Chaos Collection

[Cacia]

Recently, I needed to provide a publication with some high rez images and I was plunged deep into "file hell". Rather humiliating actually.

A friend recently suggested a nifty system for Burning the RAW, and filing, And then having a high rez, and a web rez in your computer. I would like to hear any suggestions you have about naming files, dangers of overwriting files, how this occurs, and any systems you have developed. Also, I suppose I should get an external hard drive before I crash my little self someday soon.

Please share your wisdom!

 

[PapaBob]

Catherine: This is my workflow if it helps. I shoot in camera RAW and upload the images from my camera to the computer. On my 20D this produces CR2 files. I then go through the shoot and toss out any obvious losers or OOF pics. I do not work on the CR2s, only toss the bad ones. Then I load the Adobe DNG converter and convert the CR2s to DNGs. My system is number the pics from 001 to ### as the first part of the filename and then use an ID such as “BocaLedges” to identify the shoot. After I convert to DNGs I load them into the raw converter (ACR) and do my basic crop and color correction. My standard crop on all images is 8x12 custom crop in ACR. Unless I need to work an image in Photoshop, I can now save Jpegs directly from the ACR. If I am going to post then I will save at 72ppi. For a Costco print run I save at 150ppi. If I need fine Jpegs I will save at 300ppi. After I have done the preliminary work on the DNGs I will burn an archive disk with the CR2s and the DNGs. Then I will pitch the CR2s to save disk space. I usually burn a second disk with the DNGs and any work I have done on them. If I bring an image into Photoshop, I will save the work as a PSD file. My main file for a shoot is under the “My Pictures” folder. When I am through with a shoot, I will generally dump everything except the DNGs and PSDs from the project folder and then move the project folder to a subfolder in My Pictures which I call PHOTO ARCHIVES. I frequently back up the My Pictures folder to a swapable outboard disk drive and the backup drive and archive DVD or CD disks are kept in a secure location. I know this answer is more than your question asked, but I am curious how other members handle their work flow. Folks like Fdog, Mike, and Gilligan (and other members) have been doing this for quite a while and I am curious as to what workflow they have settled into.

—Bob