Sorting, editing, and file type

[v1rotate]

What do you guys use to sort and edit all of your photographs after a day out in the field?

Also, when touching up photographs do you guys work on the RAW file or the JPEG?

I use Lightroom 3 to sort through everything I have but I don't like exporting it as a JPEG and then editing it with Photoshop. I feel more comfortable using Photoshop and I prefer to leave it in RAW when editing before I export. However, Photoshop doesn't have the same feel that Lightroom has when sorting through my photos.

What are your opinions on the Canon software that comes with their cameras? How does it compare to Lightroom 3 and Photoshop?

[gonzalu]

Lightroom 3.3 is the program of choice for me. Once ingested, you can mange your images in myriad ways... and the INSTANT search is just too addictive.

The latest version is not only fast and effective, it also has a much better demosaicing engine than before. It also shares the develop modules with Photoshop ACR and XMP sidecar files are fully interchangeable.

The list of pluses are endless.

One of the features I like most is offline archiving and editing. I shoot RAW and that takes up a lot of room. So I archive most of my stuff to external RAID1 arrays or 2 drives each. I have 5 of them full to the top and one on-line all the time. Lightroom will index them and keep them on my library and indicate what archive volume has what files and I can even EDIT the files offf line. Only time I need to connect the external drive is when I need to actually OUTPUT the file at full quality (print, web, etc.)

Keywording and IPTC management is stellar.

[NIKV69]

I use PS CS4 ext. I shoot in RAW. Open the pic in ACR and do some stuff then open the pic in PS and do the rest.

[mattdueck]

I have never understood the use of PS or Lightroom for sorting. Instead and this means alot more work on my behalf, but every photo taken is entered into my aircraft registration database. Once a photo is uploaded, I create a folder with the date of the photos taken. Each photo in that folder gets a file name similar to this, 03.02.11 C-FWAY.1 CYYC. So it includes the date taken, the registration of the aircraft, the number 1 right the regi means its the first of that aircraft I have, then if I have more the sequence continues and finally the airport taken. This then gets copied into the database under airline and included the techinical aircraft name eg, Boeing 737-7CT. This way I can search my whole datebase by just regi and find how many photos I have of it and the dates I have taken it with. Its neat seeing the history of where I have caught the aircraft. I know this sounds complicated but to me I know how many regi's are in my datebase at any given time. Everything gets put it.

Matt (Dueck Images)

[v1rotate]

I just read some very basic tutorials on navigating around Lightroom and all I can say is wow! Once you know your way around the program and how things work it seems wonderful.

[gonzalu]

I have never understood the use of PS or Lightroom for sorting. Instead and this means alot more work on my behalf, but every photo taken is entered into my aircraft registration database. Once a photo is uploaded, I create a folder with the date of the photos taken. Each photo in that folder gets a file name similar to this, 03.02.11 C-FWAY.1 CYYC. So it includes the date taken, the registration of the aircraft, the number 1 right the regi means its the first of that aircraft I have, then if I have more the sequence continues and finally the airport taken. This then gets copied into the database under airline and included the techinical aircraft name eg, Boeing 737-7CT. This way I can search my whole datebase by just regi and find how many photos I have of it and the dates I have taken it with. Its neat seeing the history of where I have caught the aircraft. I know this sounds complicated but to me I know how many regi's are in my datebase at any given time. Everything gets put it.

Matt (Dueck Images)

Matt, the power comes from having LESS workflow. The less steps you take, the more productive you are. You can do all that right from Lightroom. Photoshop is NOT for sorting so you;re right about that, it does suck. But BRIDGE that comes with Photoshop is terrific, not as good as LR in my opinion but really good. Lightroom is actually so well integrated that the only thing I need PSCS for is retouching now... that LR can;t do... it has come a long way with the adjustment tools and the graduated filters and local adjust etc. But PS is still tops in that field.

LR gives you so much control over STANDARD IPTC that you may decide to give up your database. IPTC was developed by people who are FAR MORE anal that you or me re: cataloging so look it up. LR also has extensive captioning, title and keywording engines and an instant search, all visual I may add. Offline thumbnails and even editing. Also upon ingestion, you can define file renaming, directory structures, automatic backups... the list is endless.

What do [you] use for the catalog?

Also, for the record, I am managing a catalog and image database of over 200,000 images now. My old system of folders and separate Excel Spreadsheet (and even an Access Database at one point) was not cutting it. Too much back and forth.

I just read some very basic tutorials on navigating around Lightroom and all I can say is wow! Once you know your way around the program and how things work it seems wonderful.

Oh yes indeed. it has most of its power exposed via shortcuts and mastering that makes you feel invincible. I can't wait to do some videos on it and Photoshop tips and show some of them off so people see how much power it has.

[eric8669]

I use LR as well. I have a separate LR catalog for each year that way the catalog does not get too large. I keyword Registration, Airline, Airplane Type, Airport, special scheme, VIP, etc.....
Everything is easily searchable.

Oh, and always remember to BACKUP.

[gonzalu]

Oh, and always remember to BACKUP.

Hehehe... let me stop... no, I will... PRINT THOSE WORDS OUT IN LARGE THICK FONT and tape over your computer. From over 20 years of IT experience, Backup often people, often!!

[mattdueck]

@ Manny,

I use a Excel spreadsheet as the basis for my database. At the moment it works fine, I guess when I get to the 200,000 image mark I will see that this is possible to change to LR or Bridge.

I agree to backup everything. I use a 1 TB external hard drive for that.


my 2 cents.

Matt

[gonzalu]

Man, I wish... I am up to 12 Terabytes right now for my storage... which is actually 24 TB if you consider all of it is a RAID1 mirror in pairs. I have standardized on the excellent Western Digital MyBook Edition II external drives because they have eSATA support and have an easy hot swappable drive setup (tool free I might add) and allow you to set up in RAID0 for performance or RAID1 for protection. I have 7 of them right now with my entire collection, both RAW and Slide and Film scans.

[mattdueck]

WOW. all I gotta say.

[eric8669]

Man, I wish... I am up to 12 Terabytes right now for my storage... which is actually 24 TB if you consider all of it is a RAID1 mirror in pairs. I have standardized on the excellent Western Digital MyBook Edition II external drives because they have eSATA support and have an easy hot swappable drive setup (tool free I might add) and allow you to set up in RAID0 for performance or RAID1 for protection. I have 7 of them right now with my entire collection, both RAW and Slide and Film scans.

WOW. And I thought I had a lot. For Aviation I have 3 Terabytes.

[megatop412]

Three Terabytes? TWELVE Terabytes? You guys are lucky that memory has gotten so cheap.

I can't be bothered with sorting, arranging, etc. done by a program. I need my own manual control of where my images get stored. I keep it simple- shoot in RAW, convert in DxO, adjust in Pro Photo, save edits, store RAWs by date and location with the jpegs in subfolders. I duplicate my PC folders to my laptop, as well as an external Phantom 250GB that I keep at a separate location. I also do a LOT of deleting before I even take the card out of the camera so that I only keep images I realistically know I want to look at again.

[gonzalu]

Eric, my aviation collection is not that big. My bulk is mostly sports... in the school year, I can be shooting two or three games a night. Basketball is very fast paced and gets many shots. Baseball and Football have LOTS of breaks so not much and swimming is very low output. But basketball generates a thousand images per game usually. Sometimes you find a single burst has 10 great images of the same layup ... different faces, angles etc. So lots of keepers.

My worst is Hockey... I really HATE shooting hockey... unless I get BIG HUGE strobes up in the rafters, it is just impossible to WB those stupid mercury vapor lights and the discolored ground with dull ice on top ugh...

William, Lightroom lets you fully control where everything goes. Actually, it will NOT store anything anywhere until you tell it where to.

And for the record, NOT trying to convince anyone to give up their system(s) but I was a convert from a manual process and I will never go back... life is great now. I came close to developing a mySQL database and store the images in a BLOB. But fortunately, LR came out in time

BTW, not sure about file sizes. My camera outputs 25MB RAWs and JPGs from 7 to 15 MB depending on image data. That is all high quality JPGs and LOSSLESS Compressed for the RAWs.

[mattdueck]

Eric, my aviation collection is not that big. My bulk is mostly sports... in the school year, I can be shooting two or three games a night. Basketball is very fast paced and gets many shots. Baseball and Football have LOTS of breaks so not much and swimming is very low output. But basketball generates a thousand images per game usually. Sometimes you find a single burst has 10 great images of the same layup ... different faces, angles etc. So lots of keepers.

My worst is Hockey... I really HATE shooting hockey... unless I get BIG HUGE strobes up in the rafters, it is just impossible to WB those stupid mercury vapor lights and the discolored ground with dull ice on top ugh...

You caught my attention. Is there ever a chance to photograph sports events especially inside like basketball or volleyball, hockey etc, with the 70-300mm f4-5.6 Nikkor lense. I know its not fast enough and do you shoot sports purely in JPEG like I have read on other forums in regards to what sports photographers shoot.

Thanks
Matt