Table Of Content01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14
15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 41 42
43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56
57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84
85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98
99 100 101
I L E X
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Michael Freeman’s 101 Top Digital Photography Tips Chapter 3_Color 53 Simplify 100 82 Crowd-Removal Sequences 144
First published in the UK in 2008 by 54 The Essence in Detail 101 83 Infinite Depth of Field 146
I L E X 2 6 White Balance Made Simple 54 55 Shapes Organize 102 84 Make Movies 147
The Old Candlemakers 2 7 Look for the Gray 56 56 Basic Triangles 103
West Street Contents 2 8 Color Target for Total Accuracy 58 57 Diagonals Move 104
Lewes 2 9 Custom White Balance 60 58 Curves Flow 106 Chapter 8_Low-Light
East Sussex BN7 2NZ Chapter 1_Basics 3 0 Check on a Laptop 61 59 Vertical Virtues 107
www.ilex-press.com 3 1 Impact from Color Contrast 62 60 Look for Rhythm 108 85 Right Camera, Right Sensor 150
01 Just Shoot 10 3 2 Subtlety from a Restrained Palette 63 61 Try Motion Blur 109 86 Decide Your Priorities 151
Copyright © 2008 The Ilex Press Limited
02 It Happens Only Once 11 3 3 Unified Color 64 62 Alignments 110 87 Noise Reduction 152
03 Shoot Raw 12 3 4 Shooting for Black-and-White 66 63 Juxtaposition 112 88 Know Your Camera’s Noise Potential1 53
Publisher: Alastair Campbell
04 Shoot for the Future 14 64 Wide-angle Involvement 114 8 9 Ad Hoc Supports 154
Creative Director: Peter Bridgewater
05 Prepare, Forget, Shoot 15 65 Telephoto Detachment 115 9 0 Fast Lenses 155
Managing Editor: Chris Gatcum
06 Back Up Constantly 16 Chapter 4_Technicals 66 Wide-angle for Dynamics 116 9 1 Shoot for Detail, Not for Smooth 156
Editor: Nick Jones
Art Director: Julie Weir 07 Workflow Questions You Should Ask 18 67 Telephoto to Fill the Frame 117 9 2 Hand-held or Locked Down 158
Designers: Jon Allen 0 8 Work Out Your Own Workflow 19 3 5 Customize Your Settings 70 9 3 Noise Depends on Image Size 159
Design Assistant: Emily Harbison 0 9 Situational Awareness 22 3 6 Dust Check 71 9 4 Night Shooting Gear—Hand-held 160
1 0 Stay with the Situation 23 3 7 Clean Your Own Sensor 72 Chapter 6_Stitching 9 5 Night Shooting Gear—Tripod 161
Any copy of this book issued by the publisher is sold subject to 1 1 Explore the Subject 24 3 8 100% Sharpness Check 74
the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be lent, 12 For Candid, Shoot Blind 25 3 9 Repairing Poor Focus 76 68 Stitching—Digital’s Specialty 120
resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior
1 3 Give Chance a Chance 26 4 0 Really Sharp Focus 78 69 Stitch Big 121 Chapter 9_Processing
consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it
1 4 If You’re Uncertain About Permission 27 4 1 Know Your Steadiness Limit 80 70 Stitch Wide 122
is published and without a similar condition including these words
4 2 Improve Your Steadiness 82 71 Efficient Overlaps 124 9 6 Assemble the Right Software 164
being imposed on a subsequent purchaser.
4 3 How to Hold a Camera 83 72 Keep the Settings Consistent 125 9 7 Anticipate the Processing 165
Chapter 2_Exposure 4 4 How to Squeeze the Shutter Release 86 73 Finding the Nodal Point 126 9 8 Raw Converters Are Not Equal 166
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from 4 5 Carry a Tripod 87 9 9 Recovering Highlights and Shadows 168
the British Library. 1 5 Know Your Dynamic Range 30 46 When Tripods Are Forbidden 88 1 00 Caption and Keyword 170
1 6 Know the Scene Dynamic Range 32 4 7 Instant Weatherproofing 89 Chapter 7_Multi-shot 1 01 Managing EXIF Data 171
ISBN 13: 978-1-905814-34-3 1 7 When Good Histograms Go Bad 34 4 8 Cold Weather Handling 90
1 8 Be Histogram-Literate 36 4 9 Heat and Dust 91 74 Bracketing—The Safety Net 130
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or 1 9 Shoot for the Highlights 38 75 Aligned Sequences 131
used in any form, or by any means – graphic, electronic or mechani-
2 0 Choose the Key 40 76 Blending Exposures 132
cal, including photocopying, recording or information storage-and-
2 1 Low-Process Settings 42 Chapter 5_Composition 77 HDR—From Workhorse to Weird 134
retrieval systems – without the prior permission of the publisher.
2 2 A Touch of Flash 44 78 Simple HDR Capture 136
2 3 Backlighting Solutions 46 5 0 Compose for Contrast 94 79 One Light, Many Directions 138 Glossary 172
2 4 Reliable Portrait Lighting 48 5 1 Dynamic Placement 96 80 Noise-Removal Sequences 140 Index 174
2 5 Reliable Product Lighting 50 5 2 Dynamic Division 98 81 High-Low ISO Blending 142 Acknowledgments 176
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Introduction
With all the technical invention that goes into I won’t pretend that you can ignore all the
cameras, lenses, and the software needed technological advances and demands on your
to process images, you might be forgiven for attention, but I can make a stab at cutting through
thinking that photography is on a never-ending the information overload. Here, in as simple and
path to complexity. Digital capture seems to have direct a manner as I can think of, are what I believe
unleashed quantities of information, techniques, are the essentials for shooting.
controls, and features that we never knew we At the end of the day, photography is about
needed. And that’s just it—the huge number of the act of taking pictures—you, the camera, and
possibilities opened up by digital now threatens the subject you’re facing. Just that.
to swamp photographers in a morass of menu
choices, buttons, mouse clicks, and, well, sheer
exasperating detail.
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Basics
01
Chapter_
_
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
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Chapter 01_
01 02
Just shoot It happens only once
1
1
This is too simple a piece of advice, right? to white balance. The scene may improve in a few 1 There used to be a piece The subtitle for this should be “never rely on
Not worth an entry in this book? I could almost seconds? Right, but it may disimprove. of well-worn advice, maybe returning.” This is one of those painfully obvious
it’s still around, about not
agree, were it not for the fact that I’ve seen Being slightly more thoughtful, you could argue pieces of advice that call for one or two bad
photographing people with
countless pictures lost or spoilt by general that you save time by spending a few seconds at streetlamps sticking out experiences to bring home the truth. Most
indecisiveness and dithering. And, sad to say, the start checking the camera settings rather than of their heads. But I don’t photography is about the moment, and even
care—I liked this odd
some of them were mine. The simplest scenario, shooting, then finding that some setting was wrong. though it may seem to matter less in some kinds
juxtaposition, especially the
and you can see it every day, has someone saying But with any shooting situation that changes by the hat. There’s never any time (studio still life) than others (sports), it permeates
to friends “This looks good, let’s take a picture.” second or fraction thereof, there is never any going to think with a passing shot just about everything. Even a landscape, which you
like this. You really do need
They all comply, get into position, smile, and... wait. back. Henri Cartier-Bresson, the master of fast- might think is relatively static, has the dynamics of
to shoot instantly.
They wait while the photographer fiddles, or just reaction street photography, wrote “When it’s too lighting and sky and possibly some other moving
for some reason can’t quite get round to pressing late, then you know with a terrible clarity exactly elements. The timescale is definitely not the same
the shutter release immediately. Yet under most where you failed; and at this point you often recall as in street photography, but even so, one moment
circumstances that is all that is required. the telltale feeling you had while you were actually for a landscape is not the same as the next.
And that was just a simple family-and-friends making the pictures.” And also, “We photographers If anything, the dangers of waiting might be
snap, which ought to be straightforward and deal in things that are continually vanishing, and greater for slow, fairly static subjects, simply
undemanding. Out on the street, doing reportage when they have vanished, there is no contrivance because they don’t seem urgent in any way.
photography, the timing and circumstances are less on earth that can make them come back again.” Planning a shot and thinking it through is a great
forgiving. Hesitate and you lose the shot. Of course, Ultimately, you take a chance that you got it idea, but every so often you’ll be surprised, 2
the arguments for delay sound cogent. All the right. You can improve the chances by being unpleasantly, that time was not standing still for
technical aspects need to be right (exposure, focus, prepared, and digital camera technology gives you and the situation didn’t get better. It’s very easy 1 This was a Jie village in 2 Arriving late in the afternoon at the mountaintop
white balance, shutter speed) and more than that, more opportunity for recovering mistakes than to come across a scene, check it out, and predict southeastern Sudan, and overlooking this volcano in Costa Rica I saw that the clouds
for one reason or another were beginning to close in, so rushed back to the rental
the composition could be refined, the juxtapositions film ever did. But the most important ingredient that it should look great when the light changes
getting permission and car to get the cameras—and found that I’d locked the keys
worked a little closer, the gesture or expression in most photography is the moment itself. just so, or the clouds move, or maybe tomorrow access took a few days. inside. By the time I found them (worse, they weren’t in
might improve in a few seconds… and so on. So, press the shutter release, right away! 2 morning when the shadows will be falling the Once acquired, I naturally the car after all, but in my pocket), we were all shrouded in
thought about shooting at cloud. Sheer stubbornness kept me there for three days
Nevertheless, delay can and does lose pictures, and other way. Bit it’s always “maybe.”
different times of day, but until it cleared, but it was not really worth the shot.
for every reason to wait a second there is a solution. 2 There was a little more Better insurance is to shoot the scene the way took the precaution of
Need to check the exposure setting? Sorry to say time to think for this shot, it caught your eye at the time. Apart from the time it shooting like a maniac for
but not much—just a few the hour of daylight left on
this, but you should have checked it already, or at takes to do this, there is no loss. You can still come
seconds—and catching the this day. And a good job too,
least chosen a workable default, such as Auto. And boy in the exact middle back at sunrise or whenever, but if that doesn’t work because we had difficulty
shooting Raw, which is another of my top tips, gives of the sun’s reflection out you will at least have something already shot. returning a second time.
permitted no hesitation.
you latitude in several ways, from exposure
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Chapter 01_ Basics_
Camera Raw 4.3.1 - Nikon D100 Camera Raw 4.3.1 - Nikon D100
Preview Preview
03
GRB::: 11419198 ISOf /260.30 13/0200 m0 ms GRB::: 749749 ISOf /260.03 13/0200 m0 ms
Basic Basic
White Balance: As Shot White Balance: Custom
Temperature 5700 Temperature 5100
Tint +3 Tint +1
Auto Default Auto Default
Exposure +0.90 Exposure +1.35
Recovery 0 Recovery 0
Fill Light 0 Fill Light 0
Blacks 15 Blacks 15
Brightness +45 Brightness +11
Shoot Raw contrast +25 contrast +48
Clarity 0 Clarity 0
Vibrance 0 Vibrance -23
Saturation 0 Saturation 0
65.8% 18309.67.NEF 65.8% 18309.67.NEF
1 2
e Image... Adobe RGB (1998): 8 bit: 1540 by 1024 (1.6MP): 300 ppi Open Image Cancel Done e Image... Adobe RGB (1998): 8 bit: 1540 by 1024 (1.6MP): 300 ppi Open Image Cancel Done
Camera Raw 4.3.1 - Nikon D100 Camera Raw 4.3.1 - Nikon D100
Preview Preview
GRB::: 22002250 6 ISOf /260.30 13/0200 m0 ms GRB::: 111899806 ISOf /260.03 13/0200 m0 ms
Basic Basic
White Balance: Custom White Balance: Custom
Temperature 4650 Temperature 4600
Tint -12 Tint -6
This is not simply a technical recommendation, extra color depth, which might on the face of it Exposure Auto Default +0.90 Exposure Auto Default +0.65
Recovery 0 Recovery 0
but lies right at the heart of what digital shooting seem a waste. But the crunch comes when you Fill Light 0 Fill Light 0
Blacks 15 Blacks 11
is all about. And that is, the special and unique want to make any overall changes to the image Brightness +45 Brightness +49
contrast +25 contrast +29
relationship between capture and processing. in post-processing. If you shift colors or tones in Clarity 0 Clarity 0
Vibrance 0 Vibrance +77
The ideal in digital capture is to acquire as much an 8-bit image, there is a high risk of banding, or Saturation 0 Saturation -27
visual information as possible from the real world, quantization effects. You can see this happen on
in particular color depth and a full range of tones. the histogram, which after processing is quite likely 3 65.8% 18309.67.NEF 4 65.8% 18309.67.NEF
e Image... Adobe RGB (1998): 8 bit: 1540 by 1024 (1.6MP): 300 ppi Open Image Cancel Done e Image... Adobe RGB (1998): 8 bit: 1540 by 1024 (1.6MP): 300 ppi Open Image Cancel Done
A high-quality digital SLR captures more of this to show a toothcomb appearance, with thin spikes.
Camera Raw 4.3.1 - Nikon D100
kind of information than can actually be displayed, In a smoothly graded area of a picture, such as the 1-5 The white balance was set to daylight when I shot this camel caravan Preview
whether on a screen or in a print. This means sky, this will probably show up as bands. crossing the Nubian desert, but I still appreciated the luxury of being able
there is potentially a choice in how the image is The argument is to keep all the captured to experiment with different lighting interpretations much later, at home. GRB::: 111864488 ISOf /260.03 13/0200 m0 ms
But perhaps the ability to process in a considered manner, without urgency,
processed. If you start with more information than information intact until you are ready to process should really be a necessity, not a luxury. White Balance: CuBsatsoimc
Temperature 7250
you will eventually need, it means you have the the image on a computer, and the way to do this is Tint +3
Auto Default
luxury of interpretation... provided that you don’t to save the image in the camera’s own raw format, Exposure +1.35
Recovery 0
throw it away at the start. known appropriately enough as Raw. The general Fill Light 0
Blacks 19
If you let the camera process the image for demand from photographers for shooting Raw has Brightness -5
contrast -18
you on the spot, which is what happens if you shoot become so high that every serious camera model Clarity 0
Vibrance -3
JPEGs or TIFFs, you are essentially going for one offers it as an option. Saturation -27
interpretation. For example, when you choose a All this sounds so convincing, that why would
particular white balance, there is no going back to you not shoot Raw? The simple answer is when you 5 65.8% 18309.67.NEF
e Image... Adobe RGB (1998): 8 bit: 1540 by 1024 (1.6MP): 300 ppi Open Image Cancel Done
any other later. This is not necessarily a problem, don’t have the time. Raw images need to be worked
as any image-editing program such as Photoshop, on, while JPEGs come perfectly formed straight out
Aperture, Lightroom, or LightZone offers ways of of the can. Sports photographers working to a very
changing it, but there will be a very slight loss of tight deadline, as most do, are an example. And
quality if you do it this way. not everyone enjoys tinkering with images on a
More significantly, a good digital SLR captures computer. If you get the settings right at capture, 6-8 Histograms tell the story of an
Channel: RGB Channel: RGB Channel: RGB
a color depth of 12-bit or even 14-bit, which means a high-quality JPEG is visually indistinguishable image given a contrast boost with an
S-curve, and then the reverse curve
more color information and potentially more dynamic from a lovingly nurtured Raw file.
applied to bring it back to its original
range. Now, the color depth of all but the most appearance. 6 is as it started, 8 looks
sophisticated monitors is 8-bit, and that of a paper almost exactly the same when the
adjustments were made in 16-bit, but
print even less, so you cannot actually view this Source: Entire Image Source: Entire Image Source: Entire Image 7 shows telltale spikes when the same
Mean: 115.53 Level: 147 Mean: 114.43 Level: 130 Mean: 114.31 Level: 138
Std Dev: 53.49 Count: 2928 Std Dev: 57.80 Count: 5690 Std Dev: 57.82 Count: 2758 operations were performed in 8-bit.
12 Ilex_Instant M 6ediealns:: 130756 000 CaPcehrec eLnetvileel:: 732.47 M 7ediealns:: 130736 000 CaPcehrec eLnetvileel:: 637.27 M 8ediealns:: 130736 000 CaPcehrec eLnetvileel:: 639.78 Raw format allows 16-bit processing.
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CChhaapptteerr 0011__ Basics_
04 05
Shoot for Prepare,
the future forget, shoot
1
1 2
Otherwise known as the archival argument. If this sounds rather Zen-like, it is. No apologies situation. So, for one example, if you anticipate that 1 Apart from timing and
The software for processing images continues to for this, and there’s no need to become mystical the main variable is likely to be speed of movement, framing, a shot like this
depends on exactly the
get better, and always will. That’s one of the givens either. Zen happens to be a very practical you might want to select shutter-speed priority.
right exposure. There is
of software development, and whether your eyes interpretation of Buddhism, and among its more more than one way of
glaze over or not at the thought of complex directly applicable tenets is the idea of endless Observation setting the exposure to hold
the tiny area of highlights,
computing, the practical result is that you may practice and training leading to sudden insight. A huge and amorphous area of skill that goes
depending on the settings
be able to do more with your images in the future Henri Cartier-Bresson notably professed applying well beyond photography, depending on alertness, that your camera allows
than you can now. Zen training to photography. Fast-reaction interest, connectedness with what is going on, and and whether you prefer to
rely on auto-exposure
The one thing you can be certain of is that photography demands an ability to respond and speed of understanding. Something to practice
or trust your experience.
someone, somewhere, will think of a way of shoot faster than you can reasonably think, and at all times, even without a camera. Preparation and confidence
extracting more image quality from your digital the only way of having any effect on this is to with settings are essential.
photographs. What you judge to be a technical train yourself. Anticipation
problem with one of your images may be solvable There are several useful areas of training The logical extension of good observation—putting
in a year or two. And a glance at what can already and preparation in this discipline, from the highly what you notice to practical use by predicting what
be done with a sequence of frames, in the Multi- practical to the conceptual: may happen next. Extremely important in reportage,
shot chapter, is a taste of more to come. and absolutely essential in sports. Anticipating as a
Practically, shooting for the future means Camera handling photographer, rather than just as an observer means
the following: The operational side of shooting and dexterity being able to predict how an unfolding scene will
with the camera controls. Basically, familiarity work out graphically, not just the physical events. 2
* Be cautious of deleting for technical 3 born of practice so that picking up and operating
reasons (see Tip #6) the camera becomes second nature. The camera, Compositional strategies 2 With sudden movement,
1-3 An interesting and telling example of accentuate mid-tone contrast, among like any skilled craftsman’s tool, becomes an If you can identify the kind of compositions that only instant reaction can
* Don’t hesitate to bracket and shoot what can be achieved with sophisticated other things. One version held the extension of the hand. satisfy you, and what you need to achieve them cope with the framing,
processing. 1 is an original JPEG captured highlights, the second opened up the especially with a wide-angle
alternatives (see Tip #74) at the same time as the Raw file, holding shadows. Both were then blended in (for instance, viewpoint, and focal length), and lens. Before this worshipper
the highlights on the woman’s shoulders Photomatix using the Intensive procedure. Settings remember them, it helps enormously to maintain at a Coptic Christmas Mass
* Shoot Raw whenever possible; the files and her pannier, but losing huge amounts Finally, some adjustments were made The permutations of settings now available on a kind of memory bank that you can draw on, reached out, I had the
of shadow detail as a result. 2 is the result using Curves in Photoshop. The result composition framed to the
contain more data (see Tip #3) from processing the Raw file in Adobe is visible detail everywhere, without advanced digital cameras are many. If you regularly as in “that kind of framing might work here.” left. The camera followed
Raw Converter, doing the best possible significant noise, and a perfectly usable find yourself in different kinds of shooting situations, the movement to the right,
without significant clipping—still no better image. All this was done in several there will probably be a few different combinations but also upwards slightly to
than you would expect. 3 takes a different stages using three different programs, use the diagonals and to
approach. Here, two versions of the Raw but could well be possible in the not-too- of setting that are useful for you. At the very least, reduce the area of her
file were processed using DxO Optics Pro, distant future in one operation during check the settings as you approach any new white-clad figure in shot.
which applies tonemapping algorithms to Raw conversion.
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Chapter 01_ Basics_
06
Back up constantly *Delete, caution
Some people hang on to everything they have ever
shot like magpies, but usually, after the selection
process, there are images that have no future
use—rejects of one kind or another. The question
is, when to delete? Only you can decide when
you are absolutely sure that you have no further
need for an image. Deleting in haste may satisfy
! Delete? a desire for tidiness, but you might be throwing
away something useful. Here’s one example. An
Yes
overexposed frame that is almost (not even exactly)
Cancel in register with another, better-exposed frame, can
I’ll keep this short and to the point, because
now be used for blending or HDR, and give better
Highlights
in truth there is not very much more to say than the
shadow detail with less noise. Content-alignment
title of this page. However, while backing up is not a algorithms can now deal with many hand-held
subject that lends itself to elaboration, it is absolutely sequences. None of this was foreseeable a few
crucial to shooting. You ignore this at your peril. 11 years ago.
The reason it does get ignored, despite all
If the spring-cleaning urge is too strong for you to
common sense, is that for most of the time
resist, and you feel you really must delete image
everything in digital photography works seamlessly. files (because it’s true that a few select pictures
The main brands of memory card have an look better on the screen than a large number of
exceptional record of reliability (fake cards offered also-rans), consider doing the following. Burn the
soon-to-be-deleted image files onto a DVD or two,
at heavy discounts are a different matter) so
throw these in the back of the loft, and then delete
equipment failure is rare. What you mainly need to makes it easy to download frequently without Backup onto anything them from your hard drive.
protect against is human error, whether from having to bother with duplication. and everything. Here, my
standard backup devices
forgetfulness, through fat-finger mistakes (hitting * If you use a number of cards, follow a system
are two small hard drives
delete when you really meant something else), or that you are comfortable with to keep them (right), but I also make
general confusion. In the heat of shooting in order. For example, I put a full card at one end use of my iPod (left), and
even my cell phone.
it is surprisingly easy to format (that is, erase) the of a container and take a new card from the
wrong card, before its images have been transferred other end. Or you could number them and tick
Highlights
somewhere safe, such as a laptop or hard drive. them off in a notebook.
Everyone has his or her own way of doing these * As you download, number or name the image
things, but if you haven’t decided yet, consider the files according to your system, so there’s no
following procedure: danger of overwriting files with the same name. 2
* Whenever you have a reasonable break from * Back up more than once. Keep copies in as
shooting, such as at the end of the day, many places as you can, even on an iPod. 1 When and what you 2 If you are in the habit of
download the images from the card(s) to * Keep backups physically separate, the more so delete is a personal matter. deleting as you continue
Doing it in-camera is the shooting, it may be wise to
another digital storage device (laptop, image the longer the shoot and the more images you
most decisive and fully protect key frames—many
bank, hard drive). accumulate. If you’re flying, put one backup committed way, but if you cameras offer this option.
* If the software you use to download allows this, (such as a portable hard drive) in checked have any doubts consider This protects against “fat-
leaving it until the next finger” errors.
choose “incremental,” meaning that each time baggage or hand it to a friend.
stage—when the images
you download from the same card, it adds only are on the computer.
the images you shot since the last time. This
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Chapter 01_ Basics_
07 08
Workflow questions you should ask Work out your own workflow
Workflow is a thoroughly digital concept, If you have not already done this, questions to ask The usual workflow stages are as follows: labels, and enter place, subject, description, and
for the single reason that with digital photography, yourself at the start are:- * Choose the file format to shoot keywords into the metadata. All of this later
we’re all responsible for our own images: shooting * Download images from memory cards transfers easily to the main database catalog
them, safeguarding them, processing them, and * How much do you shoot at any one time, and as necessary at home.
displaying them. The priority after any shoot, as we how frequently? You should know how many * Make backups and store elsewhere * At the end of each day, back up the images
just saw, is to make backup copies, which cost images you are likely to be dealing with each * Edit the shoot to select the best images twice, to two portable hard drives. These drives
nothing and are essential insurance. But more than time you shoot, and also how many you think * Process, with post-production as necessary are kept physically separate.
this, you should spend time thinking about how you you may accumulate over a year. (e.g. retouching) * If I have time or an urgent need, I process the
sequence your photography. This will affect editing times and procedures, * Caption selected images on the laptop, using DxO Optics
Workflow is about how images move through and storage space. * Deliver selected images (e.g. to a client, or post Pro. On a long trip, I try to keep pace with the
the different stages, beginning with the shooting. to a website, or print) shooting, so that all the selected shots are fully
You fill up the memory card in the camera, and * How severely do you edit? Do you keep * Copy images to normal permanent storage, processed by the time I return home.
then what? What needs to happen before you post everything, or only a small percentage? When with permanent backups * Whenever I find a good connection, I make
your selected images onto a website or print them? do you like to make these editing choices? high-quality JPEGs of the processed images
It depends on how much you shoot, what you shoot, Right away, or do you prefer to come back to The following is my normal workflow, which I’m not and upload them via FTP to my website.
whether you’re traveling or at home, how much them with a cool eye after some time, maybe recommending, just showing it as one example: * On return, I copy all the images to the RAID
you like getting involved in the digital side of even several days? * Shoot Raw plus normal JPEG (Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks) that
photography, and more. It’s probably fair to say This will affect the timing of different parts of * Rotate memory cards as they fill up so that the acts as my image bank, and update the
that every photographer’s workflow is different. the workflow. oldest is always first for download database catalog. Make backups onto two large-
But what is important is actually to have a workflow * At the end of each day, and sometimes during capacity hard drives. Delete the images from the
planned out, rather than handle the images in a * How much processing and post-production do the day, download to the laptop using a browser laptop, and from the portable hard drives when
haphazard way, doing different things with them you expect to have to do on your images? And program (Photo Mechanic), doing an they fill up.
on different occasions. are you shooting Raw, or JPEGs, or TIFFs? “incremental ingest,” meaning already
This will affect how the images move through downloaded images are ignored
different software applications, and how many * Once downloaded, images are renamed to fit
of these software applications you may need. my normal cataloging method
* If I’m away shooting for more than a day or
Once you’ve decided how you shoot, you can two, I open a temporary database catalog (in
move on to the next step, which is to work out Expression Media), and whenever I have a spare
a personalized workflow. moment, start selecting images using colored
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