PHOTOGRAPHY · FULL-STACK · SELF-HOSTED

Photo Management
& Lightroom Workflow

A private, self-hosted photo management platform designed around a RAW-first photography workflow — combining automated ingestion, metadata processing, protected original-file storage, and fast web-based browsing with a Lightroom-centered editing process.

React TypeScript FastAPI Python SQLite Linux

PROJECT PREVIEW

From capture to archive.

The workflow combines a custom photo platform, dedicated local storage, and Adobe Lightroom to keep originals organized, accessible, and under my control.

Photo management and Lightroom workflow project overview

THE CHALLENGE

Keep a growing photo library organized and protected.

As a photography library grows across cameras, phones, RAW files, edited images, and multiple users, simple folders become harder to manage. I wanted a workflow that preserved the untouched originals, reduced duplicate and organization work, and avoided making a third-party cloud service the source of truth.

THE SOLUTION

A private photo platform built around the originals.

I built a self-hosted system that ingests photos, extracts EXIF metadata, organizes files into a predictable archive, detects exact duplicates, and generates smaller previews for fast browsing. The original files remain protected as the master archive while Lightroom can work directly with the full-resolution photography library.

MY CONTRIBUTION

Application development, automation & infrastructure.

Full-Stack Development React and TypeScript on the front end with a FastAPI/Python backend, REST APIs, persistent metadata, and responsive interfaces.

Photo Processing EXIF extraction, HEIC and ProRAW/DNG handling, thumbnail and preview generation, duplicate detection, and original-file preservation.

Server & Storage Ubuntu, Nginx, Samba, systemd services, HTTPS, dedicated storage, drive-health validation, and a migration strategy built around data safety.

Workflow Design Multi-user camera and iPhone ingestion, Lightroom-friendly organization, fast preview storage, and a scalable structure for a growing archive.

UNDER THE HOOD

Built as a complete system, not just a gallery.

Camera / iPhone → Automated Ingestion → Master Originals → Preview Cache → Web App + Lightroom

Technologies include React, TypeScript, Vite, FastAPI, Python, SQLite, ExifTool, rawpy, Pillow/HEIF, Nginx, Samba, Linux, systemd, REST APIs, and HTTPS/TLS.

PROJECT TAKEAWAY

“The goal was to make the technology disappear into the workflow — keep the original photos safe, make the library easy to browse, and let Lightroom remain the creative workspace.”