Organizing photos

Framar

WOW Framer
Joined
Jul 24, 2001
Posts
26,420
Loc
Buffalo, New York, USA/Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada
Betty mentioned the aggresive Kodak software. This software is driving me nuts. If I "remove" a photo from my "collection" it hides it on the hard drive somewhere and the only way I have ever been able to locate it is to do a SEARCH on my computer!

I can locate pix one at a time (if I have given them a name, and if I can remember that name) but it doesn't seem to have one single location. The place I have located this stuff is called "documents and settings" but when I get a map of my hard drive there are "documents" and "settings" listed seperately.

This is driving me batty.
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Anyone have any suggestions on a good storage program (one that won't make you nuts or cross-eyed)?

I have fewer than 300 pix right now but I figure I have to get things sorted out real soon or my virtual pictures will be in the same chaotic condition that my real pictures are in.

The thing I like about the Kodak software is the ability to put pix in individual albums, but it has scavanged my computer and put some weird "email" type pix that I have saved over the years.

I thought about calling the Kodak tech folks and asking them, "Where did you hide my pictures?" but I figgered they might laugh at me. I know the esteemed members of the Grumble would NEVER laugh at me.....
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I'll let the technical people answer this later, but I am a simple person, and I need simple techniques.

I found that when I loaded the software, it created a folder in "My Pictures" that said "Kodak Photos". Then, each time I download pictures, they go right to that folder with a folder of the date downloaded. Each photo has some sort of weird number, and if I rename the photo with something that I would recognize, then the Kodak software won't recognize it when accessed from the Kodak software.

However, if I go to it through My Pictures, I can open it like normal into Adobe, or whatever else I want.

So, this is what I've done (so far, of course this technique is subject to change if I think up something new... or after I hear from the technical people on board!)

After I download the pictures, I go through and sort them into folders in My Documents where they belong (framing, caning, personal... etc) with new names. I can't open them from the Kodak software anymore, but so far, I haven't needed to.

I thought about just copying into the new folders with the new (discriptive) names, and keeping the originals in the Kodak folders, but, man, that seems like a lot of wasted space. Is that a real concern, or are we not really talking about that much space?

Another thing that I found, that I'd like to correct, is that when I download the photos and then open them in Adobe, the photo size shows something astronomical, like 15x22 or some strange size. I then change them to, oh, about 4x6 to make them easier to e-mail if needed. Is there anyway to make them smaller to start with? The files of those big photos are huge!

Suggestions?

Betty
 
I've used two excellent photo managers: ACDSee and Thumbnails Plus. Both are shareware, but I bought a retail ACDSee package at Best Buy and that's what I use now. Adobe's Photo Album (I think that's what it's called) is also supposed to be very good.

These types of programs will give you thumbnail views of all your graphics (as well as other file types, like fonts, in some cases) and allow you to edit them, view a full screen version, copy or move files, sort by name, size, age, etc.

Think of them as file managers for graphics.
 
And here I've just been making folders and sticking things in them. When I get a CD worth, I move them off onto a disc.

I keep really large bmp files to print, and scale down smaller ones of the same images to e-mail or put on websites. I have separate folders for the different sizes.

I just use windows explorer. I have a file called "unsorted" that I download everything into, from the internet or from my camera, and then move things to where they belong.

go here
http://www.unseengallery.com/html/photos.html
and here
http://photos.yahoo.com/hanna_fate7
and here
http://dpchallenge.com/
to see why I have so many pictures.
 
I'm with Ron.

I found ACDsee several years ago and have never looked back in anger.
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I Do a "root" file (Pictures) then breakout sub-sets (Photos, furniture, frames, family, stupid stuff from the internet, etc), then each sub-set can have their subset. Such as "Framing" can have
Articles, tips, Tabernacle, Arts & Crafts, Big Gold, etc) then you can stick them in where they sort out. :D
As you may have notice, there is Articles and Tips, (what kind of photos may you ask?) the real beauty of this program is that it just sees a file as a file; no matter what the extention. So you can have photos, CADs, articles, notes or what ever pretaining to the same thing all in the same file.... same as if you had a drawer that you shoved it all into.
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:D

You can even download it online. You may want a whole lot more than what I need, but the "Classic" works fine for me. If I need to work on a pic, I pull it up in Photo Shop 7.

baer
 
Ooops! I have been so busy playing, I mean working on my website, I forgot to say THANKS for the info! I'm gonna have to look into this ACDsee Just because it has a great name! (I choose a lot of products and services that way, like Nero Burning ROM!!!)

Speaking of which, can anyone tell me what all those X's mean in the CD burning lexicon? I like the idea of just burning the pix onto a disc and off of the hard drive, but what's up with recording speed? Does it refer to audio files? Does the speed matter for pictures?

Happy Canada Day!
 
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