Digital Workflow Summary

Having a workflow is paramount to organization and efficient management of your images. I have developed a workflow for my film, slide and digital images. While the workflow is a continual work in progress, I will continue to update the steps listed here and the links attached.

10/24/2008 NOTE: With Lightroom 2 I have begun using Smart Collections to assist in the Digital Workflow. See the Smart Collection Workflow here.

1. Image Conversion Workflow - The first step is getting the image into the library. Scanning, saving to disk, backing up, organizing and indexing negatives or slide sets are all part of this workflow.
2. Image Rating and Selection Workflow - After importing images into a library, this workflow begins the selection process of which images should be discarded and which should be kept. Then the remaining images must be rated to further distinguish their value to you.
3. Pre-Correction Image Workflow - After careful ratings, the best images should be prepared before the correction stage. This workflow applies necessary crops and any touchup required.
4. Correction Image Workflow - This workflow determines which corrections should be evaluated for an image and the order to apply them. This workflow concentrates on Adobe Lightroom with external steps in Photoshop or other third party software.
5. Printing Workflow - This workflow to get an image permanently displayed, this workflow deals with readying an image to print and saving profiles for reuse.
6. SlideShow Workflow - This workflow involves creating a slideshow in Lightroom for display. This workflow is Lightroom specific.
7. Web Workflow - This workflow involves creating a web page to publish or distribute on CD. Similar to the Slideshow Workflow, this workflow is Lightroom specific.
8. Library & Catalog Management - This workflow is about maintenance. This workflow involves moving files to permanent storage or on separate hard disk media and maintaining the image and keyword data in the Library.
9. Lightroom Preferences - This workflow involves setting Lightroom to take maximum advantage of the various preferences and maintaining backups of preferences, settings, presets and custom galleries.
10. Backing Up Lightroom - This workflow discusses how to backup your Lightroom Settings making sure the time spent creating efficiencies and perfecting presets for your workflow is safe from the catastrophe that will someday happen.

Workflows can be generated for web and portfolio work, however if the images are well prepared, the majority of the workflow is selecting images and templates.

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