Edit, edit and more editing...

[keithallenlaw]

I just finished another wedding and I'm doing what I swore I wouldn't do
from my last wedding. And thats spend so much time in the chair.
I'm 4x6 proofing about 250 pics and I find myself rotating, cropping,
and doing lighting adjustments on every image. Am I just being
to picky or is this just normal? Man I love the shooting part but
all this editing just turns me off. I think if the flow would be
faster it wouldn't be so bad. 5D Raw files converted to 16 bit
.tiffs gives my pc a workout. I am working from an external
hard drive so my pc hard drive is free to work but it still takes
time. And PSE3 is probably slow compared to the newer programs.
*Nailing it* in the field would save a lot of time too.

I was warned not to start shooting for profit. It becomes
a job not a passion and I'm starting to see that now....

[dougsmit]

In film days, relatively few photographers (and fewer wedding photographers) processed their own images. More used the drug store or a pro lab. Those who did their own included a few who could not deal with the thought of someone else touching their work and many who got some sort of enjoyment out of the process. Today we seem to have a large class of photographers who think images should leap unmolested from the camera mere seconds after exposure and another group who believe that only they are allowed to do what is necessary. Taking a CF card straight out of camera to Wal-Mart is the 2007 equivalent of the drug store level film processing. RAW converters or JPG adjusters resemble the home and pro custom labs we knew back then. In time we will see an increase in professional "RAW to printable JPG" technicians assuming more of this load as more shooters decide that it is OK to subcontract to someone more skilled in (or more fond of) postprocessing. Perhaps it is time for you to find one and let them help you. This work must be done but you need not be the one who does it.

[keithallenlaw]

Thanks Doug for your view on this. It was most welcome.

[jfrancho]

I'll do the work - $5/image.

Seriously, well that was somewhat serious, but I do understand. It helps if you have an idea of the final outcome when you take the image, and try to get as much done with the camera, not because its the "purist" way, but because its more efficient.

[Max@Home]

Originally Posted by keithallenlaw

I just finished another wedding and I'm doing what I swore I wouldn't do
from my last wedding. And thats spend so much time in the chair.
I'm 4x6 proofing about 250 pics and I find myself rotating, cropping,
and doing lighting adjustments on every image. Am I just being
to picky or is this just normal? Man I love the shooting part but
all this editing just turns me off. I think if the flow would be
faster it wouldn't be so bad. 5D Raw files converted to 16 bit
.tiffs gives my pc a workout. I am working from an external
hard drive so my pc hard drive is free to work but it still takes
time. And PSE3 is probably slow compared to the newer programs.
*Nailing it* in the field would save a lot of time too.

I was warned not to start shooting for profit. It becomes
a job not a passion and I'm starting to see that now....

Hi Keith,

I understand -completely- what you are saying

...perhaps you need to adapt your workflow from a 'picture by picture' to a 'batch group of pictures' routine: use a RAWconverter like Lightroom or DPP, where you can adjust lighting/colour/crop for one image and can then copy and apply that 'recipe' to any/all other images taken in the same light etc... and only then convert, maybe even straight to JPG (smaller file, less 'tuneable' than the TIFF, but as they are 'more finished' that shouldn't be a problem?) and do the final tweaks (detail-work: dodging/burning/partial sharpening etc) in the JPG's...

...just a suggestion, *my* €0.02 worth...

Kindest regards!

Max@Home

[EOS_JD]

Lightroom is the answer. Shoot manual as much as you can and batch edit your images in seconds.

Select the images to be rotated and two clicks later they are all done.....

Lightroom has really cut down my use of Ps although I do still sharpen a bit in ps.

[AJW390]

Okay I must be one of the weird ones because I LOVE to post process my pictures...lol..hundreds of them! I will try to batch as much as possible with the lighting etc. I thoroughly enjoy making the bride books and adding any artistic effects to make each print stand out to the best of my ability. I also use a lot of templates and actions which speeds things up considerably.

[keithallenlaw]

Wow, thanks everyone for all the feedback. I don't feel so alone on this one now.
Thanks for the stream lining advise. And yes Max, I do batch process my RAW's
in groups of different scenes. Its the 16 bit .tiff's in PS that takes so long.
I want even my proofs to look great, because after all it does reflect my work
and who I am. I suppose I should just convert to .jpg's and save myself lots
of time. Now the enlargements, well thats a different story. Thanks everyone.
This was helpful.

[angelsfort]

Originally Posted by jfrancho

I'll do the work - $5/image.

Seriously, well that was somewhat serious, but I do understand. It helps if you have an idea of the final outcome when you take the image, and try to get as much done with the camera, not because its the "purist" way, but because its more efficient.

jfrancho, don't you get some photo's that are impossible to improve?? One of my family members seems to think that I can put ANY image into Photoshop and make it into a masterpiece... she doesn't realise that you need a good photo to start with (or a so-so photo)... she's given me a couple of pictures she took of her little ones, and expected me to turn it into something fabulous. (which she, of course, could take credit for... since she's the one that took the picture in the first place... needless to say, I don't EVER volunteer to help with her post-image processing...

what would you do if she brought you one of her shots that was just horrid??

[Max@Home]

Originally Posted by angelsfort

what would you do if she brought you one of her shots that was just horrid??

crop away the worst parts, rotate 45 degree, convert to Black and White, add tons of grain, and make it REAL contrasty, print extreme large, 80cm by 100cm, and say: Artist Impression!

...way less than €0.02 worth...



Max@Home

[jfrancho]

Originally Posted by angelsfort

jfrancho, don't you get some photo's that are impossible to improve?? One of my family members seems to think that I can put ANY image into Photoshop and make it into a masterpiece... she doesn't realise that you need a good photo to start with (or a so-so photo)... she's given me a couple of pictures she took of her little ones, and expected me to turn it into something fabulous. (which she, of course, could take credit for... since she's the one that took the picture in the first place... needless to say, I don't EVER volunteer to help with her post-image processing...

what would you do if she brought you one of her shots that was just horrid??

These are shots the customer picked to have printed. They just don't how to crop, resize, and sharpen them If they liked them when they stunk on the screen, they'll like them when they stink in print. Who am I to argue? I've cut lists of images to print down by suggesting an alternate photo to print. Usually the bad ones are the only ones of Aunt Edna, and if they don't get a print of aunt Edna in there, all hell will break loose.

[angelsfort]

LOL @ Max

jfrancho, you've got a point there... if they like them when they are bad prints, they'll still like them...

[aam1234]

Keith, I'm probably opening a can of warms here, but have you considered shooting Jpeg. You can still edit them.

Only drawback I can think of is WB. And with a hectic wedding a CWB may not be feasible.

If not, and as Max suggested, why not go straight from Raw to jpeg.

[jfrancho]

Only drawback I can think of is WB.

And the loss of color depth data. 4 bits/channel to be exact.

[Max@Home]

Originally Posted by aam1234

Keith, I'm probably opening a can of warms...

yuk!





Max@Home

[aam1234]

It seems it's the first time you heard that expression, Max

[Max@Home]

Originally Posted by aam1234

It seems it's the first time you heard that expression, Max

...I know of an expression with a can of wOrms in it, but a can of wArms ?? YUK!



Max@Home

[aam1234]

Opps

That thing always confuses me, like angle and angel. Better consult the dictionary next time.

[Tom Swaman]

What is wrong with warm worms?

Where can I find "WORMS" in the PS menu?

Happy weekend.
Tom

[aam1234]

Originally Posted by Tom Swaman

What is wrong with warm worms?

Nothing at all....unless you are a bird or a fish

Happy weekend to you too, Tom.