Workflow examples

[Jamie Roberts]

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My workflow

 

(a little thread hijack here)..

 

Jeff--

 

I know it's ridiculous for me to welcome you back here, since I know you were on the old Leica forum before I even knew it existed, but I just wanted to say "welcome" anyway!

 

The Phase One article on your workflow is great. I've noticed, too, that the last version of iView / Expressions is a lot kinder to M8 DNG files, as is breezebrowser.

 

However, since the new C1 V4 is actually pretty speedy, I'm hoping the pro version will replace some of the asset management / preview part of workflow (though in truth, C1 3.7.7 is actually pretty fast anyway).

 

I noticed too that the keyboard shortcuts and mousewheel controls on the C1 beta are different / inactive, but I'm sure they'll fix them with the release of the program.

[elansprint72]

Maybe you folks could post the odd photo once in a while?

[aj55]

Here's my flow:

 

SD in reader and copy onto harddrive with explorer.

Copy them with Lightroom onto seperate USB drive and with new name and keywords.

A second seperate USB drive "shadows" with IOmega software.

Process with Lightroom and print with Lightroom.

 

If I try to read the SD with Lightroom, I loose pictures and get doubles.

 

Happy shooting

[wparsonsgisnet]

I am finding that my workflow keeps changing now that my camera is a computer!

 

It seems that every 6 to 8 weeks, something in my process changes. Now, it's C1 v4-beta.

 

When I was in my darkroom, printing b/w, all I had to do was open up my notebook to find the details so I could reprint the same image (Zone VI hardware made the printing repeatable).

 

When the M8 firmware releases were evolving, I was purchasing new profiles from Edmund regularly. Now that I'm in v4-beta, I'm finding that I need to rework my images still again.

 

It's a good thing this isn't an old dog!

[stephengilbert]

Bill,

 

A dog's age is not measured by its ability to learn new tricks.

 

Steve

[alastair]

G'day all,

 

I'm interested that not many of you do as I am doing, so here goes:

 

• Shoot all in DNG raw on R9 or M8 and ORF on the 510.

• Remove card and use card reader to download to Lightroom. Instead of making a folder with the shoot name etc, I make sure I put in plenty of keywords at the time of importation. I usually import onto the MacPro laptop because that it what I travel with and its easy around the house anyway

• Fast sort: ie get rid of any duds. I don't like to make too many decisions at the first pass, but on this pass, I delete inappropriate keywords (I find it faster to delete them than to add them later) and often start the image clean up: LR is great for doing this as you can always return to base. I will often use the copy and paste alterations to speed up changes on similar images and to keep the "look" consistent.

• When I come back, I rate and label, add titles and captions and then walk away again

• Finally decision time. Save/remove the images and do some final editing of the images: crop/levels/colour balance/exposure/etc

• I now make sure the exif date and metadata is all attached to the images and transfer them to my desk top Mac for storage on the RAID

 

Cheers and Merry Christmas

[ptomsu]

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Interesting findings though :-))

[vikasmg]

I'm not a professional though I have been shooting pictures for several years. I like to keep things simple so here goes:

 

1. Copy pictures from the SD card or wherever I've backed them up into a folder called "001 From Camera". I generally import them into a subfolder with the date and a short description like "20071225 Chrismas day party". I generally shoot RAW/DNG but if I shoot RAW+JPG I copy everything over.

 

2. Import the folder into the Lightroom Library (I'm not sure why I don't copy the files over using Lightroom itself, but I just find it easier using two Finder windows.

 

3. Within lightroom, rename all files straight away using a Date/Sequence/Description format like "20071225 - 0023 Christmas day party". Conveniently Lightroom shows you only the RAW files (if available) but renames both the RAW files and their corresponding JPGs.

 

4. Review and delete files from within Lightroom (even though I can't get it to stop asking me if I only want to remove the image from the library or delete it from the disk!)

 

5. Review and develop images within Lightroom. I only occasionally venture into PhotoShop partly because most of the photography I do doesn't require it and partly because I don't have the time. During this process I also flag images I really like and once I'm done with the lot I review images I have not flagged to see if I should delete them.

 

6. Finally from within Lightroom I move the images to appropriate folders sometimes these are usefully classified but sometimes not. In any case my ambition (not yet achieved) is to clear everything in the "001 From Camera" folder within a week or two.

 

7. If I intend to share images with others (for instance after that Christmas party) I will generally post the images in a PBase gallery with restricted access and e-mail people to let them know I have done so - with a request that if anyone wants high resolution versions of the images they should get back to me within a week because I may delete a number of the images after that. I generally avid deleting such images for about a month to give people more float time than they think they have.

 

8. If I'm shoting for work (I'm an architect) my images are generally classified in folders first by location and then by building type etc. For the rest I'm dependent on keyword searches. If they are travel pictures that are not building related they are generally in folders by date and location. Frequently there's an overlap but that's life.

 

Cheers.

 

- Vikas

[burkey]

I just finished looking around for some trial software that could support the Canon G9 RAW format and for something that I liked. In the process I gave Bibble Lite a try. Yup, it reads my G9 RAW files fine with some nice processing options. Since I have to do some shooting at work tomorrow with my Digilux 3 I thought I'd try the software with D3 RAW file. Yo! Nice processing environment. This is a shot from this afternoon I took of my son getting a loving "tattoo" on his new cast from his mother. Tattoo by Mom, cast courtesy of a nasty snowboarding spill.

Regardless, Bibble appears to deserve some looking at for RAW processing. 'Just thought I'd pass this on.

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[wparsonsgisnet]

I am trying to do b/w prints and have acquired an Epson 1400 and Jon Cone's K6 CIS set. At the moment, I'm using Hahnemule 386 Photo Rag matte.

 

Would those of you doing b/w let us know what your workflow is.

 

For example,

1. desatureate

2. PS levels work

3. JFI Color Labs manipulation for filters and/or grain,

 

and like that.

 

Thanks in advance,

[John Thawley]

Oh my.....

 

My workflow description is here:

 

Wrapping Your Head Around Workflow

 

Not to be arrogant, but from what I'm reading on this thread, many could benefit by revisiting their approach. Times have changed.. Photoshop is lost on routine photo editing and stand alone thumbnail browsers and all the rest are archaic.

 

In my opinion, today's working photographer needs to manage the process from start to finish.

 

For that reason, I moved to Aperture two years ago. I manage 100,000 files per year. As an sports event photographer, I must manage 5000 plus per weekend and filter out 100 -150 for immediate transmission and distribution. AND... they need to be right.

 

I'm going to cut this short, because I'm sure there are those that will say, "oh, he just drank the kool-aid"... and/or want to ask, "how does this compare to Photoshop?" All I can tell you is, once a photographer understands the concept of Aperture (or Lightroom, for that matter) there's simply no other way. And, I don't care if your processing 500 images or polishing a handful of gems... it will become WHERE YOU LIVE.

 

If my computer is on, Aperture is most likely open. It's my photographic desktop and operating system. It preserves my original image, it manages my files, it adjust my images with all the finesse one can imagine and it doesn't care if it's RAW or jpeg. It gets out of my way.

 

And don't tell me... "oh, I tried that program... I didn't like it." You didn't understand it. You don't TRY it... you commit and you use it. It requires that you learn the program so that you can then TAILOR the program to fit YOUR work flow... not its workflow... YOUR workflow.

 

Ok... I said I'd keep it short.. I tried.. I lied. Read my blog.

 

JT

[haribo]

A little view into my workflow and some photos to see as well, you can find in the current (6/2008) issue of LFI.

 

cheers, Harald Benz

[Holmz]

I am using the demo of C1, and seem to be able to correct the WB, and change the "exposure curve" to give a result that I like, but I don't have a good feel for what is the right way to that.

 

I've been shooting in DNG + Jpeg basic, and look to see if the image is clipped... then adjust if need be.

But when I take them to the printer they are too dark, so I bump up the exposure by 0.5, which looks bright on the screen, but looks about right on paper.

 

Question:

So what does one use for HDR(?) or for stitching together a few shots that overlap(?) or both at once?

Would like something that reads the .DNG and can be used with the M8, rather than make Jpegs... ???

[james_h]

John,

 

Keep off the kool-aid....

 

 

 

Thanks to all for posting their workflows, very interesting to hear the pro's flows too.

 

regards

 

James

[John Thawley]

John,

 

Keep off the kool-aid....

 

James

 

I've moved on to Glenlivit, Glenfiddich, Glenmorange... any Glen will do.

[wparsonsgisnet]

the Orangie is my fav of the three. Clearly, they enhance the light room working environment, as does a good dark ale.

 

With some Oscar Peterson on the hi-fi, it's a perfect imaging environment.

[John Thawley]

the Orangie is my fav of the three.

 

 

Ah... but form which cask? The sherry or port?

[thehouseflogger]

ok pop pickers here goes.

 

get back from wedding

grab a bottle of fizz from the fridge

 

download off sd cards onto two external hard drives

 

hide master/ back up drive in gun cabinet

 

create folder with wedding title, and then 4 sub folders - raw, tiffs, site, album

move raws to raw folder

use lightroom to get takers, crop, rotation, wb, exposure etc.

export and resize to folder called tiffs

 

in csr4 sharpen add borders and save a set as saved for web into the site folder

 

upload contents of site folder to web site.

 

text bride and say pictures ready

 

wait a month for the album order

print from tiffs

 

etc

 

etc

 

works for me but do not knock an external drive off your desk - but that is another horrible story................

[Guest flatfour]

Good grief - and I thought digital was supposed to be simple. I agree with Pete. I thought my film process was complicated. - put film in changing bag, fit into tank, pour in liquids, hang to dry. print as required.

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[jaapv]

ok pop pickers here goes.

 

get back from wedding

grab a bottle of fizz from the fridge

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

works for me but do not knock an external drive off your desk - but that is another horrible story................

 

Is there a connection there? Seriously, Guy, I read your plight in another thread. Bummer. Did you manage to recover enough to satisfy the clients?