Collected many replies to similar questions since 1996, from various mailing lists about pictures and genealogy software. The answer is that *everyone* uses a different software product or method. Some create their own Access database. One fellow mentioned that his favorite $300 product was no longer available, don't know if he had to re-enter all the details in a new product or just hope that the old one product continued to work on future computers. If you plan to try a special program for image details, consider how the database will be updated and moved to new equipment over time or split if the original project becomes too large for one location. Make sure that backups can be restored on different computers. I just discarded a set of CD-R backups that didn't work after a WinXP computer was serviced. Windows XP has some of the functions that used to require add-on products for viewing individual pictures and slide shows. Simple Windows folders for groups of images with logical file names can have matching _plain text files_ that are easily searched. Regional history archive uses an expensive professional program that requires highly trained staff to enter data. Surname search might bring up all the pictures but hard to know if John E. Citizen (doctor) in one picture is the same person as J.E. Citizen (pilot) in another, a relative or just a neighbor with the same surname and initials. My favorite image editing product allows Creator Information to be entered for each picture but I don't use it. A picture archive is similar to a numbered document management project that becomes increasingly complex. Almost any method seems to work for 1000 images. Several people found their first method unsuitable by the time they reached 2000 images and had to start over with a new system. My images have names like 2003-01-18Subject.JPG for a snapshot with the date taken and 1890-01-18Subject.TIF for a scan of a source document. Family Tree Maker scrapbooks are used to sort images by date and category with detailed captions. When a branch of names is copied to a new FTM file, all the pictures go along. One copy of an image is not enough. Progressive, organized copies of images in sets are better. Copies of images on DVD-R are working well without copying back to the hard drive. CD-RW can be used for temporary backups between DVDs or CD-Rs. Elizabeth ----- Original Message ----- From: "wis1848" > I am searcing for a program for archiving my digital images - but I > specifically want to be able to input a fairly long description & then be > able to search the archive via a keyword search. Does anyone have any > suggestions what program will do this? -- Shari

Elizabeth How do you name the photos when you can only estimate the year and hope it is fairly close? ----- Original Message ----- From: "E.Rodier" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2003 12:51 PM Subject: Re: [SP] Organize images & search via keyword > Collected many replies to similar questions since 1996, from various mailing > lists about pictures and genealogy software. The answer is that *everyone* > uses a different software product or method. Some create their own Access > database. One fellow mentioned that his favorite $300 product was no longer > available, don't know if he had to re-enter all the details in a new product > or just hope that the old one product continued to work on future computers. > > If you plan to try a special program for image details, consider how the > database will be updated and moved to new equipment over time or split if > the original project becomes too large for one location. Make sure that > backups can be restored on different computers. I just discarded a set of > CD-R backups that didn't work after a WinXP computer was serviced. > > Windows XP has some of the functions that used to require add-on products > for viewing individual pictures and slide shows. Simple Windows folders for > groups of images with logical file names can have matching _plain text > files_ that are easily searched. Regional history archive uses an expensive > professional program that requires highly trained staff to enter data. > Surname search might bring up all the pictures but hard to know if John E. > Citizen (doctor) in one picture is the same person as J.E. Citizen (pilot) > in another, a relative or just a neighbor with the same surname and > initials. > > My favorite image editing product allows Creator Information to be entered > for each picture but I don't use it. A picture archive is similar to a > numbered document management project that becomes increasingly complex. > Almost any method seems to work for 1000 images. Several people found their > first method unsuitable by the time they reached 2000 images and had to > start over with a new system. > > My images have names like 2003-01-18Subject.JPG for a snapshot with the date > taken and 1890-01-18Subject.TIF for a scan of a source document. Family Tree > Maker scrapbooks are used to sort images by date and category with detailed > captions. When a branch of names is copied to a new FTM file, all the > pictures go along. > > One copy of an image is not enough. Progressive, organized copies of images > in sets are better. Copies of images on DVD-R are working well without > copying back to the hard drive. CD-RW can be used for temporary backups > between DVDs or CD-Rs. > Elizabeth > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "wis1848" > > I am searcing for a program for archiving my digital images - but I > > specifically want to be able to input a fairly long description & then be > > able to search the archive via a keyword search. Does anyone have any > > suggestions what program will do this? -- Shari > > > >