Web based photo catalog - suggestions?

[vAfotoriporter]

Hi everybody,

I am employed by a website where I should build up a photo archive (as cheap as possible due to recession).

Currently they use a very primitive category system built upon a structure of folder and file names and the whole thing is stuffed on a VPN to allow access to all colleagues. It is hardly possible to use it as everyone can imagine.

I want to start (first of all convinced them to buy PM) with looking through their current stuff and adding IPTC info to the current images. And on my part I could use PM search function to find images. This could be the easyest way....but!

Since publishing is web based, editors often work from home or the field so they have to reach the images through the net and the company doesn't want to by PM for all editors and journalists. And it would be only a half solution if they did.

I am now looking for a cataloging software that supports use of servers and allowing users web access and mostly search through IPTC data of the files. I know some desktop software for this purpose but none for a remote web setup.

Any suggestion welcome, I hope to fint something manageable with your help.

[Paul Smith]

Hi,

I used Image Folio for a few years and that works pretty well. However, I would strongly recommend you consider Photoshelter.com. The price is very reasonable and they are very good at updating features and, like Camerabits, they actually listen to their customers' suggestions. All the search functionality & web access you require is built in and you don't have to maintain your own web server.

I have my archive of over 100,000 images on Photoshelter - feel free to check it out.

Hope this helps.

Paul Smith
www.featureflash.com