PDA

View Full Version : Photo editing software - not the usual kind



David R Munson
21-Nov-2006, 23:24
This isn't about Photoshop or any software meant to edit images. This is about software used to edit bodies of work. I'm trying to find something that allows one to load a bunch of web-res jpgs or something to that end and view all of them together, with the functionality to allow you to freely rearrange their order, add, delete, mark, etc as needed. Imagine the way you have a bunch of transparencies laid out on a big light table and can edit their order and such freely. I want software to do that. The closest thing I can find so far is the organizing tool used on the site flickr.com, but it's web only, flash-based, and not particularly well suited to this sort of task.

Any suggestions?

Daniel Geiger
21-Nov-2006, 23:47
Two suggestions. I have used on a Mac just regular windows to do that. Open a window with your image files (assumes they have associated thumbnails), enlarge the icon size to largest possible, and drag files between folders for various projects, annotated the file names as needed etc.

Alternatively, you can also import images into Powerpoint, use the slide sorter function, and drag images around until you have the right order. Annotate the images in the annotation field and you are good to go. With PP, the files are embedded into the PP file, unlike layout programs (InDesign/Quark) that call images up. I'm not sure what your final product is going to be, so that may have an influence.

To mark one image for multiple projects, either copy the files and put them in multiple directories/PP projects. Or I have set up my Filemaker database to do that using a relational table and some scripting. Sorting is a bit more of an issue in FM, though. I guess there could be some clever ways of doing it using buttons and scripts.

Gordon Moat
21-Nov-2006, 23:54
Extensis Portfolio (http://www.extensis.com/en/products/asset_management/product_information.jsp?id=prod60006) is one such product, at a reasonable price. You might also want to investigate Apple Aperture and Adobe Lightwave, better known and more expensive. Another alternative is a few products sold by ArcSoft (http://www.arcsfot.com), which are on the low price end of things.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio (http://www.allgstudio.com)

Capocheny
22-Nov-2006, 00:23
David,

I believe iView MediaPro also does what you want it to do. :)

Cheers

Dominique Labrosse
22-Nov-2006, 00:35
David,

Apple's Aperature does exactly that. One of it's workspaces is even called the light table.

David R Munson
22-Nov-2006, 02:30
An excellent start. Thanks for the info!

Walter Calahan
22-Nov-2006, 05:14
download Adobe's "Lightroom" (beta) for free

works

Ted Harris
22-Nov-2006, 06:36
If you are using a Mac what's wrong with iPhoto that comes with the machine?

paulr
22-Nov-2006, 09:31
it's a great question. i always wanted an easy way to do this, and ultimately gave up because i've never had a screen big enough to let me look at groupings the way i like to.

the simple hack way that i've tried is to make a big document in a page layout program (quark or indesign), and bring the images into little picture boxes. you can then order and group them easily, make small individual groupings, shove some off to the side, etc. etc.

it would work great if i had a 4 foot wide screen, but the 19 and 21 inch monitors i've used just feel too cramped. so i end up making work prints with an office inkjet printer someone else's color laser printer, and spreading them out all over the floor.

robc
22-Nov-2006, 10:28
another one which is also an image asset management tool and will build web gallery and slideshows from imges. Cheap too.

Imatch (http://www.photools.com/)

Colour managed too!

Henry Ambrose
22-Nov-2006, 12:48
Photo Mechanic is pretty wonderful but it does not have the virtual light table that some of the newcomers have. There's lots of digital camera RAW focus in Aperture and Lightroom and proprietary structure to how they keep up with your pictures. If you are used to keeping things in order with folders and/or directories and don't want all the automatic whiz bang stuff done for you in ways you can't figure out you don't want the new stuff, IMO. The new stuff won't run on an older computer and Photo Mechanic runs and is -fast- on old computers, its super fast on new machines. And Photo Mechanic is not very expensive at $150.00 which is about half or less than its competitors (and as I wrote it does not do as much, but that might be a blessing)

PM offers lots and lots of ways to tag and select photos and move them automatically to different folders, edit metadata, etc. and whatever. PM makes good html pages (excellent quality and fast, just not fancy presentations which I understand is being changed in the coming release) does slideshows, offers many alternate viewing arrangements, etc.

Maybe the best part is that the company is small and responsive. You probably won't need any help, but if you do, a real person responds right away, which these days is pretty amazing.

www.camerabits.com