Cataloging Photos: How are you cataloging your images? I've got the Adobe products through the subscription service. LR does a great job, but I find it cumbersome and half the time...

GreenReaper

How are you cataloging your images? I've got the Adobe products through the subscription service. LR does a great job, but I find it cumbersome and half the time still can't find what I'm looking for. I shoot a lot but not thousands on a yearly basis. Any thoughts and ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

juan_uy Loc: Uruguay

I store originals based on folders with format YYYY-MM-DD_Event.
When imported to LR, I add keywords and sometimes I create a collection for them.
But I take very few images comparing with most UHH users, and I search or look for one less frequently.

Bob Mevis Loc: Plymouth, Indiana

juan_uy wrote:

I store originals based on folders with format YYYY-MM-DD_Event.
When imported to LR, I add keywords and sometimes I create a collection for them.
But I take very few images comparing with most UHH users, and I search or look for one less frequently.

That's how I do it. Only I put the event first. Best way I've found.

wrangler5 Loc: Missouri

I have always renamed image files yyyymmdd hhmmss, but store them in a folder heirarchy with a new folder for each year. Under the year there are folders for events during the year - Bob's Birthday May 2019, Golden Spike Trip, Thanksgiving 2019, etc. Back when my daughter competed in horse shows I had a subfolder in each year HORSES, and under that were separate subfolders for each event.

I used this file system before I started using Lightroom, and kept it. The file heirarchy shows on the left panel of the Library module, which makes it easy (for me) to find things when I want 'em. I take 3-4,000 images a year.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

GreenReaper wrote:

How are you cataloging your images? I've got the Adobe products through the subscription service. LR does a great job, but I find it cumbersome and half the time still can't find what I'm looking for. I shoot a lot but not thousands on a yearly basis. Any thoughts and ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

It would help if you shared what you are doing now. How are you labeling folders? Are you keywording photos? Are you using star ratings or color flags?

CamB Loc: Juneau, Alaska

GreenReaper wrote:

How are you cataloging your images? I've got the Adobe products through the subscription service. LR does a great job, but I find it cumbersome and half the time still can't find what I'm looking for. I shoot a lot but not thousands on a yearly basis. Any thoughts and ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

My files are highly organized in a way that works best for me. I don't do it by date like so many here. For me though, to find what I am looking for, it is all about keywords. The more the merrier for ever picture. On Import they all get the year and location. (Juneau, Alaska, 2019)(Bombay, India, 1975) Then, at some point, I work through the files as groups and add as many keywords as I can. (2012, Alaska, Animals, Breach, Breaching, Examples, Humpback, Juneau, Light, Single, Sunsets, Whales)
I use Lightroom keywording tools to help with this. I am a keywording machine. When I am working on projects I use colors and stars.
...Cam

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

GreenReaper wrote:

How are you cataloging your images? I've got the Adobe products through the subscription service. LR does a great job, but I find it cumbersome and half the time still can't find what I'm looking for. I shoot a lot but not thousands on a yearly basis. Any thoughts and ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

LR is the best tool on the market for this. I would take a guess that perhaps you don't understand the application and how it operates. It is quick, easy and efficient once you know the software.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

First off, each file/frame has a unique identifier. CameraCode-YearMonthDay-RollNumber-ExposureNumber. From there, I enter the photo information into a database along with a link to the thumbnail of the image. This database is searchable using a number of search topics. I try to avoid using processing software as a catalog. Another suggestion would be a document management application. There are some available that are free.
--Bob

GreenReaper wrote:

How are you cataloging your images? I've got the Adobe products through the subscription service. LR does a great job, but I find it cumbersome and half the time still can't find what I'm looking for. I shoot a lot but not thousands on a yearly basis. Any thoughts and ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

rmalarz wrote:

First off, each file/frame has a unique identifier. CameraCode-YearMonthDay-RollNumber-ExposureNumber. From there, I enter the photo information into a database along with a link to the thumbnail of the image. This database is searchable using a number of search topics.
--Bob

Bob
Is each image entry into your data base manually done?

I'm Bob also

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

There is a very slight amount of automation when transferring files from the camera's memory card to the computer. There is also some automation involved in going through the directories and extracting some of the EXIF data. Subject/Job information has to be manually entered, obviously.
--Bob

BboH wrote:

Bob
Is each image entry into your data base manually done?

I'm Bob also

terpentijn

GreenReaper wrote:

How are you cataloging your images? I've got the Adobe products through the subscription service. LR does a great job, but I find it cumbersome and half the time still can't find what I'm looking for. I shoot a lot but not thousands on a yearly basis. Any thoughts and ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Good keywording is 'key' Creating collections also helps a lot. They don't take up space so create as many as you think you might need.

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

rmalarz wrote:

There is a very slight amount of automation when transferring files from the camera's memory card to the computer. There is also some automation involved in going through the directories and extracting some of the EXIF data. Subject/Job information has to be manually entered, obviously.
--Bob

Thank you.

StevenG Loc: Long Island, NY

GreenReaper wrote:

How are you cataloging your images? I've got the Adobe products through the subscription service. LR does a great job, but I find it cumbersome and half the time still can't find what I'm looking for. I shoot a lot but not thousands on a yearly basis. Any thoughts and ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

I use LR. However, I don’t file by date, as many do. I’m not a professional, and don’t need events filed by date. Personally, I can never remember dates of trips, family events, etc. I file by family or event or location etc. and within that I may add a date. For example: Jane’s birthday: then sub headings: 1st bd, 2nd bd etc. Or: Thanksgiving: then sub headings: 2018, 2019, etc. Or: Budapest to Amsterdam: sub headings: Budapest, Vienna, Nuremberg, etc. I can usually find any photo in a matter of minutes.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I keep my images on external hard drives. I have lots of them. I don't make the folders by date, because after a few years I have no idea what year I went where. The folders are by location or event. That I will remember. obviously, though, the hard drives get filled up by date. So I write on the outside of them with silver alcohol pens what folders are on that drive.

I used to keep a database and loved it. I could find anything in a matter of minutes. That was a DOS program that didn't work on anything past XP. Since losing that program, I have tried several others but none seem to work well. I'm still working on finding one, but it will be a LOT of work. I do not find LR's "cataloging" to be very good, since I don't have all my hard drives plugged in at the same time.

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

AzPicLady wrote:

I keep my images on external hard drives. I have ... (show quote)

Re - external drive and storage method - just what I do. One possible addition - if I go back to the same place I then create a date folder for each return
Re - "...data base..." Look at MicroSoft Works (data base, spread sheet, word processor, calendar), available thru Amazon from 3rd party vendors, no longer supported by Microsoft, costs about $50.00. Had to buy again when I lost my XP. Have used its data base for years, simple, easy to use, one step up from a spread sheet.