Workflow advice please

[Sally]

RAW images straight into Lightroom; all processing done in Lightroom (for non Alamy images I sometimes use the free Nik software via Lightroom for some finishing touches like borders), upload direct to Alamy from Lightroom using the plugin Alamy Lightroom Bridge, fetch Alamy reference using the plugin, keyword in Lightroom using my now completely reorganised personal hierarchy, adjust the optional Alamy settings in the plugin, then finally upload all the metadata to Alamy. If those last steps sound complicated, it’s really not and each operation takes seconds. Images are on my hard drive, backed up to an external hard drive, and also to a portable drive. 

 

I have the perpetual version of Lightroom, but anticipate that I will probably want to upgrade to the monthly subscription at some point now that it is not being supported. However the initial £100 or so over a couple of years will have been worth it. I also use Lightroom on my MacBook when away from home, and can import all the work into my main catalog once I’m back. 

 

[geoff s]

 

Just to clarify a bit - I'm reluctant to invest more time an money in new software. As you have probably gathered, I'm a slow learner when it comes to

tech, and I don't do an awful lot of PP so I feel Elements is probably about my 'level'.

 I updated Elements when I got the XT1 as it wasn't compatible with my previous version, then I got the XT2 which requires another updated version to enable

ACR. 

So...ACR not an option and Irident X transformer was recommended on here as a better alternative to Adobe DNG converter.

Would like to stick with my current set up but tidy it up a bit, as has been said it's about finding the system that works for you.

Maybe I don't need to shoot jpegs as well, and perhaps I could delete the DNG's after use and just keep the RAF files.  

 

Thanks for the responses so far, I do value the advice.

 

the other,other Geoff S

[RedSnapper]

1 hour ago, Sally said:

RAW images straight into Lightroom; all processing done in Lightroom (for non Alamy images I sometimes use the free Nik software via Lightroom for some finishing touches like borders), upload direct to Alamy from Lightroom using the plugin Alamy Lightroom Bridge, fetch Alamy reference using the plugin, keyword in Lightroom using my now completely reorganised personal hierarchy, adjust the optional Alamy settings in the plugin, then finally upload all the metadata to Alamy.

 

 

Question: Why dont you add the metadata before uploading the images to Alamy? Or is there something i've not undertood about this workflow?

 

I FTP from LR to Alamy with the captions/tags already in place

 

km

[Ed Rooney]

11 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

Geoff s, Good advice above on the Adobe subscription if and only if you feel you can afford it. I use PS and Bridge to cull. What’s left is loaded to LIghtroom where I simply use the development panels. One feature I particularly like in Lightroom and I believe is better than the Photoshop version is the correction of buildings’ perspectives.  

I then open the LR developed images as Tiffs into Photoshop, and do what Ed does. Spot, crop, inspect. Sometimes use layers to adjust a few areas. (Instead of NX) Sometimes downsize. Keyword in Bridge. Then upload the jpegs. 

I save the Raw and the jpeg to 2 hard drives.

I shoot Fuji X-T2 also. And RX100 lll.

Betty

 

I always use (try) the auto-perspctive correct in the LR tools on my images -- very handy and quick. In PS I might also try the auto-correct for hue, color and contrast. 

 

The tool I use to make adjustments to isolated parts of images in Capture NX2 can also be found in the free Nik software that Sally mentioned.

 

 

[Ed Rooney]

 

Geoff, what we do about perspective and everything else in PP has to be evaluated on each and every image, right?

 

I'm here in NYC, with its skyscrapers. When I go out with my Sony a6000 and the 10-18 zoom, I'm not planning to do a lot of straightening of buildings. On the other hand, when I lived in Village England, I mostly avoided distortion. Here's a snap I did of the new World Trade Center, where I felt distortion and added saturation were a plus. 

 

[Sally]

5 hours ago, RedSnapper said:

 

Question: Why dont you add the metadata before uploading the images to Alamy? Or is there something i've not undertood about this workflow?

 

I FTP from LR to Alamy with the captions/tags already in place

 

km

I do actually do the captions first, especially for news images. I don't always do all of the keywording and setting the optional information first.  No particular reason, but sometimes if I haven't ticked the right boxes, it can get wiped by the fetch data step.

[Betty LaRue]

I got along without Lightroom for years. Photoshop was my software, and I usually bought every other update. I only began to use LR when I went the subscription route.  I do like some of the features, but if pressed I could do without it. Photoshop is the cake...LR adds some icing.

I understand where you are coming from, Geoff s.  Sorry if I was strong arming you. Sometimes we “forum furniture” get a bit carried away. Mainly it’s because we are excited about what we do and the means we do it with, and want everyone to experience that.

 

If you are comfortable with your workflow, then stick with it. I think not saving the DNGs will please you.

As far as the subscription goes....I’ve always believed a bargain is not a bargain if it’s something you don’t need or want.

Betty

[geoff s]

Thanks Betty and others,

You really don't know how rubbish I am at the actual management and fundamentals of computing. I'm competent with a camera and my processing is basic but seems adequate but I struggle with PC basics.....simple stuff like files, folders, sensible storage etc. For example I have just worked out this morning how to just import the RAF files off the camera ie not the jpegs as well.

I will then convert them to DNG and store the DNG's in a separate location so that they can be deleted easily when finished with.

I should end up with just the RAF file and the final jpeg now, which is a vast improvement on the previous situation.

Your advice has helped me to fumble along a bit further, but feel free to roll your eyes. 

 

[Bryan]

Feel the need to chip in here. It's easy to get carried away with technology, it's fascinating and the latest software is attractive. However the truth of the matter is that you don't need the latest software to sell photos, my biggest $$$$ sale was a shot processed with Canon's free DPP software followed by a bit of work in a very out of date copy of PS.

 

If you make your living from photography then the CC solution is probably the way to go, but for those of us who do this part time and who don't make a huge amount of cash from it, then the £100 a year cost is significant in relation to the money earned, it's still £80 per year after tax relief. I try to match my photo gear expenditure to my photo income, keeping things in proportion. 

 

I guess if you are a techno-freak then you may well enjoy using the latest and greatest, but always ask the question "Is it cost effective?"

 

I will be staying with my standalone version of LR until such time as I buy a new camera that is not supported by it. I will then review the options available, but I will be trying to avoid the Adobe hook if at all possible.

 

Likewise I have avoided all cloud storage solutions to date To be honest, my commercial photos are hopefully safe enough with Alamy, it's only my family shots and other personal stuff that I really need to back up.

[Betty LaRue]

5 hours ago, geoff s said:

Thanks Betty and others,

You really don't know how rubbish I am at the actual management and fundamentals of computing. I'm competent with a camera and my processing is basic but seems adequate but I struggle with PC basics.....simple stuff like files, folders, sensible storage etc. For example I have just worked out this morning how to just import the RAF files off the camera ie not the jpegs as well.

I will then convert them to DNG and store the DNG's in a separate location so that they can be deleted easily when finished with.

I should end up with just the RAF file and the final jpeg now, which is a vast improvement on the previous situation.

Your advice has helped me to fumble along a bit further, but feel free to roll your eyes. 

 

I never roll my eyes over technical stuff! I am woefully inadequate with it. That said, this forum usually is great answering questions.

I have asked many, and it is my mission to help others if it is a subject I know a bit about. There really aren’t stupid questions to ask, just ignorance of a subject, and my ignorance has been vastly improved after asking questions here.

i work on a Mac. It’s been years since I used a PC, and that platform has moved on greatly since Windows XP. So I can’t help you there.

I will tell you my very simple way. 

I right click on my desktop and get a prompt which one of them is “create new folder” I create one when I have a card of images to transfer to the computer. 

I may name it “18-03-25-STOREFRONTS 

The year, month and day, and subject. I have some named “VARIOUS” when I have a memory card full of mostly different subjects. Like storefronts, birds, flowers, people all on the same card. Maybe name it, “people,birds,storefronts” if that is mostly the subjects.

After the download, I open into PS, (you Elements) and delete the poor shots.

Develop what’s left.

Create a new desktop folder named “ALAMY 203” meaning that will be the 203rd folder I’ve uploaded. This folder is the one I save the finished jpegs to, and upload them to Alamy from.

Once done, I save both folders one with the RAWs and the corresponding Alamy folder to two desktop HDs.

This is a rudimentary way, but I have done it this way from the beginning and it works for me. Granted it’s not the system that Lightroom has which frankly, is over my head despite people here trying to pound the necessity of using LR into my head.

 

I liken it to an experience I had once. I was snow skiing a resort in the US Rocky Mountains. With me, hubby and two grown daughters. They all skied faster than I was comfortable with. I had my speed, they had theirs. We were on a slope that had a flat. If one didn’t have his/her speed up, one ended up having to pole the last few yards of the flat. Poling is hard and tiring, but to me my option.

So we make the run the second time. Everyone yells to me to ski faster, “open it up”. Stupid me, I opened it up.

I hit a rut and had a spectacular fall. Tumbling and rolling. Whiplash and face planting that made me want to throw up. Every piece of equipment was scattered far and wide, including my sunglasses and ski hat.

Two young men came along as I lay there trying to hold onto my stomach contents and gathered my stuff for me.

Never again did I ski beyond my comfort zone.

The morale is that a system you use needs be one you are comfortable with. If it is inadequate for you, and you want to go a step above, ask here and folks will help you.

Betty

[hdh]

1 hour ago, Betty LaRue said:

<snip>

The morale is that a system you use needs be one you are comfortable with. If it is inadequate for you, and you want to go a step above, ask here and folks will help you.

Betty

+1 

 

I have a similar workflow - 

 one folder with all my pictures and under which I have one for each year 

 in there I create folders with reverse dates (Very Important to me - as that sorts them in a natural way) 

 For today the pictures would go into folder Pictures/2018/20180327

 With Digikam I do an initial quality check of all images, rate them with up to 5 stars and tag them appropriately, so I can find all storefronts despite the folder structure. 

 Once done, I take the 4 and 5 star ratings into darktable (sortof lightroom) and process them to JPG into a subfolder Pictures/2018/20180327/Processed

 Out of these I select for Alamy and copy the selected JPGs over to to a folder Alamy/2018/ToBeUploaded

 When this folder has around 50 or more images, I check all of them at 100% and discard the ones that have issues overlooked before (or occasionally reprocess)

 Then I upload and finally move the uploaded files to Alamy/2018/201803/OL<AlamyNumber>