Using Adobe Lightroom 2 to catalog our library: backstory

While we have no immediate plans to migrate away from using Adobe Bridge CS4 to manage and maintain our image library, as I've noted in an earlier post we must be prepared for that eventuality. Bridge is not and has never been designed to allow easy access to such an enormous image library. That is has worked so far is a testament to the possibilities under the program (hint, hint Adobe) and to the willingness of our designers and writers to stay on top of reindexing their cache folders so that they may effectively search the image library.

OK, so why Lightroom? As I have said earlier, I tested Expression Media 2 last year and found it a very nice interface but have serious concerns about its future. Extensis Portfolio is too rigidly structured and allows little flexibility: one user,  three-user or enterprise-level configurations. I have experienced problems with their importing metadata from Adobe as well.

So, I tested importing our library into Lightroom 2  (1) to give me a complete visual record of what we have in the image library, (2) to allow me to work offline on tagging modifying image metadata and (3) to test whether a catalog-based system would work for us.

I should also say that setting permissions is, for us, the key selling point in any program. Working with our IT department we created a two-tiered permissions system for our present library: myself and three others on the team have admin access to the library, that is we can add, delete and modify files and metadata; everyone else who has access to the system can only read the files and in order to manipulate images must copy the files to their own machine.

Whether we can maintain the dual level of access to the library with a catalog-based system like we presently have with Bridge remains to be seen and tested.

Another consideration to bear in mind is that Lightroom 2 cannot import CMYK files -- but this problem has, I'm informed, been resolved in Lightroom 3. I'll soon be able to confirm this since I'm planning to upgrade to LR3 this next week.

A very brief review of cataloging software

No matter how well Bridge works right now, at some point it will no longer do what we want and expect it to do -- of course, it shouldn't be doing it now but it does. And for that we should be thankful.

But someday the image library will have to migrate to a program specifically designed to manage a large collection of photos, probably a catalog-based,  database software program that focuses on organizing and cataloging images and digital assets.

Adobe Lightroom, Apple's Aperture (Mac only), Expressions Media (Phase One) and Extensis Portfolio are four of the more well-known programs that also allow non-destructive image editing and offline workflow as well.

I should mention that hybrid programs such as Apple's iPhoto and Photoshop Elements both have cataloging and image adjustment features. However, iPhoto is Mac only and neither were really designed to handle the demands of large image libraries. iPhoto also lacks the more (much more) robust tagging, search and editing features required for anything other than the most basic of image collections.

For those of us in search of the holy grail of photo archiving, finding a resource that compares the wide variety of tools is scarce indeed. Fortunately, there is an excellent, albeit dated source on the Impulse Adventure website. There you can find a very helpful table comparing the various large- and small-scale programs. (You can also cut and paste this URL: http://www.impulseadventure.com/photo/flow-catalog-compare.html.)

For enterprise level collections (50k images on up) you would probably do well to consider cross-platform systems with robust cataloging features:

1. ACDSee Pro 4 (WIndows only) - $240
2. ACDSee Pro (Mac)  - $170
3. Expression Media 2 -  $200
4. FotoStation Pro - €489/$700
5. Lightroom (Adobe) - $300
6. Photo Mechanic - $150
7. Portfolio 8.5 (Extensis) - $200

All have trial versions with varying restrictions. I did not include Canton's Cumulus or Extensis Portfolio Server 9 since they apply to Workgroup and Enterprise levels and have an entirely different pricing structure (read: expensive).

Of course, licensing for large numbers of users will drive the costs up no matter which catalog program you settle on.

Anyway, last year I tested Expression Media 2 and Portfolio 8.5 (single user) products. My primary criterion was discovering how many image files could one catalog handle before it slowed to a crawl or simply stopped working altogether. Our unique situation requires that users in our creative group be able to search as many images as quickly as possible. It's pointless to create 10, or 30 or 50 or more catalogs since searching requires searching across ALL images, and not just selected catalogs. And searching across catalogs is not possible.

That's the challenge.

I spent some time with Expression Media 2 (before it was sold to Phase One) and found its features robust and catalogs responsive. I liked it's easy to learn and easy to use interface. Cataloging was not a problem and searching within catalogs seemed to work fine. Please note I only catalogued a fraction of our image library, however. The process at the time was simply too tedious and time-consuming.

Portfolio 8.5 also has a nice interface but I found the cataloging of our large library incredibly slow and the catalogs it did produce were often unresponsive in searching. In earlier tests with Portfolio I was disappointed in the program's handling of xmp metadata, particularly keywords created in Adobe programs.

I have to admit that my tests were by no means systematic and I never did catalog the entire library so your experience may be different.

I am presently finishing cataloging our entire library using Adobe Lightroom 2 and my next series of posts will focus on the ongoing lessons from that experience.

If you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to contact me: steve at steve soper dot com.

Have a great spring.

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.