Step 1

Drop the photo folder into Gemini, review the suggested duplicate pairs, and delete the ones you don't need — enable Duplicates Monitor so new duplicates get flagged automatically going forward.

Step 2

Open Photos, click the + next to Albums, choose Smart Album, and set triggers like date range, location, or camera — new photos matching those criteria land in the right album without any manual sorting.

Step 3

Right-click the Albums section in the sidebar, create a folder, and drag related albums inside — one folder per project, trip, or person keeps the sidebar from becoming a scrolling mess.

Step 4

Open key photos in Luminar Neo to apply AI-powered edits, add keywords and tags, and make the final selects genuinely look good rather than just exist in a folder.

Step 5

Use HoudahSpot to search by metadata, date, file type, or tag when Photos' own search can't find something specific — especially useful for locating RAW files or images from external drives.