Image cataloging software: the browser approach

There are few low-cost database digital asset management systems available today, and with the growing trend toward cloud computing and storage that number is likely to decrease in the years to come.  Extensis Portfolio 8.5 (standalone), Adobe Lightroom 3, Apple Aperture 3 and Phase One EM2 are the only serious reasonably-priced DAM options available. But even those programs can become costly when you starting adding up the licensing fees for multiple users.

If you need to organize your organizations image collection and can't afford an enterprise-level digital asset management system  or  a catalog-based (i.e., database) program your best bet is a browser-driven program.

Perhaps the best known browser program is Adobe Bridge CS4 that ships with nearly all Adobe image editing and suite programs. Easy to set up and easy to use, Bridge is in some ways a more sophisticated "Finder" (for the Mac).

A stand-alone program, Bridge also possesses a very robust set of organizational tools. In fact, my browser of choice for the Johnson & Wales University image library is Bridge CS4.  But Bridge is not, as we discussed in a previous entry, a cataloging program, and as a result has several important drawbacks, particularly non-accessibility offline and the need to continually update the local cache.

Bridge is ideal  primarily for its ease of use, ubiquitous nature and of course cost (free). But it is, really, only a stopgap method for any large image collection. If you're using Bridge (like we are) you must start planning for the next phase in managing your image library. Given the nature of software Bridge will eventually reach its breaking point -- you need to be prepared for that eventuality.

Next: catalog or database software for image archiving.

Microsoft drops Expression Media 2 and Phase One picks it up

Just in case you didn't get the word last year:

On May 25, 2010, Microsoft announced that Phase One had acquired Expression Media 2 (EM2); as of August 25 Phase One took full control of customer support for the product.

Phase One is widely known for their high-end digital camera systems, digital backs and digital photo software and their acquisition of EM2 provides them with a robust and competent digital asset management program.

As of this writing, Expression Media 2 upgrade is selling on Amazon for a little over 80 bucks and the full product is available on the Phase One website for $199 (Windows and Mac versions available).

Next: I'll talk a bit about the handful of low-cost DAM programs available today.

Tweaking Photoshop to Save your Metadata

Well, I learned something about Photoshop and metadata recently and thought I would share it with you. For some this little thing may be no big deal but if you're keen on preserving metadata across users and platforms, if providing lo-rez images for 3rd-party vendors or to scattered staff where the need to view metdata might be crucial, then this little tip may help.

Oh, and this predicated on the idea that you're using Photoshop in prepping images for the web.

If you "Save for the Web" in Photoshop (keyboard: Option+Command+Shift+S), on the right side of the large  dialog box, directly above the Color Table is a drop-down menu for metadata. I believe that by default it is set to "Copyright and Contact Info" but don't quote me on that. Anyway, whatever the setting I suggest you set this to "All." It will stay that way by default until you manually change it to something else.

If you don't make this adjustment then none of the metadata embedded in any image you run through this feature of PS4 will be saved. And that's a fact.

Forewarned is forearmed. (Click on the screenshot to enlarge.)