Photos is one reason I always end up back on windows. My photo library is windows explorer and the file system. It just works. And it’s not hidden in any weird opaque and fragile abstraction.
Every time I’ve used macOS (I’ve had three MacBooks and two iMacs) I have to fight them. And I’m not up for that.
Google Picasa for Mac (the desktop app, now discontinued), was great for that. Keep .jpgs in folders, and use picasa to search and browse on top of that. Seeing at it seems to be a 32bit app, I'll be holding on to Mojave for much longer than usual.
Every time I’ve used macOS (I’ve had three MacBooks and two iMacs) I have to fight them. And I’m not up for that.