Photo filing

[Tripps]

Spin off from the Gardening Topic. I wanted to show the pruning of the plum tree root stock, but couldn't find the photo quickly. I've got photos in 'libraries' all over the place including separate drives and various places in the cloud.
Has anyone got any tips as to how to tag and store photos for quick retrieval?

Not for Ubuntu of course.

[PanBiker]

I did a quick search for free cataloguing software and came across this:

Best Software to Organise Your Photo's.

Adobe Bridge could be a contender, mentioned a few times in the Google search results.

[PanBiker]

Having said that, it doesn't look like Adobe Bridge is free. Cunning marketing, it is "free" as part of a paid for suite of photo application packages.

Therea re other proper free ones in the list though.

[Stanley]

Years ago I looked into this and decided that every image should have a title that contained the subject plus the date. I also have files for the pics in my annual archive. gThumb searches all the file titles on the hard drive and is very reliable. It's free and works on Linux I don't know about other drives....

[Whyperion]

Most digitial photos will add metadata (function can be turned off), I think MS file explorer can actually read and use as a colum includes the obvious date, and if GPS on device, location.

[Tripps]

Thanks for the suggestions. I went for Magix Photo Manager, and I like the way it finds all your photos and puts them in one place with a thumbnail.

However I also downloaded an Audio program with it which I don't want, so I'll probably delete it and start again with the photo program alone. It took ages to download.

I think the answer as Stanley says is to label the photos when you download them - quite often I don't. During the process I found that I have a program that shows thumbnails, by the Australian company NCH. I might just re label the outliers and use that.

[Tizer]

Like Stanley I'm an obsessive photo numberer! Identity plus date in the format `Taunton bus timetable 100720.jpg'. Except I don't like spaces in file names and would use `Taunton_bus_timetable_100720.jpg'. I think that's something to do with along association with Linux.

[plaques]

Thanks for the suggestions. I went for Magix Photo Manager, and I like the way it finds all your photos and puts them in one place with a thumbnail.

However I also downloaded an Audio program with it which I don't want, so I'll probably delete it and start again with the photo program alone. It took ages to download.

A few months ago I bought a set of Magic programmes £15 for the lot. Other than a cursory glance at the photo manipulation part I've never really got into it. I did notice that when I was downloading each section there was another programme along with it. Naturally I downloaded each one but ignored it with the subsequent sections. It took for ever to download but not being musically inclined I can't see me really using it to compose my own music. Some day I'll have a proper look.

[Tripps]

. I did notice that when I was downloading each section there was another programme along with it.

That's exactly what happened to me. l relied on Auntie Josie's advice of long ago 'refuse nothing but blows' - and went ahead. Bad advice for the interweb thingy though.
I've now removed the lot and re-discovered the NCH softwarewhich does much the same thing. They have a wide range, and some of it is free - you just have to state that it is for private use every time you use it.

So - I had the solution to my initial question all the time, but have learned that the key is to label photos in more detail. Thanks everyone.

[Stanley]

That's the key David, the title. All my professional photographic mates used that system.