p.1 #1 · Anyone used AI, like Claude Code, to build Photo Management app
I don't know about you, but I have always found image management to be a hassle. So many cameras, models, RAW formats over the years, stored on various drives. I have tried to keep a Master, images stored by years and then dates as a Master Archive, then with backup, but it is never 100%. For example, as I go through some old Lightroom catalogues, I find that LR has made double imports, or LR has created duplicates over time. I don't need or want 2-4 copies of certain images, seemingly randomly over the years.
I haven't found a solution that really works in terms of identifying duplicates and managing it over time.
Enter Claude Code. I am writing an application in Phyton to do just that. Give me an inventory of all photos, in all folders - on the computer SSD, external SSD and Synology backup solution. The goal is not only to find any and all duplicates but also take the action to move those into a separate folder (which I can then keep as an extra backup on an external SSD just in case machine or human made an error. The next step is to create a Master File all my images, from all disks and devices, to create a Master folder where every single images in stored and organized by Yearly folders, then by date in the image. This will work reasonably well with all the digital images, scanned film images is a bigger issue, but will be solved eventually.
Then the goal is to have this Master file to work out of, and keep it on an external SSD, then have copies continously in sync, with exact and ongoing copies stores off-site and on the Synology.
p.1 #2 · Anyone used AI, like Claude Code, to build Photo Management app
It could be worth noticing that
a) I don't have any Python coding skills, Claude helped me select and install python, along with needed scripts and libraries, on my Mac
b) Once it is all specified and created, the python script runs locally on your machine - there are no extra costs because the it doesn't need to connect to the cloud, no API calls, etc.
Essentially, I have created an app, but it doesn't have a GUI, buttons or drop downs - it runs scripts via Terminal function.
Again, I am not an engineer or all that technical - just frustrated with all the issues my master folders have compounded over years, rewriting and/or moving of image files by Lightroom, etc. It was time to clean this up.
Everything is running right now. It will take a few hours. I sure how this works! :-)
p.1 #3 · Anyone used AI, like Claude Code, to build Photo Management app
I trust neither myself nor AI to deal with something I’m too afraid to screw up.
While, like you, I have duplicates of files, my main issue is the fact that my LR catalogues and images are pretty well organized and backed up, the images in Apple’s Photo app are stored in the typical opaque manner Apple seems to love and I hate. This makes it hard to have one Master folder with all images I care about.
I hope your effort succeeds and if you find a solution for what I described, I’m curious.
As a sidenote, the only times I’ve screwed up my files and deleted a bunch by mistake was always when I thought I was consolidating them and accidentally deleted or ‘misplaced’ them. It’s a good thing I have Backblaze with backups being kept for one year…
