Kuzano

Brucewells is right... the term is Digital Asset Management. Any program that has the guts to be listed under DAM (digital asset management) is neither simple, nor inexpensive. The Organizers in most post processing programs are also the DAM portion of a more complex program and confusing. Take the Adobe Catalog systems used in Photoshop Elements, and Light Room.

Adobe Bridge which comes with but separate from Photoshop or CS is the closest to a DAM program from Adobe. Also somewhat complex and not available separately, I believe.

Don't know about Windows Pictures/folders/whatever.

However, I taught a community college class I called Files and Folders. One for general folder and file management, and another specifically for pictures files and folders. The Windows OS has extremely good functions in the OS filing and folder management. They have enhanced it to even allow you to tag, and mark files and folders for better management. In fact with the introduction of the Windows Essential Live Suite beginning prior to Windows 7, the portion of the suite called Windows Live Photo Gallery could be used almost exclusively for Digital Asset Management pertaining to captured images.

I have always managed my images in the conventional Windows file and folder system. With the advent of Windows Live Photo Gallery, I have been able to do much more defined management, simply expanding on the way files and folders have functioned in the Windows Operating System. That way I am not dictated to or controlled by somebody elses ideas of how I want to manage and define my own system.

I will say that the program from Faststone Image Viewer and it's PDF training manual (90 pages) works well because it simply operates as a "shell program" over the files and folders in your My Pictures Folder once you catch the drift of how a "shell program" operates as a viewer primarily of a system that operates within the existing Operating System. Faststone Image Viewer is the simplest I have seen, BUT it also has image editing features. They are actually pretty good and the PDF manual instructs them well. However the editing tools may be more than you are looking for.

You could use the "shell" following your own creation of files and folders and naming conventions, plus tags and other defining tools, and then use your preferred editing program to edit images.

In any event, I consider those program, Like Adobe, that use cataloging systems confusing and ultimately PURE CRAP!!! Such is Adobe overall.

CamB Loc: Juneau, Alaska

This is what Lightroom was designed to do and it does a great job. Almost all the editing functions have been added on over the years.

sodapop Loc: Bel Air, MD

If you can remember when you took the potentially thousands of photos. Tagging them by subject such as Mountains, USA, Wyoming, Uncle Fred, can be a great help

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

I agree - Subject cataloging is much better than dates for a lot of people. The exception is if you are doing photo shoots with lots of photos for yourself or a customer on a certain date - then it can make more sense to use the date. My system is like a file drawer system - separate folders for each primary topic, with sub-folders for individual events, locations, subjects, etc. which are then divided by date if I returned to the same place/subject/event in different years. Much easier to remember, and keywords can also help locate an image.

The key is to figure out the best system that works for you and use it.

don26812 Loc: South Bay of Los Angeles, CA

Malarz, we all should have your skill and knowledge to design our own database. I for one do not. As I write this, I thought that no matter the original poster decides, his decision will hopefully look downstream as to his future needs, which I suspect will be more complex.

For myself, I started with the Adobe Photoshop Album program which became part of PSE 3. The Organizer has evolved as my needs have well over the 10 years I have used it. My largest collection of pictures now exceeds 60k items. I need to access them from many different perspectives, which the Organizer supports. I suspect that ultimately I will migrate totally to Lightroom Classic CC. I certainly recognize that it is a more powerful program - Once one gets used to using database technology as the under laying engine for their image management.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

Darktable is now available on Windows as well as Linux. works similar to Adobe lightroom
don't know if it is still freeware on Windows OS though.

jvnsuffolk

Not sure what exactly your looking for but I have a mac.I have a folder called pics. Then sub folder named for each year. then in them anothe sub named by the months and if there is something special I make another sub.

jonbeth

Adobe Bridge is by far the most efficient software for orgenizing photos.
Bridge then importing to Lightroom anf then Photoshop for further enhancements.

Jakebrake Loc: Broomfield, Colorado

An excellent post Kuzano, and I use the Windows File folder system for my 26,000 images and can find one in a heart beat. It is very easy to open one of my pictures in an editing program such as PSE 12, Perfect Effects or Topaz. I also realize there are many PS & Lightroom devotees here on the forum and if that's what works for them.....GREAT! As for me I'll continue to use my workflow, Windows Pictures and save 10 bucks a month.

cmoroney Loc: Pasadena, California

I recommend Lightroom. It doesn't need to be complex and it will work with literally any folder structure that you can dream up. Since I take most of my pictures on travel, I use a combination of places/dates for my folder structure, and then use keywords to describe the subject of the picture.

For example /Europe/Ireland/Dublin/2011/<yyyy.mm.dd>
/Europe/Ireland/Dublin/2017/<yyyy.mm.dd>
/Europe/Ireland/Dingle/2017/<yyyy.mm.dd>

and then keyword pictures such as "churches", "architecture", "sunset", "coastline" and also whoever appears in the photo.

Then searching for a given picture is very simple: All the church photos taken in Dublin for instance - "folder name contains Dublin" and "keywords contain church". Piece of cake.

Catherine