Workflow examples

[Jeff S]

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For myself I wish I could find a way to efficiently select the keepers to get the confidence to erase the rest.

 

With a program like LR, you could keep everything yet still set up some 'collections' that hold your best work, at least as you determine.

 

TOP recently had a post about editing one's work. The mechanics are simple; the decisions often not for some folks.

 

Jeff

[Echo63]

For myself I wish I could find a way to efficiently select the keepers to get the confidence to erase the rest.

 

for my personal work, i keep most, its just the terrible ones i delete (really OOF, really bad exposure, eyes shut etc)

 

for my work stuff, i am one of the few who actually keeps a copy of their work - but work does archive everything that makes it onto the system.

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[Dan Bachmann]

My workflow usually runs over a few weeks, but it could be done in a day...

 

Copy from memory card to external hard disk.

Move copied files on the memory card to a "copied" folder on the card. Rename the 100Leica folder to something meaningful.

Organize into folders, rename and rank files with BreezeBrowser Pro.

(may add bulk processing in Capture One or DxO PhotoLab here)

Edit in Affinity Photo

Export from Affinity Photo to TIFF (very slow with layers)

Make sharpened web JPEG images with BreezeBrowser Pro.

Upload to Flickr

Backup external hard disk.

Remove "copied" folder from memory card.

If it is going to be a print, then I do more adjustments in Affinity Photo on the TIFF, then load it into Photoshop CS6 to print it.

 

Edited March 29, 2019 by Dan Bachmann

[Exodies]

8 hours ago, Dan Bachmann said:

My workflow usually runs over a few weeks, but it could be done in a day...

 

Copy from memory card to external hard disk.

Move copied files on the memory card to a "copied" folder on the card. Rename the 100Leica folder to something meaningful.

Organize into folders, rename and rank files with BreezeBrowser Pro.

(may add bulk processing in Capture One or DxO PhotoLab here)

Edit in Affinity Photo

Export from Affinity Photo to TIFF (very slow with layers)

Make sharpened web JPEG images with BreezeBrowser Pro.

Upload to Flickr

Backup external hard disk.

Remove "copied" folder from memory card.

If it is going to be a print, then I do more adjustments in Affinity Photo on the TIFF, then load it into Photoshop CS6 to print it.

 

Your process adds unnecessary wear and tear to the card. Instead of altering the files on the card I would put the card aside until after the step “backup external hard disk” then format the card in camera.

 

Edited March 30, 2019 by Exodies

[Dan Bachmann]

9 hours ago, Exodies said:

Your process adds unnecessary wear and tear to the card. Instead of altering the files on the card I would put the card aside until after the step “backup external hard disk” then format the card in camera.

 

A good point after coming back from a trip with lots of images on a single card. There's also a slight risk anytime something changes data on a card.

Another reason why my backup process takes so long is that then take the back-up and swap the drives about every two weeks with another set I keep offsite.

 

[jaapv]

Personally I would not touch the card data until I have the computer copy and backup in place. In fact, it is wise to lock the card before transferring the files anyway.

[Dan Bachmann]

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5 hours ago, jaapv said:

Personally I would not touch the card data until I have the computer copy and backup in place. In fact, it is wise to lock the card before transferring the files anyway.

Me too. I rename the folder on the card after it is copied off and then clear the card once there are three copies of the data (working copy, local backup & off-site back-up). My main concern with back-ups is that they are all stored in the same city. Cloud backups are too slow and costly for all my images. Perhaps I should consider a cloud back-up for the best in my portfolio and some favorite memories.

 

[Exodies]

Renaming the folder on the card is touching the card data. Please don’t!

[justbananas]

I have lightroom setup to import in a way that images are segregated by date.  If the date of the file does not yet have a folder, one is created. (as in, new photos for the day)

I have an external hard drive which is actually an M.2 drive in a small USB-C cage, 1 tb.

My folder structure on this drive is by year, month, day.  2019 > April > 04-20-2019. Etc

I slide my camera card into my Satechi base while lightroom is open.

Lightroom automatically moves to import screen.  Most times, the last selected folder is still selected (M.2 > 2019 > April)

If the files on the card are new, as in there is no "date" folder yet, one is created automagically and I can see it on the right column with a check mark in front of it.  If files also exist on the card for another date, as in yesterday, then those files will be marked to go into the correct date folder.

Once I verify by visually just looking (sometimes lightroom will try to put the files on my computers hard drive, and I have to remind it that this is not what I want by selecting the correct "month" folder on my m.2), I simply click import.  I have mine setup to also show jpegs aside the DNG files, which are always B&W.

I wait.  Once done, I eject the card, remove the card, and it goes back into the camera.  Next time I turn on the camera, or in the next few days, I reformat the card in camera.

Usually while the import is happening, I'm already flagging keepers.  Once the import is done, I continue to mark keepers and obvious rejects using the thumbnail strip.  If the photo merits a deeper look, as in I can't tell from the thumbnail, it gets flagged white no matter.

After this first run, I double check rejects, and delete them also removing from disk.

Then in the develop module, I narrow down to only white flags, and arrow key through them seeking photos to take out of the flagged list. similar images, poor framing, over or under exposed, just not strong enough, that sort of stuff.

once done, I next go image by image and 5 star my absolute favorites.  Also in this step, I make a decision if this photo should be color or B&W.  Also in this step, I identify any "series" of photos that should be processed similar.  I love series of photos, and I want them to look the same as each other.

From there, I edit.  Once complete, CMD A, export, jpg 75%, long side 2080px, include copyright and they all export to a single folder titled EXPORT.  This folder is kept clean and empty.  I then open photos, drag the exports into PHOTOS, they import to my iCloud, and I move the exports to a subfolder titled OLD.  Once per month I usually empty this OLD folder, I can't tell you why I don't do it right away...

Usually once per month, I will export some previous month as it's own catalog, and then back that catalog and photos to a NAS, which in turn automatically backs up to a cloud service.  I make a duplicate copy of same on an additional external hard drive.  Then I remove those same photos from lightroom and from my M.2 drive, other wise it would be full in a hurry.  So at the end of April, I might be backing January. 

Further, my entire computer, including attached drives, are all backed up automatically to another cloud service.  When did this get so complicated??  haha

Edited April 25, 2019 by justbananas

[fotografr]

On 6/16/2014 at 5:40 AM, Steve Ash said:

For myself I wish I could find a way to efficiently select the keepers to get the confidence to erase the rest.

Before converting to digital shooting in 1999, I shot film for magazines and other publications for more than 20 years. Since retiring a few years ago I've spent countless hours going through my slides and negatives sorting out what to keep (and scan), what to give to the state historical society, and what to bin. It's a huge task and has impacted my approach to digital archiving.

When I shoot now (all digital), I'm extremely selective. I open my raw files in Bridge and do a preliminary edit, deleting everything I don't like. Then I adjust the keepers in Adobe Camera Raw and import them to Photoshop CC for final editing. Once I have the image the way I want it, I save the jpeg and corresponding DNG to two separate external hard drives that are arranged with folders by subject. Everything else goes into the bin. I'm saving about 10% of what I shoot. The primary reason for this is that I've experienced the difficulty of wading through tens of thousands of images and I'm pretty sure my heirs won't have the patience or inclination to do it. The harder I make their task, the more likely it is that everything will go out.

I think the trick here is to learn to be highly critical when evaluating your own images. If you're not absolutely certain you should keep something, you probably shouldn't.

[pico]

12 minutes ago, fotografr said:

Before converting to digital shooting in 1999, I shot film for magazines and other publications for more than 20 years.

Magazines. Then you can appreciate the silliness that we shared back in the day over a beer such as getting a photo essay published in TV Guide, the most widely circulated periodical then. Hilarious parody of our profession. I did manage a cover picture and internal photos for an article in Parade Magazine. Once 🙄

Edited May 18, 2019 by pico

[fotografr]

4 hours ago, pico said:

Magazines. Then you can appreciate the silliness that we shared back in the day over a beer such as getting a photo essay published in TV Guide, the most widely circulated periodical then. Hilarious parody of our profession. I did manage a cover picture and internal photos for an article in Parade Magazine. Once 🙄

Then we are brothers. I also had one in Parade. I guess I missed the boat with TV Guide. Never had anything there, but I did make Reader's Digest, once the world's biggest circulation publication. My main claim to fame was getting a cover on the French version of Elle with my photo of Cindy and Richard. That one netted a couple of glasses of good scotch.

[pico]

Ach, I didn't even get a beer for mine! Here is one from the article. Dr. Robert Replogle, U of Chicago.

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Edited May 19, 2019 by pico

[fotografr]

On 5/18/2019 at 8:43 PM, pico said:

Ach, I didn't even get a beer for mine! Here is one from the article. Dr. Robert Replogle, U of Chicago.

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That's a great shot--lots of intensity. Easy to see it as a cover.

[wellfleet]

A friend of mine will be giving a talk on digital printing at the B&H Event space in New York City on July 31st that can be attended or watched online.

Bob has printed for many, including Richard Avedon, David Burnett, Joel Meyerowitz and Robert Freson.

 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/eventDetails.jsp/id/3138

Edited July 7, 2019 by wellfleet

[downstairs]

I set stuff up on a table near the window and futz around it for a couple of days with a Monochrom and a 40mm Summicron. I check the files on screen for bad structure, indeterminate edges and such, using hard contrast jpegs to catch the worst bits. When thing are looking pretty much definitive, I  shoot bracketed DNGs, detach the Monochrom and save the files to be developed with Iridient some time later.
I load two sheets of 8x10” Fomapan, setup a Gandolfi field camera with a 275mm Elgeet (same perspective as the 40mm.). I expose for anything between between 3 and 90 minutes, depending on the weather outside the window.  The floor is granite flagstone so I can safely go to the pub during exposure.  I do 60 to 90 minute stand development in a daylight tray.  My thing is palladium contact prints which are hazardous for a negative which should normally last for ever. That’s why two sheets.
Most of the Leica images I post on this forum are done setting up for large format and lack a final tweak - like Polaroid once upon a time.
One or two DNG triplets go through Iridient developer and if the range is coming off the edges I do a blend in Photomatix; otherwise I just pick the best exposure and avoid CC (any app with a curves setting will do, but just I hate being in the same room with presets).
While most of the trouble and strife goes into analog contact prints from sheet film,  I also do large prints (55x77cm.) from the Leica files for hanging on the wall.  cbroadbent.it

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Edited August 4, 2019 by downstairs
n/m

[Jeff S]

1 hour ago, downstairs said:

 

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All you need now is one of Vermeer’s models.  Lovely light and tone.

Jeff

[CharlesL]

Raw Therapee now combines ease of use with its precision tools.

The donation-only processing program Raw Therapee has always sported precision tools, such as exposure adjustment in increments as small as .01 stop if you want. RT also had a reputation for being difficult to get to an something like the camera .JPG. No more. The key operation here is Auto-Matched Tone Curve; a click gives an image very much the same pop as the camera .JPG. (The program uses the camera-embedded .JPG in the raw file to compute a tone curve that transforms the raw data to a similar image.)

A short, illustrated post of a four-step procedure to a good image is here:
https://discuss.pixls.us/t/rt-issue-with-auto-matched-curve-with-this-shot/13629

 

[Hans-Dieter Gülicher]

I think there are two typs of workflow you should bear in mind.

First you may realise a congenial line with regard to camera data > picture processing software > computer monitor > printer.  For example: ADOBE-rgb in any case. But do never switch over from color space to color space.

Secound you should clearly define the final result of your work. What do you accurately need at the end? For example: You want to get a highend tif-file für printing. Run your picture processing line on 16 bit / ADOBR-rgb base up to the end.

My general way to handle my present Q2 – data (dng /ADOBE-rgb):

1.     - Copying the camera card data to my computer storage device and to be shure on an additonal external medium.

2.     - Loading the data by using ADOBE Bridge. Evaluating the wanted picture. Opening in ACR.

3.     - Developping the dng-file by using ACR according to my needs as complete and best as possible on 16 bit / ADOBE-rgb base. Transferring this data file to PS 2020.

4.     - Checking the quality of my developed picture using PS. Running final works f.e. USM. At last storing as tif-file (for printing) or jpg-file (for internet usage).

Furthermore I like to add my especial design in case of prospective printing by using ADOBE inDesing or AV-data files by using MS PhotoDraw as base to produce a Pictures to Exe – HDAV-presentation.

Greatings Hans

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[Ko.Fe.]

I use computer under Windows OS with card reader and Adobe Lightroom (standalone version)

Once I insert memory card. Computer, OS will bring "what to do". I Choose import with LR.

LR will start and bring auto-import. It does it  year, month, day for me. 

After import is finished I spend some time to find images worth of the keeping, delete the rest, tag keepers.

I also add some more info for the name folder via LR.

I export to JPEG1 folder for keepers with 2800 long side pixel size, 300 dpi and 2.5 Mb. I also copy from this folder elsewhere.

For internet I export to another folder.

At the end of the year I use "write metadata" for entire year folder and export it via LR to external HD.