Photo Stats: Your Photo Metadata Analyzer!

Ever wondered which camera, lens, or white balance setting you use most often? Say hello to Photo Stats, a fun, fast, and efficient Python script that crunches the numbers on your photo collection.

Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or just love snapping pictures, this tool gives you detailed statistics about your photos—year, month, camera model, lens, ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and even focal length.

📸 What This Tool Does (And Why You’ll Love It)

Tired of sluggish photo catalog software that costs a fortune or compromises your privacy? This Python-based Photo Stats Script offers a lightweight, open-source alternative for photographers who value speed, simplicity, and control. Here’s what it delivers:

✅ Key Features

1. Blazing-Fast Metadata Extraction
   • Scans 100,000+ photos in minutes using parallel processing.
   • Supports RAW formats (CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, RAF, DNG, RW2) and JPEG.
2. Smart Grouping
   • Automatically groups RAW+JPEG pairs, prioritizing RAW files when both exist in the same folder.
3. Detailed Statistics
   • Generates insights about your gear and shooting habits:
     • Camera/Lens usage
     • Focal lengths
     • Year/month trends, ISO, shutter speed, aperture, flash usage, and more
     • Resolution stats
4. Cross-Platform
   • Works on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
5. Privacy-First
   • Your data stays offline—no cloud storage or third-party servers.
6. Caching System
   • Reuse previous scans with a local SQLite database for instant updates.
7. Terminal-Based Progress Tracking
   • Real-time progress bars with time estimates and ETA.

🚫 What It Doesn’t Do

This is a specialized tool, not a full DAM (Digital Asset Management) system. It won’t:

• Organize files into folders
• Edit photos
• Offer AI tagging or facial recognition
• Provide a graphical interface

⚡ Why Choose This Over Commercial Tools?

Compared to Adobe Lightroom, Capture One, or digiKam:

• Speed: Processes 450,000+ photos in under an hour (vs. days with some GUI tools).
• Cost: Free forever—no subscriptions.
• Privacy: Zero data leaves your computer.
• Customization: Extend with Python (add CSV exports, new stats, etc.).
• Lightweight: Uses 90% less RAM than most catalog software.

🖥️ How to Install & Run on macOS

1. Install Python 3:
   Open Terminal and install via Homebrew (if you haven’t already): /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)" brew install python3
2. Install ExifTool:
   Simply run: brew install exiftool
3. Download the Script:
   Save the photo_stats.py file (the full script is available here) to your preferred directory.
4. Run It:
   In Terminal, navigate to the script’s folder: cd ~/path/to/your/script Then execute: python3 photo_stats.py /path/to/your/photos If you leave out the photos directory, it defaults to the current folder.

💿How to Install & Run on Windows

I have not tested it on Windows, should work:

1. Install Python 3:
   Download and install the latest version from python.org. Make sure to check “Add Python to PATH” during installation.
2. Install ExifTool:
   Download the Windows executable from ExifTool’s website. Rename it to exiftool.exe and place it in a folder included in your PATH (e.g., C:\Windows\).
3. Download the Script:
   Save the photo_stats.py file (the full script is available here) to your preferred directory.
4. Run It:
   Open Command Prompt, navigate to the script’s directory: cd C:\Path\To\Your\Script Then run: python photo_stats.py "C:\Path\To\Your\Photos" Omit the photos directory to process the current folder.

🏆 Advantages Over Traditional Catalog Systems

Feature	This Script	Lightroom/DigiKam
Speed	⚡ Minutes for 100k+	🐢 Hours/Days
Cost	💲 Free	💸 10−10−50/month
Privacy	🔒 100% Offline	☁️ Cloud sync required
Customization	🛠️ Python-friendly	❌ Closed-source
Hardware Demands	🖥️ Runs on a potato	💻 Needs powerful GPU

🚀 Final Thoughts

This script is perfect for:

• Developers who want a customizable base for photo workflows.
• Photographers with massive libraries who need fast analytics.
• Privacy-conscious users tired of subscription models.

Photo Stats is designed to be a fast, fun, and insightful way to understand your photography habits. With its caching system and smart grouping, it saves you time and keeps your metadata stats organized. Whether you’re on macOS or Windows, the installation is straightforward—and the results, incredibly rewarding.

Ready to dive in and uncover your photo secrets? Download the script, follow the steps above, and start exploring your metadata today!

Happy shooting!

Created for Chema Photo. Professional photography in Barcelona.