[Digikam-users] using digikam with keyboard

[Risto Saukonpää]

> 1) how to rotate picture stored in RAW format? I can't find anything 
> about it in menu, I have an old DSLR which can't rotate photos itself, I 
> need to do it manually, currently I know only how to do it in geeqie and 
> only JPGs

As far I know, currently you can not rotate RAW files. Mayby the 
experimental function could allow this. I hope someday we get that thing 
working (if not already possible).

> 2) how to quickly move picture to another directory? or just "mark it" 
> as "good photo"? when I browse 500 photos I need to select for instance 
> 50 "good ones", currently I use mouse to move such photos into another
> directory, is it possible to do it quickly with keyboard?

I suggest rating the files first. That is what I do. I use Ctrl+1-5 to 
rate photos. Then you can use on filter function on bottom panel to show 
wanted photos. Right click the stars and you can select how they are 
filtered. This is fastest way (at least for me) when going trought daily 
photos. Hardest part is always to give the correct rating, because bad 
photo can be turned a master piece by editing them.

I do it on few rounds. First I rate everything with basic 1-5 stars. 
Photos what are out of focus or has no subject at all, I do not rate at 
all. Later they are easy to select from bottom as "non-rated" and delete.
Then after 2-3 rounds, I have got most photos to 1-2 rating, some photos 
to 3-4 and couple to 5. As example, from 500 photos, I would get 200 
rating 1. 100 rating 2. 50 rating 3. 15 rating 4 and 2 rating 5. And all 
what did not get rated, can be deleted.

Then later when I want to search good photos for development, I can start 
just searching with rating. And when I need to build portfolio or 
slideshow, I can just select all photos rating 3 or more. After the rating 
photos, I start tagging them.

The lighttable is good tool for going trough photos. Because many times 
you take 2-4 shots from one subject. So you can compare them easily and 
rate them. And the tagging comes really easy after rating all photos. The 
hardest part really is to learn own skills, to notice what photo can be 
rated as 1 and what just 3. Many times people just rate 1 or 5 star all 
nice 
what has something intresting. Some people rates almost all with rating 3. 
But after few rounds, when keeping in mind that most photos should be 
about rating 1 then rating 2 has less and only a few (about 5%) have a 
rating 5.

ps. And later on, it is easy to rise or lower the rating just watching 
specific rated photos. Then you do not compare them to better or worse, 
but you can easily "move" photos to other rating. This helps a lot 
sometimes. And after few times this kind job has be done, user learns to 
rate easier way own photos and even notice what she or he wants to shoot 
next time.