Basic editing in Lightroom
Go through previous job(s) if completed and remove unwanted subfolders (rejects, Lo Res JPEGs etc) if no longer required >>
Library / subfolder to be deleted / edit / select none / select all / photo / delete selected photos / delete from disk.
Right click on the folder name (folder now empty) / delete. Now might be a good time clean your cache, cookies etc and defrag. This can be running in the background while working on the next stage.
LIBRARY MODULE
Start work on the new job by grading your photos.
All the images should now be in your library (downloading, importing and backing up a job)
Go to the first one in grid view (g)/ open in Loupe view (e) / cycle through the images with the right arrow. This is the easy bit .. the obvious rejects just hit “x”, the obvious winners hit “p” for picks or give them some stars. These will have further magic done on them in PS.
Copy the rejects into the rejects subfolder inside the main job folder >>
(This process changes them to hi res jpegs for emergency use later if needed)
Library / edit / select all / select none / select by flag / select rejected / file / export / navigate to main job folder / tick “put in subfolder” / name the subfolder “rejects” / filenaming “filename” / format JPEG / quality 100% / colour space adobeRGB(1998) / don’t resize / click “export”.
Now get rid of the rejects from the main job folder >>
(Although they have been exported to the rejects folder, they are still in the catalogue and still occupy disc space in the main folder)
Those for export to the rejects folder should still be selected. Right click on one of them / delete photo / delete from disk.
Here’s another way >>
Library / select all / select none / select by flag / select rejected / photo / delete photo / delete from disk.
At this point the rejected photos are no longer in main job folder. They have been removed from the disk and LR but they have been kept in a separate folder if needed or asked for. Repeat this another couple of times until all the lemons are gone. Bad photos won’t improve your image. Get rid of them. While you are doing this process you are adding “picks” and possibly even grading the photos with stars.
Count the keepers and count the rejects. Assess.
DEVELOP MODULE
Remember that the editing is done non destructively on the original RAWs. Lightroom doesn’t touch the files, it remembers the edits you make and applies them on export.
Do colour, density, white balance, exposure correction. Usually work from the top down in the edit panel. Work quickly. Do your cropping and rotating (r), spotting (n). You can do further marking of rejects and keepers because you haven’t renamed yet. This can take a lot hours when doing nearly 1000 images but when finished export and delete any new rejects, as above.
If you run LR presets at this stage (before renumbering / renaming) you will end with with the same image but LR will give it a consecutive number when it renames.
Renumber / rename
After ALL the rejects are gone, renumber / rename the keepers. I usually have a custom name followed by a 3 digit filename, beginning 001 with no gap in the file name, for example “bridesname-001.cr2″, all lower case. The advantage of this is that you have unique filenames for your keepers and you don’t have to rename when putting them on the web.
Back into LIBRARY mode / be in the main folder / edit / select none / select all / library / rename photos / custom name add bridesname- or jobname- /file naming drop down menu / custom / edit / remove all existing filenaming inclusions / sequence and date drop down menu / select custom name+sequence # (001) / done / OK.
You should end up with the file name described above.
If running Lightroom presets, and you want a duplicate image (with the preset run on it) sitting beside the original of the same file name, make a virtual copy and run the preset on the copy. These will export as “filename-2″.
Export edited images
All Lightroom edited images are now exported to a “completed” subfolder as DNGs (or whatever format you want) >>
LIBRARY mode / edit / select none / select all / file (or right click on a photo) / export / choose main job folder / tick “put in subfolder” and name it “completed” / filenaming / filename (don’t rename) / file settings / select your format / quality 100% / don’t resize / resolution 300 / after export “do nothing” / click “export”.
Time for a coffee while it exports hundreds of photos and applies your edits to them.
When complete you can do the same for your images you intend to run photoshop actions on. Select by whatever method of marking them you used (colour, stars or picks) and then export them to a subfolder “photoshop these” as TIFFs. This is what you’ll pick up from photoshop to do the magic on them.
Revisions to this workflow
- Incorporate the new features of LR2.
- Possibly incorporate Kevin Kubotas 8-16-8 bit workflow (with acknowledgment).
- I’m open to constructive comments, suggestions and improvements.
See also Lightroom - download, import and back up a job which precedes this article.
Digital workflow for Lightroom. My tips to minimise problems and expedite workflow.
This workflow works as is and is currently my checklist. It is always subject to revision as my knowledge improves and software is updated. It is written for Lightroom 1 because I don’t yet have a copy of Lightroom 2. It is offered here because I haven’t yet been able to find on the internet a specific workflow for the basic editing of bulk images using Lightroom. I use Lightroom as the backbone of my digital workflow with Photoshop for advanced editing of individual images. In Photoshop I use actions and scripts from Kevin Kubota and later when I can afford it the onOne suite of software. Once the images have the basic editing (Lightroom) and advanced editing (Photoshop) done, the pool of finished images are ready to be used in other software applications such as wedding album software, photobook design, slideshows, placing online, burning of discs for customers etc, all of which will have workflows written on this site in the future.
Download options
- Option 1: use your card reader and MS Explorer Download Wizard or Photo Mechanic. This is fairly quick but bypasses Lightroom meaning you don’t get that initial Lightroom import.
- Option 2 : connect a firewire straight from the camera. This is slow (1 hr +), it bypasses Lightroom, you will need a fresh camera battery and it uses your camera software which is one extra (unnecessary?) application.
- Option 3: Lightroom imports straight from the card reader, and copies the files to their new location on your PC or external drive. This workflow is written for this option and in my view is the most expedient.
Assumptions for this workflow
- Lightroom can rename on import. I rename after heavy culling so there are no gaps in the numbering. This is because my customers usually have a disc included in the package.
- My renames must start with 001 (or 0001 for very big jobs) so they stay in order. At first I thought that Lightroom only started with 1, which throws your files all out of kilter, especially when dumping hundreds of them into burning software. But in fact Lightroom can name and number them any way you want, you just have to know how to find that.
- Lightroom can back up as it imports. It copies files to a separate folder, say on a separate drive, at the same time. This will be added to the workflow later. Currently I back up with separate software after import with Genie Back Up Manager.
- You have made and named your folder for this job. The camera raw files are imported into the main job folder. Subfolders are made as you go, Lightroom can do that on exports. There is a separate post coming on this.
- You will need to have your naming convention already sorted to name your folders consistently. There is a separate post coming on this.
- When grading the photos, an image can’t have two colours assigned to it. This means that you have 3 systems for the rating or filtering the photos (one colour, pick/reject, star rating).
- Rejected photos are moved into a “rejected” subfolder within the main job folder and held for a few months. I’d hate to be asked for a photo that someone saw me taking and be unable to produce it.
- A clean up of no longer needed subfolders of previous completed jobs is the first step before beginning any real work, after download of images.
Download / import / backup
- Library / file / import from disc / choose flash card / select all (can select or deselect photos here) / open
- Select “copy photos to a new location and import”
- Don’t select “move”. Leave the photos on the card in case you encounter a problem.
- Make sure all the photos in the preview pane are selected (ticked)
- Copy to / drop down / choose the folder you have already made eg “2008-12-15 W SMITH JONES” (or whatever your naming convention is)
- If you haven’t already made the folder, you can make it now by checking “put in subfolder” and in this case you will place this folder inside the main folder or drive.
- Organise / drop down / “into one folder”.
- You can select or deselect “don’t reimport suspected duplicates”.
- Back up as you import? Select yes if you know what you are doing, have an external or back up drive with a folder alreay made. Otherwise don’t check the box. You will be backing up immediately after the import. Comments on backing up as you import will come here later.
- File naming / template / filename. Leaves camera names, rename in Lightroom after culling.
- Information to apply / Develop settings / “none”. Only do this if you know what you are doing.
- Metadata / drop down / new / name the preset / complete relevant fields / click “create”.
- You will use this same template for future imports into LR of the same job (for example files in subfolders of this job that come back into LR). They will be subfolders off the main job folder.
- Keywords: add words that will help you search on the job later when you have a very large library. Separate them with a comma.
- Initial previews / drop down / select standard sized previews. This gives the highest quality for working with.
- Click “import”. Big jobs will take a while, the status bar in the top left corner shows the progress. You have time for a coffee.
- Check the files are there. I use Photo Mechanic because it reads the proprietary raw files for all professional cameras. Explorer can see the files there in list view but it doesn’t produce thumbnails for raws.
- Back up 1: run your back up software (I use Genie Back Up Manager)
- Back up 2: I make a set of “first burn” DVDs. I just dump the entire job onto several discs, prior to editing. Cheap insurance.
- Leave the photos on the cards for as long as possible. I don’t format the cards until the next job. Another form of backup.
Revisions to this workflow
- Incorporate the new features of LR2.
- Back up on import to be written in.
- Possibly incorporate Kevin Kubotas 8-16-8 bit workflow (with acknowledgment).
- I’m open to constructive comments, suggestions and improvements.
See also Basic Editing in Lightroom which follows on from this topic.