Newbie question: Workflow with ViewNx2 and CaptureNx2

Boomer

New member
I'm new to digital SLRs and in two months I've found myself with about 30Gb of pictures (ok, 3000 pictures from a trip to Africa and a few hundred others). I shoot in Raw+JPEG, but I'm thinking about going to RAW only.

I have View NX2 and purchased CaptureNX2. I also purchased Lightroom but I don't like it because it doesn't store the ratings, etc. in the NEF file, but in a sidecar file which the Nikon products won't read. I also like the CaptureNX2 editing capability. Lightroom is faster but I have a very fast computer, so I don't mind.

Here's my question. Can you give me suggestions on workflow from importing to the camera to having my final archived shots? Right now I have a mess with new pictures being mixed up from with the old pictures, original jpegs and post-edit jpegs confused, and multiple copies of each picture.

Follow-up clarification: I'm not looking for photo editing workflow (general picture changes to specific picture changes) but file management advice. Where do you import, move to, keep or discard, and backup.

Help!

Thanks!

Brian
 
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Mike150

Senior Member
Hey Boomer,
I shoot both Raw and JPG, only because my wife wants to see the pictures as soon as they're loaded and not wait for me to convert them.
I use Lightroom which is a great Database manager, and a really powerful editor.
I've also got two external "Network" drives. A 500GB for the JPG files and a 1TB to back up the Raw files. My drives are physically connected to my router so every computer in the house can access them. Original raw files are kept on my C drive.

One of the first things I do when loading photos is to get rid of the obviously bad shots. You will know them when you see them. Out of focus, Blurry, etc.

When I have more time to sit and work I will compare shots that look very similar. I took 6 rapid fire shots of my grand daughter driving the soccer ball down field. I got rid of 4 of those by comparing them side by side and eliminating those with minor flaws. Two were keepers.

Finally I start rating them with stars to indicate my favorites.

Hope this helps a little bit, and what part of Richmond are you from? I grew up in Midlothian. I now live north of Charlottesville.
 

aroha

New member
Hello Boomer,

I use Aperture, but am pretty happy now with my workflow, so I will share. I shoot in RAW only and after each photo session I import my RAW photos to an Aperture project on an external drive. I then rate the photos I like and do my post processing. Once that is complete, I export my finished album to my local Aperture library.

If I need JPEGs I can just export from my finished local library, and if for some reason I need to go back to an original I can get it off the external drive.
 

Browncoat

Senior Member
I also purchased Lightroom but I don't like it because it doesn't store the ratings, etc. in the NEF file, but in a sidecar file which the Nikon products won't read. I also like the CaptureNX2 editing capability. Lightroom is faster but I have a very fast computer, so I don't mind.

Lightroom is a far more powerful archiving and file management tool. I don't really get why the sidecar file would be a dealbreaker, but to each his own. That said, I think bouncing back and forth between multiple programs is only going to clutter up your workflow. As for my own workflow:

Storage location - C:\Photography\*year*\*folder*\*subfolder*

NEF files are imported into Lightroom and converted to DNG format
--> this makes files smaller, eliminates the sidecar file, and stores images in a non-proprietary format

Bad photos are sent to Ken Rockwell (what I have renamed my recycle bin)

"Keepers" are tagged/flagged/color categorized

Files backed up to 2 separate external HD every other day (automated)
--> if I import a large batch of photos, like from a wedding, I perform a backup on the spot

Files uploaded to cloud weekly (automated)

Files backed up to another separate external HD monthly, and stored off-site
 
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Browncoat

Senior Member
And yes, I'm serious:


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