Looking for an organizer

[gr8five]

I'm asking for suggestions you might have about a decent organizing software for my photos. I would like it to be easy to use and not be memory intensive. Thanks, Mike

Mods, not sure if this is the correct place, feel free to move if needed.

 

[Buckster]

Lightroom is the standard these days.

 

[gr8five]

I was thinking more for storage not processing, if possible.

 

[Buckster]

One way or another, we're talking about organizing the image files in a stored format.

Do you want it easily accessible, or sitting up on a shelf, or out in the cloud somewhere?
Do you have any idea HOW you would like the software to organize those files? Like, in what order? By date? By name? By subject? Just all random in one big pile?

Whatever your answers, you don't need software to put your files where and how you want to physically store them. You can do it yourself easily.

My "organizing software" is my brain. I use it to set up a folder hierarchy on my hard drive for my photos that grows over time as follows:

All Buck's Photos

Year

Date and Subject Name

JPGs

Files​

Print Sizes

Files​

PSDs

Files​

RAWs

Files​

Year

Date and Subject Name

JPGs

Files​

Etc., etc., etc...​

That format works for me. Others have their own ways of organizing their files. Ultimately, only you can decide what works best for you.

For me, my files are on the hard drive in what is to me a logical order. From there, Lightroom accesses all those image files, whatever kind they are, and allows much better organization via the means to tag them, flag them, cull and delete them, and so on. Then, whenever adding new photos, I plug my memory card into the reader, pop open Lightroom, and import them to their logical new folder on the hard drive, dated and named just for them.

Again, that's what works for me when it comes to organization. YMMV

 

[gr8five]

Thanks Buck Im leaning that way. I use iPhoto now but its going away and I don't care for the replacement.

 

[Derrel]

Lightroom and Photo Mechanic come to mind. The Oregonian has used Photo Mechanic for a long time, and they have more digital images coming in and being metadata-applied than most organizations.

 

[gr8five]

Thanks Derrel, I haven't heard of Photo Mechanic before Ill have a look

 

[Dave442]

I used ACDSee Pro for a number of years, then went to Ifran View and finally LightRoom. ACD still sends me notes on program updates and they have something calles ACDSee 18 that is just a photo organizing program, it should be very light on computer resources (and is cheap, although not free like Ifran View). Photo Mechanic is what I have had recommended for very fast viewing to tag and select images (and is at the higher end of the price range).

I find LR to be a very good way to organize photos, but as it includes another six Modules in addition to the Library Module it takes up more computer resources than a more dedicated file management program.

 

[gr8five]

Thanks Dave442

 

[nerwin]

I use Lightroom to edit and organize. I make a catalog for each year and then organize the folders like this: "2015-05-22-Subject". If there is a location, then I'll include the location like: "2015-06-13-NHRA Epping NH" something like that. Its just how I've done it for years and it works out well for me. The way I do it makes it very easy to find photos later on. Everyone has different ways, you just need to find yours...there is no right or wrong way to organize your photos.

 

[KmH]

I was thinking more for storage not processing, if possible.

Lightroom's main purpose is image database management (storage).
Most good image storage software includes a editing capability.

I use Phase One Media Pro.

 

[gr8five]

This probably sounds crazy after what I said I was looking for but Im going to try Capture One and see what it can do. Thanks for the help everyone.