Keep track of inspiring images (not my own)

Question

Note: this is not a post about keeping track of the pics you took. I use Lightroom for that.

Do ppl take pics / screenshots with the idea of referring to those later, maybe to get inspired before a shoot?

Ideally something that supports:

• tags
• grid view

For now the best I could do is divide images in folders (each folder is a tag, but there is a limit of 1 tag per pic) and open them in grid view.

I guess I could use Lightroom, but I am not sure if I want to import all those pics in my catalog, and I would prefer something more lightweight.

Answer 1

If you have enough time and energy to track other people's photos with such detail, perhaps you are not taking enough photos of your own? (Or you are the photo editor of a publication, in which case, you should be telling, not asking, us about workflow.)

Any program that tracks tags likely uses a database backend, which will require "importing" the images. There is no "lightweight" system if your primary criteria is the absence of some import process.

Some options to consider:

• Keep images in your current catalog, but tag them with the source so it's clear they're not your images. This is generally how I track other photographer's images from events I also photographed.

• Use a separate catalog, as null suggests.

• Use a site such as pinterest, as dav1dsm1th suggests.

• Just dump them in folders with appropriate titles. This is how I collect infographics, but I eventually delete them after absorbing the information. It also seems to be your current method. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

• Bookmark images at their source.

• Use a note-taking program, such as OneNote or EverNote.

• Just enjoy the images in the moment, and let them work on your subconscious.