DAM Software

[Tony Eeds]

Who uses what?

I am well past the 40,000 image mark and growing.

To date I am only using Bridge, but have read a book about DAM that leaves me believing that I can get better organized with a free standing program.

 

[Chili]

I use Photo Mechanic but sadly my basic system is nothing more than a rename as they are downloaded to two different drives. Currently for finding anything I actually use my website's search function. I'd prefer to use the meta tags within Photo Mechanic prior to upload but it would take me too long as I try to get them uploaded ASAP after an event and then I do my naming in my gallery software.

 

[stevensj2]

I've been using Aperture (Mac) and love it.

If you're using Windows, Adobe's Lightroom looks like a very solid and interesting application. I've heard GREAT things about it, but have never used it myself yet.

http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/

 

[Kawidude]

I'm currently using ULead Photo Explorer. I have a newer version at work and it's more stable than the slightly older version I use at home. It does the job though. It's a great way to quickly go through your shots and decide which are keepers. You can also do bulk renaming.

 

[Okiewan]

Played around with lightroom when it was in Beta, good stuff.
Have Aperture on my dual processor G5 (4 gigs), too laggy for me.
I use Bridge 99% of the time, but don't try to manage as many images as Tony.

 

[Tony Eeds]

Played around with lightroom when it was in Beta, good stuff.
Have Aperture on my dual processor G5 (4 gigs), too laggy for me.
I use Bridge 99% of the time, but don't try to manage as many images as Tony.

I'll get to road test Lightroom soon.

Regarding image numbers, I cannot throw anything away. An abandoned bank building in Toyah TX recently collapsed and I may have the last extensive (exhaustive) set of photos done before the collapse. You hever know what you are doing at the time, but time always seems to determine value for everything.

I also have to (want to) catalog my photos listing all the buildings in the photo.

The photos I am taking now are to build on the foundation collections that have been developed over the years by the many unsung, and often unheralded, serious amateur photographers that have faithfully recorded their little part of the world.

My collection is growing at the rate of about 7,500~10,000 images a year and I focus on small town Texas. Assuming I am blessed with another 20~25 good years on Planet Earth, I can easily see something approaching 500,000 images, including all the photos I take of the structures that I am restoring.

That is a huge number of photos and I want to impart as mush organization and logic into the mix as possible, while I still have the option to change the direction of the catalog system.

Thanks all for the great input and I will be posting my thoughts in a new thread regarding the software and more importantly, archival storage.