Steve'sDigicams

Barbados · Jul 28, 2002, 5:18 PM

What programs and recommendations do people have/use to keep their photos organized on a PC? I use Windows XP. My first digital camera (D 60) arrives next week. Does anyone have advice about online photo printing services? (The ones that take your files of data and send you prints back instead of you printing them all out on a home printer).

JimHunt · Aug 3, 2002, 4:39 PM

The best thing to do on the printing services is to get test prints from the ones you're interested in. Most of them give some free prints to new members, so it's not too painful to compare. dotphoto.com is cheapest and not a bad choice anyway. ofoto.com is one of the oldest. They do good prints and they've got some good people. Printroom.com is worth trying.

Here's a thread on catalogging. The only good way to keep track involves a searchable database--the problem is that you have to input the information if it's going to be there to search:

http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/...eid=1028219094

.

MK · Aug 7, 2002, 4:56 PM

ACDSee for organizing.

http://www.acdsystems.com/English/index.htm

Steves · Aug 9, 2002, 3:07 AM

Thumbs Plus is my choice for organizing

http://www.cerious.com/

Robert Eastburg · Aug 20, 2002, 2:32 PM

I like my ACDsee, but have heard some good things about Thumbs Plus.

BillDrew · Aug 21, 2002, 9:04 AM

For the original images, I simply keep a "shooter's diary" with brief notes about what photos were taken, e.g.,
"2002 July 13 Cousin Emma's wedding in Saskatoon. Stopped at the zoo on the way to the reception." The diary is in simple ASCII.

I keep the images in directories named by date, cut them onto CD-Rs, and put a copy of the diary on evey CD. That means that every CD has an "index" to it and all the previous CDs. It is a simple matter of searching the diary for "wedding" or "Emma" to find the date, and they it is easy to find the originals.

That works well for the originals. I keep my edited photos by subject. Again, cut onto CD-Rs with the original images. Since many of these are of at least passing interest to other people, I cut extra copies and send them. That means there are off-site backup copies. Just to make sure I can find the originals, I include the date in the name of the edited photos (e.g. emma3w020713.jpg) so there is no doubt about where to find the originals.

That works well enough for me that I haven't (yet) found a need to use any cataloging software. Even with that kind of software, keeping a diary in ASCII and filing the originals by date will serve as a backup in case your software goes out of date and can't be read by your new 2.6 TerraHerz ApTel PC running Torvald XXX OS.

Likely you will still be able to read JPEG and ASCII files.

Robert Eastburg · Aug 21, 2002, 7:33 PM

I do pretty much the same as Bill, but I like ACDsee for sorting, etc., not storage.

NHL · Aug 21, 2002, 9:32 PM

I'm very disorganized! I just store all the pictures by date (just like after they come out from a MindStor or a PhotoSmart printer), and the edited ones by events (ie Spring Break 2002, Summer Shoot 'XYZ 02' etc...). I have stopped backing up on CD for a while (too tedious). I mirror my hardisk with another one, and use a third disk on a removeable rack as rolling backup once a month!

Of course there's PBase, and I use Shutterfly for my print service...

[Edited on 8-22-2002 by NHL]

Jul 28, 2002, 5:18 PM	#1
Barbados Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 52	Organizing photo files on a PC What programs and recommendations do people have/use to keep their photos organized on a PC? I use Windows XP. My first digital camera (D 60) arrives next week. Does anyone have advice about online photo printing services? (The ones that take your files of data and send you prints back instead of you printing them all out on a home printer).

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Steve'sDigicams

Recent Camera Reviews

Most Active Forums

Most Popular Deals

Latest Feature Articles

Aug 3, 2002, 4:39 PM	#2
JimHunt Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 147	The best thing to do on the printing services is to get test prints from the ones you're interested in. Most of them give some free prints to new members, so it's not too painful to compare. dotphoto.com is cheapest and not a bad choice anyway. ofoto.com is one of the oldest. They do good prints and they've got some good people. Printroom.com is worth trying. Here's a thread on catalogging. The only good way to keep track involves a searchable database--the problem is that you have to input the information if it's going to be there to search: http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/...eid=1028219094 .

Aug 7, 2002, 4:56 PM	#3
MK Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 57	ACDSee for organizing. http://www.acdsystems.com/English/index.htm

Aug 9, 2002, 3:07 AM	#4
Steves Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 298	Thumbs Plus is my choice for organizing http://www.cerious.com/

Aug 20, 2002, 2:32 PM	#5
Robert Eastburg Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 126	I like my ACDsee, but have heard some good things about Thumbs Plus.

Aug 21, 2002, 9:04 AM	#6
BillDrew Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hay River Township, WI Posts: 2,512	For the original images, I simply keep a "shooter's diary" with brief notes about what photos were taken, e.g., "2002 July 13 Cousin Emma's wedding in Saskatoon. Stopped at the zoo on the way to the reception." The diary is in simple ASCII. I keep the images in directories named by date, cut them onto CD-Rs, and put a copy of the diary on evey CD. That means that every CD has an "index" to it and all the previous CDs. It is a simple matter of searching the diary for "wedding" or "Emma" to find the date, and they it is easy to find the originals. That works well for the originals. I keep my edited photos by subject. Again, cut onto CD-Rs with the original images. Since many of these are of at least passing interest to other people, I cut extra copies and send them. That means there are off-site backup copies. Just to make sure I can find the originals, I include the date in the name of the edited photos (e.g. emma3w020713.jpg) so there is no doubt about where to find the originals. That works well enough for me that I haven't (yet) found a need to use any cataloging software. Even with that kind of software, keeping a diary in ASCII and filing the originals by date will serve as a backup in case your software goes out of date and can't be read by your new 2.6 TerraHerz ApTel PC running Torvald XXX OS. Likely you will still be able to read JPEG and ASCII files.

Aug 21, 2002, 7:33 PM	#7
Robert Eastburg Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 126	I do pretty much the same as Bill, but I like ACDsee for sorting, etc., not storage.

Aug 21, 2002, 9:32 PM	#8
NHL Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: 39.18776, -77.311353333333 Posts: 11,599	I'm very disorganized! I just store all the pictures by date (just like after they come out from a MindStor or a PhotoSmart printer), and the edited ones by events (ie Spring Break 2002, Summer Shoot 'XYZ 02' etc...). I have stopped backing up on CD for a while (too tedious). I mirror my hardisk with another one, and use a third disk on a removeable rack as rolling backup once a month! Of course there's PBase, and I use Shutterfly for my print service... [Edited on 8-22-2002 by NHL]