easiest ways to organize photos

[echoyjeff222]

What is the easiest software to use to manage photos? I'd like a software that's able to mark the photos I like and also compare one photo vs. another quickly. Thoughts?

 

[laurenvictoria]

I really like using lightroom. Adobe bridge is good too. Both are easy to mark and filter

 

[dennybeall]

Adobe touts Lightroom as software to manage your photos and it also has considerable basic manipulation capability. Many folks agree wholeheartedly and really like Lightroom as it creates catalogs separate from the photos and also keep track of changes to the photo made non-destructively. Then if pixel level work is needed they go to Photoshop.
The compare part can be done very well by Lightroom as you can display groups of photos with a parameter or key word that you have attached to it
Personally I prefer to use Bridge to pull the photos off the camera, rename them to folders and then use Photoshop for changes and manipulations. I do not do large jobs with big numbers of shots (1200 - 1500) like many of the pros do though.
There are quite a few other less expensive software packages out there to do both jobs.

 

[Msteelio91]

Yeah as Denny hinted I think it also depends on the number if shots you're dealing with. A small number if JPEG's I find to be easiest messing about in good 'ol Windows Explorer. A larger number or any number if NEF's and I'll use Lightroom.

 

[Buckster]

Another vote for Lightroom here.

 

[wfooshee]

I d/l Picasa from Google. I "grew up" with Photoshop as my editor, tried Lightroom and didn't like it. Mainly I didn't like the amount of storage it needed, aside from the learning curve.

When I was looking for something to use, my thought was that if ANYBODY knows how to do a keyword search for tags, it would be Google! I have not been disappointed.

I don't link Picasa to any of the web functions, I use it for tagging and searching.

 

[Andreas Timm Photography]

What is the easiest software to use to manage photos? I'd like a software that's able to mark the photos I like and also compare one photo vs. another quickly. Thoughts?

Simple: Lightroom

Especially later when you have more photos its the tool of choice!

 

[fotomonkey]

ACDSee isn't bad (or at least it wasn't when I used it) for small libraries. I'll jump on the LR bandwagon, though. I was using LR and then switched to Aperture when I got a Mac. Now that Apple is dropping Aperture I'm back to LR and loving it.