Photo Management Software

[balint]

I was looking for a scalable photo accounting software but found none. I wanted something based on an sql database with customizable features but no luck.

Being a software designer, I designed and coded the software I wanted, so here it is. Features include:

* store pictures and related technical information
* multi-user support, with privileges and rights
* view individual photos
* view photo thumbnails organized in folders
* search
* accessible anywhere, if installed as part of a web service
* slide management support

Download it, its free software (GPL):
Dead Link Removed

It is based on the same technology as this site. It should be able to handle 100k pictures whitout any problem, thanks to the database support. And it is fast, real fast. I tested the system by installing the servers on a PII/350Mhz+128MbRAM, connecting a PIII Thinkpad via 10Mbps lan connection, and I was surprised myself.

If you have any suggestions to improve this software, or have suggestions for new features please let me know. Your feed back is much appreciated.

Many thanks,
balint

 

[William Levitt]

Sounds interesting.

Have you looked into Cantons "Cumulus" software? Has all the features you mentioned, including multi-user, and Internet Catalog and ordering access for under $100.

I've used Cumulus since it came onto the market and would highly reccomend it to anyone. Mac/PC

 

[balint]

Yes I took a look at Cumulus ($100) and Agave SPS ($400) stock photography softwares, and found them impressive. But my goal is to make Photo Organizer the best in class stock photography software which would suit professionals and amateur photograpers as well.



When I released Photo Organizer (free of charge) I had a list of features which I will include in the next release of PO. I post them here, and ask you to come forward with your ideas and suggestions. I need to know what features you would like to see in PO.
<ul>
[*]extend private/public to private/group/public where public
pictures are visible by everybody, private pictures are visible
only for the owner and group pictures visible only for group members.
Obviously, one person can be member of more groups.
[*]allow users to define custom fields all over the database, if they feel the need, so that a user can define a "For Sale" field for photos...
[*]exif + nkn shooting data suport
[*]dupe handling
[*]shooting data and barcode printing
[*]rating system
[*]sales tracking system + scheduler + customer and supplier contact list
[*]improved storage indicators, highres pointer for digital pictures,
media type indicators
[/list]
Given the comming features I would like to compile a priority list, with the most important feature first, and the least important last. If you could give me some feedback that would be really helpful.

cheers,
balint

 

[William Levitt]

Hi, many of the features you've listed sound very interesting. I can only speak from my point of view, and what I personally use, and would like to have as far as software features are concerned.

A databank accessable via the internet with thumbnails visible to all, after a simple registration.
The customer could then choose to buy the image and receive either downloaded data, or if necessary, a slide can be ordered. In the case of data, file format, and size should be flexible, and the billing should be done online as well.

Other features such as barcode and additional information (either from the shooting, darkroom or computer work) would be interesting, but for me, not practical, but for others willing to invest the time in keeping up with such a database certainly valuable.

The software must be available for both Mac and PC, and fully cross platform viable. Importing from various programs via plug ins, for FreeHand, Illustrator, PS, Quark as well as text programs is also a necessity.

Direct scanning and importing from digital cameras would also be helpful.

Order confirmation and billing via automated email response would be cool.

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

 

[balint]

Thanks William for your suggestion regarding customer registration and online ordering, automated confirmation.... Indeed this is a must, and would make the software unique. I will mark this as a high priority feature.

Many people complained about the hassle around the installation. The first release had no self installer because there were too many components to be installed and configured and the implementation of the installer would have taken as much time as the implementation of the whole software.

There are two solutions to come around the installation.
The first is to write the installer, for each platform independently.
The second is to sell a completely configured box (the size of a gamecube) with dual mirrored harddisks to prevent data loss in case of hdd failure, which connets to any computer (pc mac or unix workstation) via an ethernet link. All the user has to do is to plug the box to its home computer, and access it via her/his prefered browser.

The first solution is definitely cheaper but takes a lot of time and effort. The second solution would be more reliable and robust. Nobody wants to loose all his data because of a hard drive failure. However for the second solution a Customer Care Center has to be set up to deal with warranties, replari services and complaints ... and this would take a lot of money I don't have.

Anyway I am working now on the installer, at least for linux, and later on for windows. I hope to get some windows people involved to support me in this.

 

[balint]

Since the last post, many features were added to Photo Organizer, mostly upon user recommandations.

As a result Photo Organizer became a multi-user photo management tool that offers a searchable photo database that supports photo version control, client management, dupe support, photo submission history, EXIF, IPTC, XML, and XMP, user quotas, a datebook, and printing labels and color brochures in PDF and PS formats.

Recently stock photo agencies started picking up the server based Photo Organizer because of its mutli user web interface, central image repository and free licensing.