Photography¶

Digital Asset Management¶

For going through my GB of digital pictures I'm using XnView and DigiKam - both have their weaknesses and strengths that are best discussed here: https://discuss.pixls.us/t/digikam-vs-xnview-mp-for-dam/25700

I love flickr because of their API, and I pay for it 70 EUR (or more these days) a year, which is quite expensive, but the service is barely evolving, compared to the superior Google Photos. I still miss Picasa, though, that was the best mix of each aforementioned software strength. Fast, easy, connected to services.

XnView¶

• starts fast
• better integrated into file system
• mediocre image editing (interface is clunky)
• confusing metadata handling (IPTC first XMP second, but XMP appears to be the future) Tutorial : Metadata for photos - XnView Software
• geotagging is very basic

DigiKam¶

• slow start as database grows
• very slow image editing, but good tools, no presets for batch editing(?)
• superior metadata handling and tagging
• superior filtering interface
• export to several services (especially flickr)
• great geotagging tool

Selfhosted¶

Piwigo¶

• [p] PHP gallery software. Easy to run, flickr importer, ok iOS app, plugin system
• [c] album based (there can't be a stream of just photos)
• [c] frontend templates are weird, old school spaghetti code and hard to customize
• [c] geolocation and maps are weird
• [c] weird backend/UI, very functional but weird
• [p] stable, mature software
• [p] good API

Immich¶

• nothing public
• renders 360° pano images
• like google photos
• nice app
• docker
• needs ressources like crazy whe using AI features (face, ocr, search)

Editors¶

Here is a list of editing software I'm using sometimes.

Photopea¶

https://www.photopea.com

Free image editor in the browser. Can develop RAW images.

Digikam¶

https://www.digikam.org/

Open-source digital asset management. A bit clunky and too powerful, but a good choice for geotagging and organizing.

XnView¶

https://www.xnview.com/en/xnview/

Another powerful and free photo organizer. The editing capabilities are plenty and functional, but I'm missing one click optimization as from tools like Google Photos or similar.

Photo Viewer (native Win 11)¶

Not as good as I wish it would be. The one-click optimization is way behind tools like Google Photos, even Picasa. But as a photo viewer, ok.

Snapseed¶

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/snapseed-photo-editor/id439438619

After years of abandonment, Google actively develops Snapseed again.

Panorama and 360° Photography¶

See also this blog post

Insta360 Studio¶

I have to use it for my Insta360 One X2 cam.

The software lacks features like nadir removal (retouch) and recentering of panoramas.

Panorra 360¶

https://panorra.com/

So far the least intrusive pano centered image service to upload pictures and view them. It's not that exciting as a "social network" but works for sharing private links to view and interact with images. (web, ios, android)

TouchRetouch¶

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/touchretouch/id373311252

• retouch in 360° pano view
• optionally overwrites original photo (no copy in the iOS Photos app)

meta360¶

https://apps.apple.com/is/app/meta360/id1201629146

• add XMP-GPano fields to images that lack them due to editing with image editors that don't preserve those XMP tags

Similar apps:

• Drone360

GetThru 360 Panorama Viewer¶

https://apps.apple.com/is/app/gothru-360-panorama-viewer/id6775735372

• Loads 360 images directly from the iOS photo gallery without importing them first (unlike in PanoFlow or Spherualizer)