Picture viewing on a Mac

[Roscoe]

I love Lightroom and use it for all my picture needs. Problem is my wife is not a computer person and resists all attempts by me to make her one. I need to find an easier way for her to browse pictures on the computer. As much as I'd like her to use LR and its keywording to make life easier, LR isn't the answer for her. I'm wondering if I can import the pictures into Photos...will it recognize any of the keywording in LR?

Any suggestions?

 

[Mike Buckley]

Though my wife understands more about computers than I do, we have a similar situation in that I look up everything using my cataloging software (not Lightroom) and my wife has never gotten around to learning how to do that. That's exactly why from the very beginning I set up a physical folder system that makes it easy for her to find almost any photos rather quickly. She simply looks everything up based on where the photo was taken or, in the case of photos of family, based on the name of the person. If I got hit by the proverbial bus tomorrow, she would have no problem finding photos until she gets around to learning how to use the cataloging software to find them. Ironically, that gives her even more reason to put off learning how to use the cataloging software.

Considering that you're using a Mac, can't she look up photos using Spot Light (or whatever it's called) to search keywords?

 

[Deleted member 4116]

What exactly is she trying to view when "viewing photos?" You can go to a folder of photos and hit space bar (quick view) to get a preview of photos and you can scroll through them using the keyboard. Is this all keyword searching? If so, a catalog tool is absolutely necessary but the images would have to be cataloged by her (meaning she can't see your catalog unless she's using your computer).

 

[Roscoe]

We share a computer (or at least separate user accounts on the same machine) so that isn't the issue. The issue is finding pictures quickly. In LR I can use keywords to find pictures of specific things, people or places. LR would blow her mind. Looking for an easier method. I tend to produce jpegs for emailing, facebook, etc and keep them in a separate folder (year with shoots in date subfolders [and name of shoot]). Serching through folders can be time consuming, even for me when I think I know when they were taken. Just looking for an easier cataloging program. Never used Mac Photos so I have no clue how intuitive/useful it is.

I'm not trying to make it easier to "view" them but rather to Browse them so that she can find a picture for Christmas cards or Facebook or whatever purpose she desires.

I'm not sure if spotlight searches keywords; never worked for me.

 

[rick_reno]

My wife and I share photos via Google Photos. She uses a PC, I have Macs. Google is a neutral place to put them, and it’s easy to share them.

 

[Roscoe]

My wife and I share photos via Google Photos. She uses a PC, I have Macs. Google is a neutral place to put them, and it’s easy to share them.

It's not the sharing that's the issue, it's allowing her to be able to find the picture she wants in a reasonable amount of time outside of lightroom (which doesn't like networks, not sure how it handles a shared drive on the same computer with different "users").

Thanks

 

[Growltiger]

Google Photos really is a good solution for her. You can easily upload all your jpg photos to it, and it will group them by date taken. It is very easy and quick to browse the photos. Try it.

You say she doesn't like computers and wants something simple. Google Photos is just that, she can use the browser on any computer or iPad etc, and doesn't need to learn any program. Of course I'm assuming she already uses a browser and can look at the internet.

 

[Walter Rowe]

If you are exporting your images from LR and they have all your LR metadata in them, import the JPGs into Photos. You can search Photos and find things quickly, even iOS Photos can use it if you have iCloud Photos Library enabled. Just make sure the two macOS accounts are logging into the same iCloud account so they use the same iCloud content. Her Photos and your Photos will always be in sync via iCloud.

This even works from a Browser. If a website has an “upload photo” button, click that. Then scroll to the bottom of the left sidebar and click “Photos”. That will access your Photos library. At that point there is a search field in the upper right. Type in anything there and it searches all the metadata to find it. Give it a try. You might be surprised at how much like LR this is.

 

[scottinpollock]

Have a look at NeoFinder. It it the best asset manager I have found.

 

[rick_reno]

Google photos is also very good at finding photos, just type in what you’re looking for and hit return.

 

[Roscoe]

Google Photos really is a good solution for her. You can easily upload all your jpg photos to it, and it will group them by date taken. It is very easy and quick to browse the photos.

Two decades of photos? Nothing easy about that . Besides I already have Smugmug for family to view pictures online. Retrieving them back from there is a bit of a challenge however, hence my thoughts for a local solution.

If you are exporting your images from LR and they have all your LR metadata in them, import the JPGs into Photos. You can search Photos and find things quickly, even iOS Photos can use it if you have iCloud Photos Library enabled. Just make sure the two macOS accounts are logging into the same iCloud account so they use the same iCloud content. Her Photos and your Photos will always be in sync via iCloud.

iCloud sounds like a great solution but the problem is the limited storage space (or pay for more). How does that work with thousands of images?

 

[Walter Rowe]

Two decades of photos? Nothing easy about that . Besides I already have Smugmug for family to view pictures online. Retrieving them back from there is a bit of a challenge however, hence my thoughts for a local solution.

iCloud sounds like a great solution but the problem is the limited storage space (or pay for more). How does that work with thousands of images?

I only load 2048px on the long edge into Photos. I have nearly 30K images that consume about 50GB out of a 200GB plan.

 

[Deleted member 4116]

I have a high distaste for Photos and don't feel it is much easier to find things than LR would. I mean, you're looking for a search bar to enter keywords into then you get results...nearly all of them have this. And if you're already doing all this in LR, you're better off just teaching her than exporting, re-managing, etc.

 

[Walter Rowe]

I have a high distaste for Photos and don't feel it is much easier to find things than LR would. I mean, you're looking for a search bar to enter keywords into then you get results...nearly all of them have this. And if you're already doing all this in LR, you're better off just teaching her than exporting, re-managing, etc.

Re-read his first post. His wife will not use LR.

 

[tony-b]

I just started using my Synology DiskStation for family sharing of photos. We have so many photos on our devices and I wanted a way for all of us to share them to one location. It’s cataloguing is pretty basic but it does have apps for iPhone and Android and can upload directly from the devices, which is what I really wanted. There is also an AppleTV app for viewing on the big screen. Not sure if it’s what you’re looking for but if you have a Synology, check it out.

 

[Deleted member 4116]

Re-read his first post. His wife will not use LR.

I got it, hence my response. Searching in one program is the same as in LR...changing programs isn't going to solve this. Teach her LR or ask her to stop using the computer.

 

[Roscoe]

Been gone a while...sorry. So let's say I do teach her how to use LR. She finds a picture of our grandson she likes. Then what? Exporting to some location where she can then find it is not trivial to someone allergic to computers.

All I know is she complains that have all of my pictures squirreled away somewhere where she can't find them, then whines when I try to teach her how to get to them. I can't win this one...

#sigh. I'll keep thinking and looking.

 

[Deleted member 4116]

You can set up export rules where when she wants something exported it always goes to the same place.

If teaching is going to be a struggle, I wouldn't even try. She needs to be more open to learning or realize this isn't for her.