[torifile]

[Pardon the ramble at the beginning. You can skip to the last line if you want to see what I'm asking. ]

I've got a couple thousand photos of my son and wife from the past 6 months and I've been working out a decent workflow solution to keep my photos from becoming a big nightmare to sort though. I've splurged for Aperture and I've been making judicious use of it's organization and backup abilities. I use the reject button to quickly get the throwaways out of the picture (and there are far too many of those unfortunately) and the use ratings and keywords to mark the photos I'd like to print.

My wife, who's dramatically impatient when it comes to computer stuff, and I worked out a workflow to get this process streamlined, but it ended up being six steps from import to export for printing. I poked around the 'net today for applescript solutions and I was able to make an Automator workflow to simplify the entire process.

Now it consists of marking the photos we'd like to print with a particular keyword. I've created a smart folder for our print queue. Then we run the Automator workflow from the scripts menu. It exports the version to a dated folder, changes the "to print" keyword we've been using to the one we use for those photos that have been printed.

Simple enough, but I'd like to more than just print. I really want to make this situation more manageable. What do you guys/gals do, from start to finish, with your photos? What archiving do you do? How do you manage your library overall?

In other words, what's your workflow like? Share any Automator/applescripts if you want.

[BuonRotto]

Mu post won't be of much help, probably, but here is my simple workflow:

I have a Minolta A1 and shoot in RAW. I use iPhoto for organizing and printing, LightZone for RAW editing. I occasionally use iMaginator or PSE 2 for edits.

the A1 uses CF cards, and I have a CF>PCI slot adapter, so the transfer of images goes quickly. When I import images, I ID the event (formerly roll), add a description and import all of the photos. I then select the entire event, assign/add keywords. I then rate the images. My top rated images get edited in LightZone one by one. There are usually about 8-15 images per roll that get this treatment, so I don't bother with bulk edits. I have a default style for my images from this camera, but I tweak the defaults for each picture, add regions (masks), etc. I save the edits back into iPhoto as distinct files, not over the old ones. I merge the edits into a separate event, assign keywords again, create any albums, books, slideshows, prints, etc. I did at one point create an automator action where I would save my images to a folder from LightZone, then bulk import them into iPhoto, but now I just save them directly from LightZone back into iPhoto.

The most PITA part of it isn't the edits (I enjoy that), it's the rating and keyword assignments, and doing it twice. but I'd rather do it this way.

I will usually archive the edited and unedited pics some months later to CD/DVD, and I leave the edited images in iPhoto, deleting the unedited ones once they're backed up and I haven't changed my mind about an image or gone back to re-edit one.

Like I said, not much help. It's pretty dumb. But... so am I!

[Moogs]

My workflow is a little bit in a state of flux right now but generally I follow this process with occasional deviations for Aperture or Lightroom (experimenting with some shoots):

1. Shoot all RAW whenever possible.

2. Create a Finder folder for that day's shoot which follows the format:

yyyymmdd_LocationSubject

3. Import RAW files directly into folder using Card Reader and Finder or Camera connection and Finder.

4. Open Bridge. Get rid of crap shots (to trash)

5. Rename all remaining files to LocationSubject_001.nef

6. Select all, add date, location, subjects to metadata.

7. Make selections, Label / Rate,

8. Tag each selection with additional metadata

9. User Filter panel to hide everything else.

10. Go back to Finder and back entire folder of remaining shots (now renamed and junk removed) to an external drive. CD too if they're really important.

11. Start opening files into ACR from Bridge for processing, sometimes 2 or 3 at a time if the exposures are similar enough. Output is always 16 bit, normally at native resolution occasionally at 300dpi or the next megapixel increment higher, always ProPhoto if the ultimate output is my printer, AdobeRGB if it's someone else's (or going to CMYK later).

12. Photoshop work, save files as LocationSubject_001.PSD to a new folder called LocationSubject_PSD. When finished, create a third folder called LocationSubject_FLAT, which is where my final, ready for print / distribution images go (LocationSubject_001.TIF).

Then over time I go back and tag some of the PSD and TIF files with keywords, etc. Though I haven't been vigilant about the metadata in recent months. It's really the most important thing you can do but it's also the most likely to be blown off by most users because it's boring.

[turtle]

I shoot in RAW 99% of the time.
1. After a shoot I insert the CF card in a read-only card reader.
2. Image Capture triggers an Automator (steps 2-6) action that downloads the card and sorts the images into a root folder named YYYY-MM-DD_PhotoArchive (with sequential numbers if more than one card is downloaded).
3. The root folder had created in it a JPEG and a RAW folder.
4. The RAW folder has Adobe's DNG converter copied into it.
5. All RAW images are moved into the RAW folder and all JPEGs moved in the the JPEG folder.
6. Folder is moved to the external drive until I burn it to CD/DVD. (Once verified the CF card is reformatted by the camera.)
7. CD/DVD burned and imported into Aperture.
8. Weeding and basic level/WB adjustments done in Aperture.
9. 90% PP done in Aperture with access to the external editor (PS CS3) for the other 10%.
10. Export based on customer needs normally through Aperture. (ie. Web gallery, print, low res, etc.)

Here's my original Automator help thread where I created the workflow in Automator.

[sirnick4]

*bump*

I shoot 99.9% of the time in RAW. Here's what I used to do:

1. Import pics into Aperture directly with added keywords.
2. Create smart folders for important events (such as shots around the holidays).
3. Do basic PP work in Aperture (Saturation, Sharpening, WB, etc.).
4. Advanced PP work in Photoshop CS3.
5. And print!

After stumbling across Adobe Camera Raw.. I've absolutely fell in love with it. I've seriously considered purchasing Lightroom, but I've already made an investment on Aperture. Here's to hoping Apple blows us away with Aperture 2.0!!

Now, this is what I do:
1. Import pics into a folder on my external hard drive with name of event/date of pics.
2. Open photos in Adobe Camera Raw and do some work.
3. Either save the image as a .tif and import into Aperture (if I'm happy with it), or open the image in Photoshop and continue to work.
4. Final touch-ups in Aperture
5. Print!

I will probably stay with Aperture because I like how Apple organizes the application. It fits how I work (which is mostly messy..). I also love the photo books you can make