6 replies to this topic

[grant mathie]

Hello experts 

 

Been on nikons for a while but still struggling with the  digital workflow ( its me I am sure ) , can anyone suggest the most straightforward process - storage library - editing , currently use iphoto and then to photopshop, as I find nikon capture system completely baffling , 

 

Thanks 

[Merco_61]

Sorry about the late answer, As you posted before you were approved by Adam it didn't show up as unread in my notifications. I usually try to read new posts and help if I can.

We had a thread about workflow back in 2016...

What's your workflow? - Post-Processing, Printing, and Scanning - NikonForums.com

My workflow would work reasonably well for your iPhoto>ACR>PS setup. You might like using LR or Bridge as a DAM tool instead as they both work seamlessly with PS. If you have the Photography plan, LR Classic is included but if you use an older, pre-CC version of PS and don't have LR, Bridge works reasonably well.

[Ron]

Just to amplify what Peter said about the Adobe Photography Plan, Bridge also comes with the plan so if you don't like Lightroom's cataloging system for one reason or another you can substitute it with Bridge.That said, I've always found Bridge to be a bit clunky although it's gotten considerably better lately. And, as Peter said, it's fully integrated with Photoshop which can be a big help. Lastly, it also supports Adobe Camera RAW so you can do much of the same editing in Bridge that you would do in Lightroom. I admit, however, that I've never used ACR in Bridge.

 

Many Pros prefer an application called Photo Mechanic to handle their cataloging. I once used a very, very early version of this program and wasn't particularly impressed. Lately, I've become reacquainted with it and may actually give it another try. Alas,it's also a paid application. 

 

--Ron 

[Merco_61]

I was an Aperture user for many years but went with LR when Apple abandoned the project. I always found culling and keywording being the weaknesses of LR. Some years ago, I decided to go with Photo Mechanic instead and it suits me much better.

[Ron]

One thing about Lightroom. You really need to give some deep thought to how you want to catalog your images before you start using the program. Otherwise you may find yourself in a royal mess with little hope of ever straightening things out except by starting over.

 

Actually, I guess that's a good idea no matter what you use for cataloging. But it seems that Adobe expects their customers to just know what to do going in.

 

When I first tried Photo Mechanic it was, I believe, a Mac only application. I used it on either my Mac IIci or my 8600. Been so long ago that I've forgotten the details.

 

--Ron

[Merco_61]

Peter Krogh's The DAM book is well worth getting, reading and understanding. It is mostly geared towards Lightroom, but the file structure and keywording chapters are universal and well worth the cost of the ebook. The paperback is a bit on the expensive side.

 

A clear strategy for keywords and colour tags is essential to find your photos as your catalog grows. It is far too easy to add keywords ad-hoc in both iPhoto, Photos and LR and using different words for the same features in a photo makes it impossible to find the set you want when you need it.

[Ron]

Interesting... and, you're right. Expensive too. I just checked with my local library and they don't have it. Maybe Amazon.

 

I'm in the middle of a fairly major computer crisis here which has me convinced to move all of my images off of my workstation and onto external media... I already back up my images and Lightroom database externally. But going forward I'm going to be working off of an external drive too. And, despite safety assurances from Adobe, I'm not ready to commit to the cloud.

 

I was just about ready to pull the trigger on an iMac which I just knew Apple was going to announce at their annual developers conference. Alas, uh... no.

 

In the meantime I'm going to shore up my current system in hopes it will get me through the next year or so. Then we'll see what happens.

 

--Ron