---
author: Chris Hodapp
comments: true
date: 2009-06-23 07:31:07+00:00
layout: post
slug: '2009-06-19'
title: 2009.06.19
wordpress_id: 186
categories:
- Scratch
tags:
- apps
- photography
---

* * *




## apps,photography





	
  * So, I’m on a quest to find a photo organization tool for Linux (or, on a later note, for any OS) that does some things like…

	
    * Allow me to apply metadata to images, like comments and groups and tags (preferably hierarchical)

	
    * Store the metadata IN THE ACTUAL IMAGE, IN A STANDARD FORMAT. This also means it will probably need to support IPTC or XMP, preferably XMP. (No, shut up about GQview, it doesn’t cut it.)

	
    * Allow me to set metadata as a batch operation. I am thoroughly uninterested in having to manually go through the process of setting metadata for each individual image. And when I say "batch operation", "batch" really needs to be more generic than "all files in a directory." (No, shut up about scripting it with [ExifTool](http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/) or [Exempi](http://libopenraw.freedesktop.org/wiki/Exempi) or [Exiv2](http://www.exiv2.org). Yes, they can edit XMP data on groups of files, but scripting doesn’t cut it as a solution unless someone can show me how to make this integrate with a GUI.)




	
  * Here are the apps recommended thus far:

	
    * [digiKam](http://www.digikam.org)

	
    * [F-Spot](http://f-spot.org/)

	
    * [imgSeek](http://www.imgseek.net/)

	
    * [Picasa](http://picasa.google.com/)

	
    * [GQview](http://gqview.sourceforge.net/)

	
    * [KPhotoAlbum](http://www.kphotoalbum.org/)

	
    * [gThumb](http://gthumb.sourceforge.net/)

	
    * [GwenView](http://gwenview.sourceforge.net/)

	
    * [Mapivi](http://mapivi.sourceforge.net/)

	
    * [LightZone](http://www.lightcrafts.com/linux/)

	
    * [Razuna](http://www.razuna.org/)

	
    * [Lightroom](http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/)

	
    * [PicaJet FX](http://www.picajet.com)




	
  * And my responses thus far:

	
    * digiKam:

	
      * Has a pretty nice UI (though overdone sometimes)

	
      * The built-in editing features and plugins are handy and quick. I’m kind of cheating here because I’m already pretty familiar with digiKam.

	
      * Searching capabilities are pretty good.

	
      * Only wants to edit IPTC/XMP metadata one image at a time.

	
      * All its metadata (besides IPTC/XMP that you do one image at a time) is stored in an SQLite database, not in the image

	
      * Interface can get pretty slow sometimes.




	
    * imgSeek:

	
      * The interface works okay but it’s a little clumsy, and sometimes things are slow (I loaded about 10K pictures).

	
      * Finding pictures based on similarity to other pictures or to a hand-drawn image is an interesting feature.

	
      * The grouping/batching features are powerful, but a bit slow.

	
      * I am unsure if imgSeek lets me add IPTC or XMP data easily.

	
      * There is no easy way I can see to search based on date.




	
    * F-Spot:

	
      * I’m told the IPTC/XMP support in this isn’t that great.

	
      * I have yet to try this program.




	
    * LightZone:

	
      * This is proprietary, but they have a 30-day trial.

	
      * "Linux users will especially enjoy access to the new LightZone Relight Tool l which can achieve HDR effects from a single negative revealing hidden HDR detail in both the highlights and the shadows, using just a single exposure. For instance, you’ll see both saturated colors of a sunset and bright detail in the face of a back lit subject that was formerly lost. Achieving such stunning results from a single exposure without LightZone would require multiple flashes, reflectors and shades at the time the photograph — if it could be possible at all." . . . sorry, but if you honestly believe this, you don’t have the slightest understanding what HDR is. Oh well, it’s all marketing.

	
      * Having tried this software, I cannot see any batch metadata editing capability, or any reason why I’d want to pay for this.




	
    * PicaJet FX:

	
      * This is proprietary with a 15-day trial.

	
      * I tried this software and could not find any batch-editing features for XMP.




	
    * Lightroom

	
      * This is the expensive stuff from Adobe ($300, but there’s a 30-day trial). Some people in #photogeeks on Freenode recommended it.

	
      * This is a "workflow app designed for professional photographers" and it’s from Adobe. If anything at al supports XMP batch-editing, and a billion other features, this would have to be it.




	
    * Razuna

	
      * I don’t know. This is an open source, web-based Digital Asset Management application.

	
      * It looks very nice (check out the videos there), but I don’t think it’s what I need for this task.




	
    * Any application I failed to mention: I either ignored it on the basis of provided specifications, or I ignored it because I’m just too lazy.