Ashampoo Photo Organizer is a free Windows application for managing and finding photos across local folders and cloud storage. It brings pictures into a shared library, where tags, ratings and existing photo information control how they are found and grouped. An Android app is also available.
Connecting existing photo locations
The Add storage location control connects photo sources to the library. Local folders, OneDrive and Dropbox can contribute pictures to the same view, so browsing a collection does not require opening each source separately.
Ashampoo Photo Organizer leaves files in their original locations and preserves their folder structure. Its library organizes how those pictures are displayed rather than moving them into a new folder arrangement. Changes made to the files in other tools also become visible in the program.
JPEG and PNG images are supported. RAW support covers local CR2 and RAF files; RAW photos cannot be managed through its cloud connections.
Editing tags, ratings and photo information
Tags provide searchable labels for a picture, while ratings record a score that can be used to select a smaller part of the collection. These entries give Ashampoo Photo Organizer information to work with beyond the original filename or storage folder.
The photo viewer brings the image and its information together. You can inspect camera and exposure details alongside the source path, manage keyword tags and change the star rating. Date controls adjust the recording date and time used to organize the photo.
Metadata changes can be saved in separate XMP sidecar files, leaving the original image data untouched. These sidecars also provide a way to exchange metadata with RAW photo editors. Unknown metadata tags are preserved when Photo Organizer handles a picture's information.
Finding and grouping photos
Combining search filters
Search uses keywords, locations, dates, ratings, folder names, album names and camera information. Entering a term brings up matching criteria that can be added to the search. Active criteria can be removed again without clearing the remaining selections.
Combining criteria narrows the thumbnail view around the information you need. A keyword filter can be used with a date or camera filter, bringing together pictures with those attributes even when they occupy different source folders.
These searches use the photos' metadata and assigned tags. Adding descriptive labels or correcting recording information therefore changes how those pictures can be retrieved later.
Automatically updated smart albums
Smart albums organize the collection into groups based on information such as keywords, ratings and locations. Folder-based groups are also available in the navigation. The groups are generated and updated automatically as the relevant photo information changes.
This gives the same collection several ways to be browsed: a rating group selects pictures by their assigned score, while a location group follows their recording location. The underlying files retain their existing folder arrangement.
