - for March, 2003), inside there, are folders named yyyymmdd (20030316 - for today) inside each day each job gets it's own folder with a "-n" where "n" is the number of the job for that day. Inside the month folder, I keep a text file with a brief description of each job and if you use TextEdit, you can even paste a scaled down copy of the image. At the end of the month, I burn that month's folder to a cd, but I keep a copy of the text file on the hard drive. When I make up the customer bill, I reference the job number eg 20030316-1 so I can always find it again. It's a bit tedious looking through the text files to find the one I'm looking for, but it beats going through dozens of cd's. The yyyymmdd naming format means the folders will always be sorted properly.

Hope this helps, margaret

Thanks for the info.

I've heard some fantastic reviews about Adobe's new cataloging software, but alas, it is for Windows only.

Hi, I am just starting to research this same thing, here are the programs I have come across so far;

This was recommended at a seminar, it is mac - windows version due in a couple of weeks.
iView at www.iview-multimedia.com

ACDSee at http://www.acdsystems.com/English/index.htm - it saves thumbnails of all your images so that you don't have to open the cd

BeezeBrowser at http://www.breezesys.com/BreezeBrowser/

Thumbs Plus at http://www.cerious.com/

Extensis Portfolio at http://www.extensis.com/portfolio/ - this looks like a professional level program

It is a lot of work to compare the programs so ...
EVERYONE - PLEASE DON"T BE SHY GIVING US YOUR OPINIONS

Thanks, Roger

I checked out the iview site, and something about it looked familiar.

I got it bundled with Toast that I got over a year ago!

I played around with it a little bit and was quite impressed, so I took advantage of the 1/2 price offer by already have the earlier version and purchased the latest version.

One of the things I like about it most is being able to catalog my fonts.

I highly recommend checking it out. Particularly if you're using a MAC.

Greetings to one and all:

As roger wrote, I highly recommend Extensis Portfolio 6. This program is powerful and worth every penny. You should be able to find it for $100 - $180. Go to Extensis.com and download a trial version first. Then go through the manual to archive your own images. You won't be disappointed.

Eric

Hi, I am still looking around and I just found a program that I want to add to this list. It looks amazing in it's flexibility and user adjustable open programing. It is iMatch at http://www.photools.com/ for only $50.

I downloaded the trial version along with many of the others and made a list of my "important needs" so I wouldn't go dizzy with all the different things that these programs can do and loose my focus. I will report back if I find in surprising differences.

Roger

Interesting Roger. Just this morning I saw a post on the filmscanners list that mentioned iMatch as a favorite of the poster. I will definitely be looking into this (though probably not right away.) I'd certainly be interested in any feedback you have. (Perhaps you could add your thoughts to the review section (http://www.retouchpro.com/reviews/index.php) here on RP?) My CD collection of backed-up images is quickly growing out of control. :(

Jeanie

Well Jeanie put my name on that list of "image storage out of control." Thanks for the tip Roger, I am looking also. I don't know about you guys but I am having problems with XP Pro when I have a directory with a large number of images in it. It's not a new problem because I had trouble with Win2000 Pro also. I normally like to fill up a CD before burning, to save money I guess, but I am going to have to learn to not put too many files on one CD.

Anyway I have 22 Archive CD's full of images and I am also archiving customer data to CD. I need some organization!

I am thinking about buying a DVD-R/RW drive so I can cut down on the volume of CD's. I wonder what XP will do if I show it a DVD full of images?

I know what the problem is, it is thumbs.db, which I can live without in Explorer. The problem is that I like using Photoshop 7 "file browser" and it must pass the I/O off to XP because it goes off into never never land just like Explorer does when I try to view files as thumbnails. I guess I am exceeding the limitations of this feature which is another reason I need an image managment program.

Anyway I have 22 Archive CD's full of images and I am also archiving customer data to CD. I need some organization!

Only 22?!? I'm sorry, but you're relegated to the bottom of the "image storage out of control" list. ;) I've got well over 100 archive CDs! And keeping track of them in my brain is taking too many of the precious few brain waves I've got left working. :bawling:

Jeanie

No wonder you are stressed!. I hope to be organized before I get that many images. I do spend a lot of time looking for images when I want something specific. "Now where did I see a picture like that before. I wonder which CD it will be on?"

Anyone tried Adobe's Photo Album?

Luckily, my CD's usually don't have too many files on them since I save my full-size PSD files with all of the layers. That can make for some pretty big files - and it doesn't take many to fill up a CD.

One of my other "organizational issues" is all of my "film-based" images! I've got over 2000 slides and at least as many prints/negatives (not all worth keeping - that's yet another aspect of my getting organized) - in addition to all of the archive CDs. The prints/negatives are the ones that really should be organized first b/c I truly have no idea what I even have - and even if I have an idea, it's too much work to find what I'm looking for. :( I haven't looked closely at iMatch to see if it will let me organize the "physical" images as well as the digital ones.

One thing I did just purchase is a Case Logic CD Storage Library (http://www.casedirect.com/cgi-bin/sgin0101.exe?GENO=&GENK=PROD,K101101100&GENR=%5E901+CDS+100%5E50%20DOUBLE-SIDED%20BULK%20PROSLEEVES%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%5E%20%20%20%20%2015.00%5E436%5E901+DTF+20+C%5EBLACK/GRAY%20PORTABLE%20PROSLEEVE%20STORAGE%20CASE%2020%20CAP.%5E%20%20%20%20%20%209.95%5E553&GENT=2&FNM=02&UID=2003050519272696&UREQB=6&UREQC=7&UREQD=2&T1=06+PF+200). I was visiting with a graphic designer friend and when he needed a CD, he just pulled out a drawer and flipped through his CD's like looking for a folder in a filing cabinet. It holds up to 200 CDs - and access will be a lot faster than searching through my current storage solution - a couple of 50 CD spindles and a 224 CD binder! Of course, it doesn't necessarily help with organization, so I still need a database of some sort. But I think it will be a good step forward for me! :)

Jeanie

Hmmm - just rereading my post and realize that two 50 CD spindles and a 224 binder add up to a lot more than 100 CDs! ;) Just to clarify, the CD spindles are not full - and a LOT of the CDs are from system backups, which I don't count in my image organization issues. :rolleyes:

Jeanie

I get the picture. I plan on doing something similar. Another one of my problems is I am simply running out of office space. I'm planning a remodel of this room soon, which I don't look forward to, and hopefully I will get the space I need.

right now I have only about a dozen CDs jammed full of images and NO organization at all. I have I-View, and I'm pretty sure it will be useful after I get my images cataloged into specific topics.

I made a contact sheet of the images on each CD and put it and the CD in a page protector in a 3-ring binder.

it works now, but I know I'm going to have to get better organzied soon.

Goto:

http://www.cyberguys.com/

Search "media storage" and there is a CD carousel that hold 150 CDs. It seems to have a search capability for files. etc., that it uses to find the CD and "give" it to you. I have been looking at this for a while. I only have 7gig of photos, but this might be an option for you "File heavy" people. :) It even says you can link them togeather.

Now THAT looks COOL!!!! :)

Jeanie

Probably a naive question here - but are all of you people trying to keep "photo files" on your customer orders?
After too many years in business to count, the only records we try to maintain are financial and market analysis on several thousand active accounts.

As the images belong to the clients and are not our property, we deliver the final job either with the film negative or CD's as the case may be. I can see no reason to keep any of the images - other then the ones that I have releases on for use as samples and that amounts to no more than 600 total. The sample files are well edited for types of work to cover every conceivable kind of assignment that we are likely to run into. They are backed up on 4x5 film in a fairly unsophisticated file that amount to nothing more than hanging files in a fire safe.. The thumbs or photos being used in our literature are all that remains on the computer and I have yet to fill a CD with those!

Just another point on topic, when we farm out work to other retouching artists as some of you know we insist (with written agreements) that they destroy and/or return all work prints and other images. It's a matter assuring that the rights of our clients are not violated by someone sticking their photos up on some wed site or selling them without permission.

My personal photos amount to thousands in shoe boxes and/or scattered across a half a dozen hard drives and seriously doubt that those will ever get organized - but this wasn't about personal photos was it???

Jim Conway

Hey Jim. My current storage problem is my personal files. Although I had considered the future storage of customer data. You bring up some points I hadn't considered. I will rethink my plans to keep customer files. I will be glad to not have that headache. I can tell the customer, as I hand him the CD containing his originals and my finished work, that this is going to be the only copy and he should keep them safe.

I have only officially been in the business for less than 6 months so I can count the number of paying customers on my fingers and toes. I have been setting a good example for my customers and archiving all my family pictures, all that I can get my hands on, and have quite a large number of digital pictures.

You have offered some good advice. Thanks.

Purely personal for me.

Sounds like many of you have a great deal of experience using CD blanks and maybe can help me out here!

I'd like to know if you have a particular brand, color, etc that you use for photos (and/or audio) and what are the lasting qualities ...or, if your selection is not being made on lasting qualities, what criteria are you using?

Facts based on experience will be very much preferred but I'll be happy with a link if you know where I can find current truly unbiased information..

Jim Conway

Hi Jim,

As to your first question, 90% of my CDs (and 100% of my photos/transparencies) are personal. The other 10% of my CDs are of work that I've done for clients and 25% of those I've asked for permission to use on my website as examples. The other 75% are all from the same customer and is a somewhat unique situation. Suffice it to say that the customer is happy that I am keeping copies of the images.

That said, you do bring up some good points. In the back of my head I've been feeling like I'll keep the CDs of clients work for a year and then destroy them, so if the client came back and wanted more copies, I wouldn't have to rework anything. (Knowing how many people misplace things, it wouldn't surprise me if they couldn't find the their CDs with the images on them.) I don't know where I came up with this idea. In any case, you've given me something to think about.

As for the CD media I use... a while back I purchased three spindles of Kodak Gold Ultima CDs. (They are no longer manufactured.) I'd heard that the gold coating lasts longer and use those CDs for special projects that I really don't want to use. (Actually, if I really, really don't want to lose the image(s), I save both to a Gold CD and a "normal" CD - better safe with duplicate copies than sorry! ;) ) The only client's images I've put on the Gold CDs belong to the "unique situation" mentioned above.

For "normal" CDs, I've been happy with PNY, but I can't seem to find them anymore, so when I'm done with the spindle I've got, I'll look into one of the "better" brands listed in the link below. (I've also used both Maxell and Imation in the past and had quite a few CDs that I had to toss b/c they would burn with errors. I don't know if it was the media or my burning SW at the time.)

I always use the "verify data" option with my Nero burning software - and even then I'll recheck by loading in my CD-ROM drive if I'm paranoid about losing an image. So far, I haven't lost any data using Nero. (I can't say the same for Roxio Easy CD Creator, which I used up until a year ago.)

Here's a link that you might find useful:

CDR FAQ (http://www.cdrfaq.org/faq07.html#S7-4)

Jeanie

Wow that link sure answers a lot of questions - including some that I would never have even thought of asking! Thanks!

I've used PNY gold for the clients in the past but like your experience, can find them no longer.

As far as "keeping" their work is concerned, if it's not a job that provides film negatives, we do promise the client that we will keep their work on our computer for 90 days. Our purpose however, is not reorders but rather to give them the opportunity to check everything out and make sure that it all works well on their own equipment. (a real problem with DVDs)

Jim Conway

Like Jeanie I have been using the Kodak Ultima Gold CDROMs. I have found that the only company manufacturing the gold CDs using the same technology is Mitsumi. These are available from inkjetart.com and other places online but they are much more expensive than the Kodaks were. I think that they bought the rights to make these CDs from Kodak. I still believe that these are the most archival of any CDs on the market.

I am looking for an intermediate brand to use in everyday stuff. Storing customer data brings up another topic that I had on the back burner. I am going to have to compose a "Privacy Policy" and at that time will have to state what I am going to do with my customer data.

Jim you mentioned problems with DVDs. I am going to buy a DVD burner soon and want some input as to recommendations and pitfalls if possible.

Kevin you said; "I am going to have to compose a "Privacy Policy" and at that time will have to state what I am going to do with my customer data."

Maybe we could get Doug involved in this with a section at RetouchPro on a proposed "Code of "Ethics" for the professionals here.

AIC spent about ten years coming up with some agreement that was acceptable to the members and as there is no association that I know of for "Pro Restorers", this forum may eventually lead to one and it wouldn't hurt to get an early start on discussing what would and would not be considered acceptable.

As far as the DVD is concerned, Sony's currently heads the pack in writing files that will play on just about all of the players out there. They recently had a price drop but are hard to find in stock anywhere.

Jim Conway

Jim that sounds like a good idea to get a "Code O Ethics" session here at Retouch Pro. I have already made some mistakes in my business through ignorance. I am learning all this from scratch and am self taught on bringing up a business. Advice and wisdom from others who know would be very valuable.

I just got out of a meeting with the Louisiana Department of Revenue. I was thinking that my restoration service and the initial one print wouldn't be taxable, but, I was wrong . I'm glad I didn't do a whole lot of business before this or I would have been out of pocket several more dollars than I hadn't counted on.

Hi

Why not just start a thread in the business section for code-O-ethics and etc.? If it becomes active / large enough I am sure a seperate section would develop from it. I just looked and it is titled Work/Jobs, maybe a slightly different title is needed like Work/Jobs/Business to encompass working, doing jobs and running a business.

Regarding the use of an image management program;

Ours is a photography studio, so we do portraits, wedding, restorations and some commercial. When we have digital images, we burn a CD and put it in a customer envelope with the name and job number on the envelope, filed by year. Job numbers are cross referenced on our customer database. If a customer wants to reorder we don't need an image management database system, we can look up their job number and go to the file.

One problem that I just found the solution to is that we sometimes get jobs that don't fit on one CD. The software is called Archive Creator and allows automatic spanning of multiple CD's which includes a thumb database of all of the CD's on the first or the last CD, no more searching through each one looking for an image. An image managment program could do the same thing but would not automate the process of splitting the files between CD's.

I am always looking for ways to improve our systems, here are the areas that I am thinking this might help in ...

-personal photos
-body parts for restorations from previous work
-from the customers that have given us permission to display the photos; an easy way to select photos for printing samples, or ads, or our web site ... etc...
-large jobs that are waiting for the customer to finalize the order, available for easy & quick browsing by the customer.
-Quick access to the images when the customer orders by phone for confirmation of orders. Cropping / retouching issues addressed easily at the time the order is placed (instead of having to call the customer back later).

That's my list, Roger

Wow - Archive Creator (http://www.pictureflow.com/ArchiveCreator/Pages/AC-Main.html) looks great Roger! I think I'll be downloading the demo after I read just a little more. And the price is definitely right ($40)! :) Thanks for the tip.

Jeanie

Hi Roger, thanks for getting us back on subject. I guess we were wandering over to a completely different topic.

Archive Creator looks really good. Like Jeanie I will be downloading it and see if it is what I need. I like the approach the software is assuming it appears very much like the direction I need to be going in.

Well, Archive Creator will not do what I want. It is strong on creating CD archives, but it doesn't seems to be able to create a database of previously archived files that is accessable from your hard drive. It appears that you have to put the CD into the drive in order to be able to see the contents of that archive set.

For what it does, which is archiving files, it does that well. I would have to also buy another program to keep track of all the archive sets and be able to retrieve the file or theme of files that I want to see.

I want to features that Archive Creator has but I also want to be able to browse a catalogue of all my images and be able to quickly locate which CD they are on.

Guess I'll look at iMatch next.

Anyone else had time to evaluate any of the packages mentioned? I have taken a look at iMatch and like what I have seen. I wish I could get the combination of iMatch and Archive Creator. I really like what they both do but hope I don't have to buy both to get what I need. iMatch will allow you to burn CDs and will record the images in the database that you have removed to CD but wont span CDs.

I'll keep digging.

I've been too busy to really look at either, but my feeling is I'm going to need to purchase both. I haven't yet had time to check this out, but I'm wondering if Archive Creator archives in a special format that requires Archive Creator to read it - or does it simply (hopefully) save the files in whatever format they are in (JPG, PSD, TIFF, etc.) and figure out the best combination to fit on the least number of discs? I'm hoping for the latter - because then I assume I could use iMatch to catalog the discs.

Jeanie

Just ran accross this regarding CD burning software, Roxio makes Toast for Mac and Easy CD & DVD Creator for PC at $79.95, Easy CD states;

"Back up, share or archive your important files to CD or DVD, or large projects to multiple discs. Easily retrieve files or projects back to the original or new location on my Windows® PC with Roxio Retrieve."

It has a lot of other music, DVD Creation and other software bundled with it also that 'might' make it a more versatile choice than Archive Creator ...

Roger

Kevin, I have looked at iMatch and don't see where it lets you burn CD's from within the program ... ?

Jeanie, it is my understanding that Archive Creator is just copying the file to the CD, not putting them in a different format first.

Roger

I guess I didn't say that right. You can burn the CD in Windows XP and then let iMatch catalog the CD. It will detect that the files have been removed from the directory that it had already cataloged and request that it be allowed to rescan the directory.

Yes Archive Creator doesn't change the files in any way. It will put a copy of the database of the archive and the program necessary to view the files on the CD as well.

Hi, I just ran across this, and purchased it.

http://www.jasc.com/products/photoalbum/

It allows 2 up image comparrisons that are easy with independant zoom in and pan of each image (same short-cut keys as Photoshop). Cataloging is done with album collections and keywords that act as categories since they can be nested and selected. It is quick and simple to use. Albums and Windows Folders mirror each other. You don't have to load a directory into the database to access it. You can also do some quick fix stuff from within the program.

The only thing that stumped me at first was cataloging of-line CD's. My solution is to create a keyword (I called my CD's), then create a keyword for each CD created, nested in "CD's". It only takes a couple of clicks to attach the keyword name of the CD to all of the files on the CD.

Being able to compare 2 images side by side quickly is important to me because of showing customers thier photos from a session, it is a lot easier to weed the choices down to the best ones that way.

Other Notes: It appears that Roxio Easy CD Creator burns multiple CD's as a back-up file, You need to use Roxio to retreave the file...

Renaming is not very sophisticated, I will probably use Breezer Browser for that function. Breeze Browser also allows comparrison by opening multiple windows, but you can't zoom in or organize easily - but it is great at what it does.

Roger

Thanks for continuing to update us on your finds Roger. It is a great help! :)

Jeanie (adding to my contribution amount to RP! ;) )