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Image-tracking software?

Discussion

5 replies
Posted by Linnet Long on November 15, 2008 at 1:36 AM
Does anyone use a particular software program for tracking photos and associating photos to "activity" generated over the course of time? Maybe I should just create a database - but I wonder if there's something already made out there, waiting for me to use :confused:

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Posted by Robert Fisher on November 15, 2008 at 8:08 AM
Google 'DAM software'. Plenty of information and options available.
Posted by Troup Nightingale on November 15, 2008 at 5:34 PM
Don't know if this will suit your needs, but DigitalPro Ver.5 is what Moose Peterson uses (his company produces it). It may be more workflow oriented. They describe it as being "killer" and combines things in ways that nothing else does (like using the Photoshop engine inside their own program, etc). I cannot speak much further than this on it since it runs on PC's only and I am a Mac man. Here are two urls to give you info:
http://www.wrptradingpost.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=DPSoft
http://www.proshooters.com/digitalpro/dp5/pages/download.htm

Maybe someone here uses his software and will speak of its virtues or negatives related to DAM software.

Troup Nightingale
Posted by Ken Atkinson on November 17, 2008 at 11:54 AM
I am currently using ACDSee Photo Manager 2009 (www.acdsee.com). I have used some version of ACDSee for about 5 years and really like it for organizing images. But I use PS Elements for my editing. ACDSee is click and drag based, you can make and move folders, associate keywords with images for later reference/search activity as well as rate images. You can download it and have them send you a copy on disc for about $60. On the rare times I have used their support, it has been very good. Hope that helps.

Ken
Posted by David Bostedo on November 17, 2008 at 2:58 PM
Linnet - The photo browser's in PS (Bridge in CS, and Browser in Elements) as well as Lightroom and Aperture can all act as DAM software; They do have varying levels of popularity and features but you'll readily find help for them online and they are a good place to start if you have or will have one of those programs anyway.

Posted by Linnet Long on November 18, 2008 at 1:14 AM
Thanks, everyone, for your input. I downloaded trial versions of IDimager and ExpressionsMedia 2...at first glance it looks like IDimager has a more comprehensive feature set. I'm also thinking that none of these have overall-business approach that FotoBiz does, although I'm not sure how good it is as a media manager. I use LR2 and like it--I'm sure I don't even use all the new collections & keyword features as much as I could, but still there seems to be more tracking in IDimager, for instance... anyway, I welcome more input from the "voice of experience"!!
Thanks again!