crphoto8 Loc: Anaheim, California

My method, fwiw, is - camera name/year/event/date.

Example - Canon 5D3/2018/Chile Atacama/Sep-12.

RLSprouse Loc: Encinitas CA (near Sandy Eggo)

One word. Lightroom.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

And, with a place name in the folder name, it will be ready for the kids and grandkids to find stuff. They will be able to get pretty close to the year, so I just have folders with each ones name on my p drive (p for photos/pictures) folder.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

As I posited in a prior entry, what happens when one decides to leave Lr and move to another processing program?
--Bob

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Lightroom helps me manage my catalog of over 200,000 images in the simplest way possible.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

Just an FYI for anyone reading this: The reason I tend to NOT use Lr for cataloging is that, in itself, "condemns" one to stay with Lr or lose their database "catalog" if they should choose to go with another.

While you cannot use LrC after you cancel it if you simply save the metadata into each file, which can be done as a group feature after importing or, using preferences, as part of the import process, you can then use that metadata, including processing metadata, in any processing program that uses metadata. There is a possibility that you may have to "clean up" some things, having never actually done it, as I still use LrC, I really don't know that you will or won't have to. Saving the metadata into the file means, for RAW this is the sidecar file but for all others it's saved in the file (plus it's saved into the LrC catalog as usual), you could choose to open that RAW file in, for example PS directly, and the metadata should, theoretically, be there. I always save the metadata to both the RAW file and to the catalog...just in case. I just wanted others to know this can be done in case they were unaware.

duhi Loc: Rochester, NY

Thanks to all. Many appropriate choices. I will be
scanning many from my Rollie days along with current digitals.

aellman Loc: Boston MA

Subject first

CaliforniaDreamer

I too don't want to keep paying adobe, however I like be able to have the same picture in many groups. For example at a wedding I have all of the people identified so I have a group by person and if there are 5 people in the picture it is in 5 groups, that picture is also in the "Wedding 10312020" group. It may also be in a venue group etc. Just makes it easy to find pics without duplicating them. BTW once you have identified a person LR is really good at putting them in the person group. I have a picture of a ring bearer at age 5 and a picture of the same person at age 13 and LR identified him and included him in his named group.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Connie, you are tight...... Other catalogers are around. Some will even import the Lightroom catalogue. iMatch is one. It is not free. Adobe bridge is another, and free. Just a couple.. So I think if someone wants to leave Lightroom, there is a way, it it may take a little work.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

You have no images dated prior to 2000 I imagine.