Image Tracking Database

[Greg Mitchell]

Hi All

Looking to see what is being used to track or database images. problem is that as the collection of images grow need to find a way to get the image that someone might want. IE mosport / super bike / canadian thunder / rider 21 or something like that.

What are people using I have looked at IMatch (photools.com)

Thanks

Greg

[Jim Sykes]

Both Aperture and Lightroom will do such a thing. I've never really had the need for such a thing before now and always put off using such a program, but am starting to change my mind. I've started to give Aperture a run and see how that works out.

[Bill Jurasz]

You are wanting a cataloging program. iViewMedia Pro is what I use and I really like it. I store small previews on my laptop, and the originals are stored on external drives. iVMP knows where to find the originals when I need them. But I can still browse the previews, edit the keywords and metadata, browse and organize, etc. I started using this before the days of Aperture and Lightroom. They might be better alternatives now, because they both do more than just catalog photos.

One benefit to iVMP, however, is it works on a variety of "media" files, not just JPGs, DNGs and PSD files. For example, I have a few eBooks and a host of PDF files (financial documents, magazine subscriptions on PDF, some eBooks, etc.) and iVMP also lets me organize stuff like that as well.

[John Thawley]

With the volume, and other management required, Jimmy is correct. Aperture and Lightroom seem to be setting the standard for asset management. While there's a bit of a learning curve, once you're fluent in either program, you'll find they're fairly tailorable to YOUR workflow. Initially, it will feel like you're going to have to change... but in the end, you'll find the steps you do change probably should have been changed a long time a go.

I'm a big fan of Aperture.

JT

[Todd Corzett]

I use iView Media Pro (an old v1.5.7 version) to take care of my image catalogs. One thing that I really like about iView is that you can create multiple catalogs and save them as a separate file on my computer. What I mean is, when working in Bridge or iPhoto (I can't run Aperture or Light Room so can't comment on those) you basically get a catalog built on the file structure of the computer. So it is difficult to get files from multiple folders (on your computer) into one catalog... or to get a single image in to multiple catalogs. I tend to make many different catalogs depending on what I'm doing (like one for sorting keepers, one for captions, one for each of my clients, etc.)... I prefer this method myself rather than a single large database.

When I think of a database I think of a central repository with all of the images from everything together in one place. For a while I did this with my automotive (car show) sort of shots with the event, maker, model, year, etc. for quickly searching images. I have found that it just takes too much time to properly get the images into the database with all the captions. Most of the time I can find the image I'm after in a few minutes, but it is nice when someone asks "Do you have any photos of a 1939 BMW 328 Roadster", and I can quickly answer "Yes" or "No". For my motorsports images I have a separate catalog for each race weekend with all the captions. Someday I may combine them into one large database, but for right now I will search each one separately.

-Todd...

PS - One thing that would be really nice about using a program like Aperture or Light room do to this sort of thing is that they can save multiple states of an image for you. When I have work for a client it gets its own folder and I save multiple states there, but none of that is linked back to the catalog by any means other than my memory... there may be times I process the same image twice when I really didn't need to (but I tend to remember when I have done any major work on a photo).

[John Thawley]

I used iView Pro for about 4-5 years. It did what it does very well. Even the developer of Photo Mechanic urged people to run iView as a companion tool simply for its cataloging features.

Unfortunately, iView falls short of today's standard. And, in a terrible decision, the developer sold it to Microsoft. I'm sure the future will include a bloated Microsoft attempt to emulate Aperture, Lightroom and any other photo management product you can commercially atain within a 100 mile radius of Redmond Washington.

The feature of multiple versions that Todd was eluding too is more about non-destructive image editing. In short, Aperture and Lightroom treat your original files the same way you would treat negatives. So... make as many types of images from the file you would like. You never destroy the original.

JT