I'm shooting 4x5. So I find I don't need lightroom, I don't need all the adjustment stuff and so I find it a little rich for a database.
I scan all my images and do all adjustments in PS CS3. I will file the images n two external drives and a Taiyo Yuden DVD as well. I make a smaller websize image and store that in a folder.
My friend, who is a underwater photographer and owns a very large stock agency uses filemaker as his database. I've been mucking around with Filemakers Bento as a database for images and it works really well.
What else is out there for a Intel Mac that is just a database only. I;m just starting to organise my images as I have only recently switched to a Mac.
Thanks
Posted by Jim DeWitt on January 15, 2008 at 5:56 PM
FileMaker is adequate to the task. Bento - a chapped down version of FileMaker - probably is not.
Your other good option is 4D. It's highly extensible, and there is a photo album example database available. 4D has been around a long time, is very stable, and has a strong tech support system and developer group. I've been a registered 4D developer since 1986. Demo copies are available from the website, 4D.com.
All that said, you don't need to use the photo adjustment tools to like and appreciate Aperture, Apple's answer to Adobe Lightroom. A demo version may be available from Apple; I'm not sure.
iView MediaPro or as it is now MS Expression Media is a specifically designed image databasing programme that will do all you want, and more stuff that you'll love but didn't realize you needed. Not expensive, hugely flexible, easy to use, and is currently central to my whole working routine. Try the free download demo and see if you like it.
Aperture is available as a demo, but needs horsepower to run. If you dont shoot RAW its a waste of time, as is Lightroom (others may disagree!).
There are several options out there - either make your own custom dBase with something like FilemakerPro, or use one of the DAM systems such as Apple's Aperture, Microsoft ExpressionMedia (the new name for iViewMediaPro), Canto Cumulus, and Extensis Portfolio. Lightroom at present isn't a real DAM solution on it's own, so doesn't really qualify for the race .
I would take a look at Aperture and ExpressionMedia. I've used both and both will do what you want quite easily. You don't have to use RAW conversion or the adjustments with either option, simply read the files into the Library as jpegs, PSD's or tiff files and add your keywords to taste. Then sit back and search or organise the files as you wish. Don't be put of by Aperture seeming to need to keep files inside it's library - it doesn't need to and files can be stored outside the Aperture Library on many different disks (referred to as 'Referenced' files.). FWIW, the 'library' is in reality simply a packaged up set of subdirectories which can be browsed by the OS.
Discussion
3 repliesI scan all my images and do all adjustments in PS CS3. I will file the images n two external drives and a Taiyo Yuden DVD as well. I make a smaller websize image and store that in a folder.
My friend, who is a underwater photographer and owns a very large stock agency uses filemaker as his database. I've been mucking around with Filemakers Bento as a database for images and it works really well.
What else is out there for a Intel Mac that is just a database only. I;m just starting to organise my images as I have only recently switched to a Mac.
Thanks
Your other good option is 4D. It's highly extensible, and there is a photo album example database available. 4D has been around a long time, is very stable, and has a strong tech support system and developer group. I've been a registered 4D developer since 1986. Demo copies are available from the website, 4D.com.
All that said, you don't need to use the photo adjustment tools to like and appreciate Aperture, Apple's answer to Adobe Lightroom. A demo version may be available from Apple; I'm not sure.
Aperture is available as a demo, but needs horsepower to run. If you dont shoot RAW its a waste of time, as is Lightroom (others may disagree!).
I would take a look at Aperture and ExpressionMedia. I've used both and both will do what you want quite easily. You don't have to use RAW conversion or the adjustments with either option, simply read the files into the Library as jpegs, PSD's or tiff files and add your keywords to taste. Then sit back and search or organise the files as you wish. Don't be put of by Aperture seeming to need to keep files inside it's library - it doesn't need to and files can be stored outside the Aperture Library on many different disks (referred to as 'Referenced' files.). FWIW, the 'library' is in reality simply a packaged up set of subdirectories which can be browsed by the OS.