Feb 8, 2006, 08:49
Interesting workflow decisions...
Here's mine:
1. Shoot in RAW
2. (New step) Convert RAW images to DNG
3. Browse RAW/DNG images in PhotoShop CS browser to determine which (if any) I want to work on
4. Do touchups in ACR that cannot be done easily elsewhere - white balance, exposure correction, color noise reduction
5. Do all other changes, and arty thing in PhotoShop
6. Save as a TIFF (I use TIFF because I do a lot of editing/PhotoShopping - and TIFF is lossless - you lose some quality with JPEG every time you save).
7. For web publishing only: reduce size, add my tag line - save as Jpeg.
It is a complicated workflow - but I would never abandon shooting RAW now - it just offers too many extra post-processing possibilities.
Zig: it is not just Nikon that is frustrating in this regard. I have 3 digital cameras - and no 2 share the same RAW format - it is a royal pain. I am also concerned about being able to open/process these files in the future (anybody got any betamax videos?) For example - what happens to Kinoca-Minolta's "MRW" RAW format now that they have gone away? I have thousands of A2 images in this format.
The DNG format seems to offer an upgradeable format answer. I cannot see switching from PhotoShop anytime soon, and as they are the industry leader, it is likely that other processing packages will also support DNG.
A major task on my books is to take my thousands of images - now crammed in a handful of giant folders - and organize them into some folder structure that allows me to locate things quickly by date and high level subject (i.e. 2006-02-NiagraFalls). Maybe mass conversions of my RAW files to DNG will occur as part of this process. Then I can archive the original RAWS to CD and clear up some disk space.
Here's mine:
1. Shoot in RAW
2. (New step) Convert RAW images to DNG
3. Browse RAW/DNG images in PhotoShop CS browser to determine which (if any) I want to work on
4. Do touchups in ACR that cannot be done easily elsewhere - white balance, exposure correction, color noise reduction
5. Do all other changes, and arty thing in PhotoShop
6. Save as a TIFF (I use TIFF because I do a lot of editing/PhotoShopping - and TIFF is lossless - you lose some quality with JPEG every time you save).
7. For web publishing only: reduce size, add my tag line - save as Jpeg.
It is a complicated workflow - but I would never abandon shooting RAW now - it just offers too many extra post-processing possibilities.
Zig: it is not just Nikon that is frustrating in this regard. I have 3 digital cameras - and no 2 share the same RAW format - it is a royal pain. I am also concerned about being able to open/process these files in the future (anybody got any betamax videos?) For example - what happens to Kinoca-Minolta's "MRW" RAW format now that they have gone away? I have thousands of A2 images in this format.
The DNG format seems to offer an upgradeable format answer. I cannot see switching from PhotoShop anytime soon, and as they are the industry leader, it is likely that other processing packages will also support DNG.
A major task on my books is to take my thousands of images - now crammed in a handful of giant folders - and organize them into some folder structure that allows me to locate things quickly by date and high level subject (i.e. 2006-02-NiagraFalls). Maybe mass conversions of my RAW files to DNG will occur as part of this process. Then I can archive the original RAWS to CD and clear up some disk space.