Has to be an easier way....GRRRR

[britt777]

I am pulling all my hair out. I just can't seem to get a system down for organizing and saving my pictures. The biggest mistake I made was letting someone tell me to shoot in raw only. Damn did that make my life a life long commitment to my computer...GRRRR. Can anyone please tell me how to take a ton of raw photos and convert them to jpeg so I have a raw and jpeg image. I am one of the most organized people I know, but for some reason I can't seem to get the pictures oraganized on my computer well enough for me to find easily. Comments Welcomed. Thanks for hearing me vent my frustrations. Have to take them out some where...lol

Brittany

[mcmadkat]

What program do you use to convert RAWs?

I just put each set of RAWs in a folder that is labelled, they open the lot in lightroom, go through em and pick the ones I want as JPEGs, then fiddle each one and convert. I don't see the point in converting them all the JPEGs before editing.

Cheers,

Sam

[britt777]

I use bridge. Is lightroom and easier program than photoshop?

[Cerbera LM]

Lightroom is adobe's standalone raw processor. It is NOT a replacement for PS.

Raw files are in the original folder with subfolders by date. PS & jpg files are in the finished folder with subfolders by date & subject.

Use DPP for my raw files since it's free.

My workflow (An example not the end-all-be-all)

- Open Raw files in DPP, delete the bad ones, and adjust WB and exposure on the keepers as required. Export as tiff files.
-Open tiffs in PS and edit as required, straighten, crop, curves/levels & etc.
-When PS edits are complete use actions (in the form of droplets) to resize, sharpen & write jpgs. Tiff files are deleted after the PSD file is created.
-End up with a Raw file, an unflattened PSD file and a jpg file.

[ssim]

The only time that I ever shoot RAW and JPG is when I have a customer that needs the images incredibly fast. I did a shoot a couple of days ago that required me to deliver the same day. I shot about 150 in RAW and loaded the image on my computer and processed and delivered the final shots within a couple of hours after loading them. I use C1 Pro for my processing. I find it very easy to batch all of the shots. If your shots are close to each you can apply certain settings to them all at once. Your output can be anything that you want.

I will admit to shooting more JPG only sessions. I have started using my light meter more than relying on the camera's meter or the histogram. This has resulted in better exposures to the point where I normally don't have to do much to them other than maybe some sharpening. It really depends on the type of assignment but there is nothing wrong with shooting RAW if you have a workflow that can support a decent turn around time.

It took me awhile to get to my current workflow. You will make several changes to the way you manage your images but eventually you will end up with a workflow that does not make you a slave to your computer.

[Rumjungle]

After switching to Lightroom, I've cut my PP time tremendously. I love it. Brittany, with LR, you can import your RAW images and then just export an entire batch of them to jpeg with just a few keystrokes.

[In2Photos]

Lightroom is adobe's standalone raw processor. It is NOT a replacement for PS.

Raw files are in the original folder with subfolders by date. PS & jpg files are in the finished folder with subfolders by date & subject.

Use DPP for my raw files since it's free.

My workflow (An example not the end-all-be-all)

- Open Raw files in DPP, delete the bad ones, and adjust WB and exposure on the keepers as required. Export as tiff files.
-Open tiffs in PS and edit as required, straighten, crop, curves/levels & etc.
-When PS edits are complete use actions (in the form of droplets) to resize, sharpen & write jpgs. Tiff files are deleted after the PSD file is created.
-End up with a Raw file, an unflattened PSD file and a jpg file.
Umm, no and yes. Lightroom is not just a stanalone RAW processor. It is a DAM tool as well, plus it can create web pages and slideshows as well as print. Know any standalone RAW processors that can do that.

You are correct in that it won't replace Photoshop. But for most of us it gets really damn close. I rarely use PS anymore and when Lightroom gets a few goodies added to it I probably won't step foot in PS except for big projects.

[Rumjungle]

I used to do all my RAW in PS and that took FOREVER. Now, I've been doing everything in LR and only going to PS for those really creative edits. Even that's a piece of cake as you can do directly from within LR and automatically have the edited image stack with the original...nice and neat. Britt, you should give it a go and decide for yourself. I would also recommend the fantastic video tutorials from The Luminous Landscape. They really got me going quick and started me off on the right foot. For once, all my images are nice and organized.:)

[In2Photos]

I used to do all my RAW in PS and that took FOREVER. Now, I've been doing everything in LR and only going to PS for those really creative edits. Even that's a piece of cake as you can do directly from within LR and automatically have the edited image stack with the original...nice and neat. Britt, you should give it a go and decide for yourself. I would also recommend the fantastic video tutorials from The Luminous Landscape. They really got me going quick and started me off on the right foot. For once, all my images are nice and organized.:)
I agree 100%. I did this very thing and have no intensions on looking back.

[gparvan]

Go download LR and give it a whirl. You will be able to experience what we have and be convinced on your own.
https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?loc=en%5Fus&product=photoshop%5Flightroom

[S.Horton]

So, you're in Adobe Camera Raw from Adobe Bridge?

If you're in Windows, here are the steps. If you need the steps for a MAC, I can flip over and look them up.

Batch save to JPG from RAW (.CR2):
1. Select all files in Bridge
2. Right click, open in Raw
3. Button, top left, select all
4. Button, right-hand, lower side, set of 4, select SAVE
5. Pick JPG, max 10 quality, a destination directory, OK, done

My guess is that you can't find anything and/or you've lost track of which photos have been processed, which need to be processed and so on?

RAW will save your bacon; it is not a mistake to shoot in it. Keep asking questions about how people organize photos, directories, backups, you'll be OK.

[ItsMike]

what I do is this....

1. Make new Folder and date it.. (Todays date)
2. Dump all raw Files in it. (I use a memory card reader)
3. Using Bridge go thru the ones I want to Process.
4. Make a Sub folder in dated folder ( I call it PP'd)
5. Process raw files and save to the PP'd Folder
6. Then if needed (Usually is) Finish pics in CS2 and save in the PP'd Folder.
7. (Optional) I have a Folder called "Resized" and all pics I want to display here I resize them and put in there.

[Desertraptor]

Here's my system

Take photos in RAW and save to folder by date.
Process only those shots you deem worthy and delete those that you don't ie any out of focus
Convert to 8 bit and save as JPEG to a favorites folder (those I would print or post here)

When I have enough I then burn to dvd for archive

[ItsMike]

I ahve all my pics save on 4 different HD's

[René Damkot]

Can anyone please tell me how to take a ton of raw photos and convert them to jpeg so I have a raw and jpeg image. I am one of the most organized people I know, but for some reason I can't seem to get the pictures oraganized on my computer well enough for me to find easily.

I fail to see the connection between these two problems.
First one is easy enough: Almost all raw converters (including ACR and DPP) will do a batch conversion.

Second problem is DAM (Digital Asset Management). Click here (http://www.thedambook.com/) to go to the site of 'The DAM book". You can download chapter one, to give some ideas...

For DAM I use iView Media Pro (http://www.iview-multimedia.com/): Allows keywording and organising of images very nicely. (Get it while it's still availiable: The new M$ version is less capable for more money AFAIK)

At the very least, you should rename your images as you DL them to your HDD. I use Image Ingester (http://imageingester.com/ImageIngester/index.php). It's freeware, and allows you to copy a file to multiple HDDs, rename, add IPTC, and convert to DNG if you might like that.

I use a naming scheme like RHD_yymmdd_DESC_xxxx.CR2 where "RHD" are my initials "yymmdd" is the date I shot the image, 'DESC' is a short description of the job or subject and 'xxxx' is a four digit counter. These files go into a folder "RAW" inside a folder called "yymmdd_Description" which is in an appropriate sub folder (Work / Performing Arts / Free) in my 'Images" folder.

Processed files go into a folder called "processed" inside the same sub folder. I think you can guess where the web images go ;)

That way, if I come across a file named "rhd_20070524_CrLx_0050.CR2" I know it was an image shot at may 24th 2007, at a festival called 'Cross Linx"

Later on, keywording can help me find an image in iView. For instance when I search images of an audience, I can search for the keyword 'publiek'. A lot easier then manually going through thousands of images...

Finally, I use a program called "CD Finder" (http://www.cdfinder.de/) to tell me what DvD a certain image is on (if I ever need that).
Only thing is, your DvDs must have a unique name. I use a 4 digit counter. No problem for me...

[britt777]

Wow, thank you for all the tips and suggestions. I am going to look into the lightroom. I need to also read more about the batch processing. I think my system is pretty ok, I just need to go through and delete photos I don't want from the get go and come back to fix the savers.

Thanks Again
Brittany