[Shotwell] new and future releases

[Jorge Ortega]

First of all merry Christmas to all of you!!

Second: very sincere congratulations for a very significant release. From
today I can start using Shotwell as my photo manager thanks to the ability
to save tags to the files and the auto-update option and in the hope that
few things I still need will eventually come. . Not only that but I also
have a video manager!! Farewell to Picasa....

I hope you don't mind if I point out what I think the program still needs:

1-Search feature: I know this is on the way so thanks in advance for that.
This is perhaps the single most important feature still missing. I don't
know if there is agreement on this but in my view you should be able to
search at least tags, file names and folder names. Very definitely tags.

2-I believe this has also been requested but I don't know what the plans
are: some kind of tags management. When you've got hundreds of different
tags (for many thousands of images) to scroll up and down the list is not an
option any more. A hierarchical view would be good: nature>forest>trees>pine
trees...

3-Some kind of separation between raw files and jpegs. As it is now,
everything is in the same pot which is very inconvenient. Possible answers
to this: multiple libraries or better still multiple profiles. The bottom
line is I need to know when I'm between originals and edited files.

4-RAW to DNG conversion. Is this something really polemic in Linux? Just now
this is the one thing that sends me back to Windows as far as
photo management. Everything else I can just manage.

5-Multiple views: folder view (tree/alphabetical/date view). I think this is
on the way.

6- I can't use Shotwell to import my files from devices until it let me
choose the name of the folders and where to put them.

7- Better editing tools. I know shotwell is not (and will not be)
replacement for Gimp. But really, for good/quick tone/color/contrast/light
control all is needed is one tool: levels or curves with the ability to
apply to different color channels. And of course for the less inclined to
investigate the tool an auto-level setting.

As I said, thanks again for this timely update. It is just so good when you
can do in your chosen desktop what you need to do without having to search
for increasingly  exotic/inconvenient options: kde, wine, proprietary
software and in the en Windows.

Best regards
Jorge