Basic Question on Photo Tagging

[edbro]

I want to organize a huge library of photos by tagging them. I currently do not use any photo ablum software except for the occasional use of Picasa. Normally, I view my photos with Xnview and have them organized in folders.

If I use a particular software and tag the photos, will those tags be portable? For instance, if I tag in PhotoPro Album and later decide on Photoshop Album, will the tags show up in the new software?

I've got some rare free time coming up and I want to finally get this done.

[Perry Mowbray]

There are tags and then there are tags.

If the programme uses it's own database to tag the images then that data may be exportable and importable to the new application (but who knows)?

If the programme uses tags within the image format (EXIF in jpeg images for example), then the tags should go with the image (which doesn't necessarily mean that any actual programme will support or use those tags).

Not that I know a huge amount, I'd be happy to be contradicted

[tsaint]

My preferred option has been to go the IPTC route, which theoretically gives me a choice of organisers (currently using IMatch from www.photools.com - not free).

I find the quickest and easiest way to tag my photos is with Exifer (http://www.friedemann-schmidt.com/software/exifer/). The author points out that the software has ceased development and to his mind there is better software available, but it does exactly what I want - batch tagging of images

[tomos]

My preferred option has been to go the IPTC route, which theoretically gives me a choice of organisers (currently using IMatch from www.photools.com - not free).

I find the quickest and easiest way to tag my photos is with Exifer (http://www.friedemann-schmidt.com/software/exifer/). The author points out that the software has ceased development and to his mind there is better software available, but it does exactly what I want - batch tagging of images

if you tag with Exifer (I didnt know it could do that!) can you "read" the tags in iMatch &/or other programmes ?

[tsaint]

if you tag with Exifer (I didnt know it could do that!) can you "read" the tags in iMatch &/or other programmes ?

Yes, I have in Imatch, Acdsee and Xnview.

[CWuestefeld]

+1 for Exifer. I've been using that for years. The IPTC and EXIF data is (generally) standardized, and any compliant program should be able to share the data.

I used to use IMatch. The software is incredibly advanced, the UI is well-thought-out, allows access to a centralized database on the server, and even has a scripting model. However, the upgrade process was so onerous that I had to drop out. One had to download and install the trial, then find your password to download the registered version, find the registration code and install it over the top, then find different passwords and registration codes for the "service packs" to be installed over the top (or at least that's how I remember it). I grew so confused, and had such trouble tracking all the (changing with each version!) passwords and codes, that I could no longer install it.

Now I just use ACDSee, which isn't as capable, but at least it doesn't put the user through such torture.

[Lutz_]

Make sure that the software writes the tags not only to its own database, but also into the meta data of the image files to guarantee the transportability of the data. The IPTC standard is still the most universal one.
Other programs doing this are IdImager, Studioline Photo, Helicon Photo Safe, Acdsee (I guess only the professional version), ....

[JonnyLaserty]

huge library - huge work 

[tsaint]

one thing useful in exifer (and probably in other apps too) is the ability to save templates so besides batch tagging files, you can reload a set of tags to use again ... eg Ive a template for a sheep station I camp at a lot, so can load it up and only have to make minor changes to tag images from each camping trip to there.

[zevel]

Hi Lutz_,

Other programs doing this are IdImager, Studioline Photo, Helicon Photo Safe, Acdsee (I guess only the professional version), ....

Which one, in your opinion, will work better with a "huge" collection?
Do they support nested tags and complex searches?

Thanks.

[tomos]

Hi Lutz_,

Other programs doing this are IdImager, Studioline Photo, Helicon Photo Safe, Acdsee (I guess only the professional version), ....

Which one, in your opinion, will work better with a "huge" collection?
Do they support nested tags and complex searches?

might be worth sending Lutz a PM (he probably hasnt seen your post)

FWIW the author of Exifer (that tsaint recommends above for quickly adding tags), well, he says

I can especially recommend IMatch which I've been using for about 3 years now as a database solution for organizing my images. It's not free, but it does almost everything which can be done with images - in other words, in my opinion it's absolutely worth the money!!!

but I dont know when that recommendation was made...

[edit] although I see CWuestefeld doesnt recommend it above [/edit]

[Dormouse]

Possibly depends on what you mean by huge.
But IMatch and IdImager can cope with numbers way beyond my imagining. Nested tags, complex searches and much more.
I use IdImager myself. Currently has a new version in beta (can't remember if new users can get access to it) which it might be for some time as full release only tends to come after a beta has been pretty thoroughly tested. A lot of people have switched to using it already.

[tomos]

I downloaded Exifer's successor Geosetter seeing as it's being updated and it seems to work similar to how tsaint described exifer above (with added options re GPS data which can be easily ignored).

With GeoSetter you can tag an image with Category, Supplemental Categories & Keywords
I've never tagged images before so I'm wondering, could I also use the keywords to describe the quality of the image e.g.
People | Family/Occasion/etc. | Person's Name/[RATING]
could even give it a rating e.g. 1 to 5.

Idea being I can later filter by image quality as well as content.
Does that sound feasible ? 

(I'm putting the cart ahead of the horse here a bit - I havent even installed software yet that can read tags maybe I should go do that now, I have an older copy of AcDsee that I think will do as much as I need)