TL;DR : With just US $5 worth of Claude Code prompts I rewrote the README, patched obvious security holes, and added watermarking + bulk‑renaming to my open‑source photo batcher Super Fiesta. Now it replaces both Photoshop macros and my beloved Squash GUI.
The original pain point
Except when I'm working with the great Pit Reding, every party left me with hundreds of pictures that were too heavy, not square, unbranded, and badly named. I spent more time juggling Photoshop actions and Squash than enjoying the memories. My tiny Python script—hacked together in an afternoon and inspired by @roast.london.roast's clean aesthetic—only did a basic resize and … that was it.
What Super Fiesta does today
- Resizes to a neat 1080‑px square, centers the photo, fills the background.
- Batches an entire folder (optional macOS tag filter).
- Adjustable JPEG quality.
- PNG watermark (size, position, opacity, margins).
- Smart renaming — original, sequential, or Event‑Date with conflict detection.
- Persistent config in sf_config.ini.
- Chattier CLI with input validation.
Why I brought Claude Code on board
I’m not a full‑time Python dev; I wanted to move fast, stay clean, and learn along the way. Claude Code bills per token, so with a handful of focused prompts I:
- Rewrote the README to be genuinely onboarding‑friendly.
- Hardened the script (error handling, RGB/quality checks, context managers).
- Implemented watermarking end‑to‑end.
- Added pattern‑based renaming with a preview step.
Total chat: ~5 800 tokens ⇒ ~ US $5.
Two signature upgrades at a glance
| Feature | Before | After Claude Code |
|---|---|---|
| Watermark | 🛑 None – I relied on Squash | ✅ PNG overlay – six preset positions, 1‑50 % size, 10‑100 % opacity (default: bottom‑center at 14 %) |
| Renaming | 🔢 Batch renamming from MacOS | 🚀 Automatic: Original / Sequential (Party_001) / Event‑based (Birthday_2025‑08‑07_001) with preview + conflict detection |
What working with an AI felt like
- Iterative prompting – start with context → ask for a plan → zoom into code.
- Git co‑authoring – each commit is clearly co‑signed, perfect for traceability.
- Security awareness – Claude flagged unvalidated inputs and potential batch crashes and proposed tested fixes.
- Cost efficiency – pay‑as‑you‑go beats a monthly subscription for small OSS bursts.
Wrap‑up & call‑to‑action
If you want to …
- Automate your photo pipeline without a heavyweight GUI,
- Super‑charge a side‑project on a shoestring budget,
- Learn by reading AI‑assisted code,
clone the repo, run pip install -r requirements.txt and python sf.py. Your shots will be Instagram‑ready in seconds!
💡 Next step: a tiny Tkinter GUI and Windows support. Feel free to open an issue or send a PR.
Happy fiestas – and keep those cameras clicking! 📸🥳
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