I try to think that I’m good at organizing my photos on my Mac. However, I know that this isn’t true. From the contents of my digital camera to what is synced to my computer from my iPhone, it seems that all of my photos seem to sprout from somewhere when searching around my Mac. The situation is worse for bloggers, like myself, where we can find ourselves with tons of shots we have published and don’t need anymore. PhotoSweeper is the application that allows you to get rid of the tons of duplicates and unneeded photos filling up your hard drive. Read on for PhotoSweeper review and giveaway.
A Look Around the App
I must admit, when I first opened the application, I was a bit confused on where to start. However, individuals who open the application and follow the directions will understand it a bit more. First, you have the main screen that shows you the photos from the library you added into Photosweeper. The bottom region allows you to add photos, put them into your box, and to open the box. The right section allows you to take a look at the sections and to even compare photos.
Adding Photos and Filtering
Adding photos into Photosweeper is easier than ever. You have three ways to do so. The slowest way is to do so by clicking one of the options in the bottom bar. The second way is to just drag the library into the empty area, the main screen. The third way is to drag the library into the “box” button, also known as the Box Ball. The great thing about Photosweeper is the maximum compatibility across the various photo applications. From iPhoto to Aperture, there are many ways to add photos from your favorite applications. Once added, a small icon will be added at the top left that shows the photo came from iPhoto or Aperture.
After adding the photos, some people will be a bit confused on where to go from here. You should now be presented with options for choosing various file options. These options allow you to choose just photos with those file types, making it easier to narrow down the photos that you want to view or delete. However, despite the various filtering features, there are more and much easier ways of deleting photos from your photo library, providing more space on your system.
Getting Started
When you get started, Photosweeper allows you to adjust your settings accordingly to view photos that need to be deleted. The first way Photosweeper does this is through deleting duplicates. Duplicates can be deleted by going through the “Compare settings” section and going to where you can have “Duplicates Only”. In the duplicates only section, you are able to have only duplicates shown according to the matching specifications of the said image. The duplicates only route is quicker to give back a result, but it isn’t as accurate as other methods, especially with large libraries. Other, more slower, ways of finding duplicates is by comparing according to pixel available on photo and also the ability to adjust according to when the photo was taken. For example, if two photos were taken at the same time, on the same day, the chances of them being duplicates are more likely.
The End Result
You’re now done with finding the images that are duplicated and need to be deleted. Now it’s time to actually do the act of deleting the duplicates. From this point on, and frankly the whole process in general once you get the hang of it, everything should be easy to get done. Images that need to be deleted can go in the box. The box isn’t necessarily a place where deleted images all have to go, but that’s one of the features it has. It is mainly a place to hold images away from the library as a whole. You can add photos in the box from the get go, or you can do that now.
Photosweeper is available now on Mac App Store for $9.99.
Ari Simon has been a writer with Make Tech Easier since August 2011. Ari loves anything related to technology and social media. When Ari isn’t working, he enjoys traveling and trying out the latest tech gadget.
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