Workflow considerations for KIM Keywording

What kind of a keywording software is KIM Keywording? This is a question we frequently hear. People ask this because they already use several software solutions, and KIM Keywording does not replace any of those. Where does KIM Keywording fit your workflow?

Keywording for a specific purpose

It is important to understand that KIM Keywording has been designed for a specific purpose. It comes in after you have selected images for distribution, and before the distribution itself. It is a specialised tool, designed not to keyword all your images, but only for those photos you want to distribute. For this high-quality selection of photographs, you can add high-quality keywording with the help of KIM Keywording.

While KIM Keywording is a sophisticated keywording tool, it is certainly not an all-purpose tool. To throw a few keywords at an image and then to forget it, can be done with many software solutions. But as soon as certain demands are required, like working with a controlled vocabulary, creating consistent output with the help of hierarchical keyword structures, adding plurals and synonyms, perhaps even extra languages, this cannot be done with most photography applications.

KIM Keywording goes beyond the functionality of file browsers, creating a database for both your keyword structures and for the keywords you added to your images. KIM Keywording adds functionality, reliability and speed, to achieve high quality keywording in a short time.

Once keywording has been done, you can export complete metadata sets in a variety of formats. Photographers and photo agencies frequently use exported metadata files for distribution.

Consider KIM Keywording as a database for your best files, or for the files you choose to distribute. These are the images which are out in the wild, which are on partner websites, which you probably one day need to enhance, to update or which information you need to refine.

Keywording workflow

We assume you have a workflow in several steps:

  1. taking photos
  2. processing photos (add basic metadata, optimising photos, selecting photos)
  3. export for distribution
  4. distribution (or: upload)

KIM Keywording comes in between 3. and 4, which is after you exported to JPG, and before you send everything out to your partners or make an upload to your website.

Processing projects

KIM Keywording splits your keywording into projects. It is like all photos from an event or photo shoot, the selection made in august, or a series around a certain topic. To prepare a batch to upload, you load them into a KIM Keywording project. Every project status can thus be tracked, along with the keywording status for every single image. This allows you to start and complete different projects and see the progress.

KIM Keywording is a tool which also can help external keyworders to do the «job», as every job is a project. Files can be shared between KIM Keywording versions, allowing for external keyworders to receive, keyword and deliver their work in simple comprehensive files, regardless of the number of image records in those files.

KIM Keywording is a workflow tool as much as it is a keywording tool. If you have the need for well-structured keywording processes, this is your tool.

 

Do you have a different experience or see another application for this approach? Write your comments below.