Working with Raw files on a MAC

[Moody Blues]

I just started using a MAC about 3 months ago. So far, I have been importing all of my photos into I-photo. I have avoided shooting RAW lately b/c I just can not get a handle on how the Mac handles the files. I have yet to get Adobe CS2 and should.

My main question is. For those of you using a MAC, do you let I-photo import the pictures from the camera or do you import them another way.

Give me some pointers here, please.

Thanks,
Danny

[Qurlyjoe]

I use Photoshop CS. I copy from the CF card to my hard disk, burn immediately to CD for backup. After that, the Browser in PS shows me thumbnails one folder at a time. CS Camera Raw only lets you open one image at a time, CS2 will let you have as many open as you've got RAM for.

[Pelao]

In my view iPhoto is a great app if you are using JPEGs. It's also great for integration with the other iLife applications.

However, it's handling of RAW is terrible. In addition, I don't like the convoluted file structure.

I changed Image capture (your Mac's image importing application) to import from my card reader to a folder called New Images.

I then manage the contents using bridge, the new Adobe application that is packaged with CS2.

For filing I use folders based on dates, with subfolders for special events / shoots where necessary.

If you have )S X 10.4 (Tiger) the new Spotlight application makes searching through your images extremely fast. You can also do so using Bridge. In both cases your search will only be effective if you have invested a bit of time applying keywords to the images.

Hope this helps
Steve

[Moody Blues]

Pelao

Yes I am using Tiger. The system is brand new. Dual 2.7 ghz and fast.

I like I-photo b/c of the keywords. Is that what you were refering to with the keywords or does CS2 have a way of applying keywords? I also like I-Photo becasue I can organize the photos by date shot instead of the import date. If I knew that CS2 performed as easily as I-photo but handled RAW images better, I would by it in a heartbeat.

Thank you for the insight. Any more is much appreciated.

[blue_max]

I just started using a MAC about 3 months ago. So far, I have been importing all of my photos into I-photo. I have avoided shooting RAW lately b/c I just can not get a handle on how the Mac handles the files. I have yet to get Adobe CS2 and should.

My main question is. For those of you using a MAC, do you let I-photo import the pictures from the camera or do you import them another way.

Give me some pointers here, please.

Thanks,
Danny

I have OSX and iPhoto (you need the latest version 5). This will import raw directly off the cf disk. You can drag and drop into PS CS.

Let me know if you don't understand or are having difficulties.

Graham

[mdclaros]

First of all, which camera are you talking about???

If it is 20D, I always use the software that came with the camera it is great for downloading pics to the hard drive. Then to review them faster I use PS.

I never use iphoto because it is hard to find where your files finally went.

[Moody Blues]

I do have I-photo 5. All of this is with the 20D. I am going to play a little over the weeked and then post my findings on Monday.

[blue_max]

First of all, which camera are you talking about???

If it is 20D, I always use the software that came with the camera it is great for downloading pics to the hard drive. Then to review them faster I use PS.

I never use iphoto because it is hard to find where your files finally went.

Open them up in iPhoto and drag and drop where you want them.

Graham

[jrm]

Whatever system works best for you is the way to go. There is no right or wrong.

If you shoot jpeg, then iPhoto can be a good way to manage your photos. There is no need to know where the photo get imported to (in fact, you should never mess with iPhoto's files/folders). If you want one or more photos, you can export or drage/drop from iPhoto to the Desktop or a folder. iPhoto also allows for easy to make backups of your photos to CD or DVD.

I shoot RAW. Although the latese iPhoto can import RAW from a 300D, I do not use it for that.

I use Image Capture (located in your Applications folder) to download images off my CF card to a folder. I then use PhotoShop's browser to set the processing information for each (I do not open each file, only the RAW setting window. Then hold the option key and the "Open" will change to "Update")

After all my settings are done, I run "Dr. Brown's Image Processor" (free PS script available at: www.russellbrown.com ). This creates a jpeg of all my RAW files using the setting I made.

I then save the original RAW files away. The folder of jpegs is then dragged onto the iPhoto window.

This gives me a nice set of jpegs for "causal" use and "snapshot" printing. If there is a special photo I want, I just match the jpeg filename in iPhoto to the original RAW file. I can then open the RAW and do any additional processing I like.

This system requires a little more work than just using iPhoto, but it is much simpler and quicker than it sounds.

--Joe

[myth337]

I think one of the points Danny was making is that he doesn't have PS.. CS or otherwise.

My photos have been done on my Macs for the last 6 years, and I used iPhoto for most of them till I started shooting RAW.

Now I copy them by hand to a folder, and use Digital Photo Professional and the other browser tools from Canon, and then use PS Elements on the converted TIFFs.

As for iPhoto 5, I'm going to Karlsruhe tomorrow morning to get Tiger, so I can let you know in the next few days how I like it. (not sure if I'm looking forward to importing several gigabytes of photos into the new iPhoto... but... )

.. Lee

[jrm]

I think one of the points Danny was making is that he doesn't have PS.. CS or otherwise.

My photos have been done on my Macs for the last 6 years, and I used iPhoto for most of them till I started shooting RAW.

Now I copy them by hand to a folder, and use Digital Photo Professional and the other browser tools from Canon, and then use PS Elements on the converted TIFFs.

As for iPhoto 5, I'm going to Karlsruhe tomorrow morning to get Tiger, so I can let you know in the next few days how I like it. (not sure if I'm looking forward to importing several gigabytes of photos into the new iPhoto... but... )

.. Lee


Ahhh... I misread. No PhotoShop does change the equation a bit. :)

Well, iPhoto (current version) does handle RAW. Not as much control as PS, but a heck of a lot less expensive. The nice thing is that iPhoto will let you edit the file, but always keeps the RAW original. This way, if you ever upgrade to PS, C1, etc. (or just want to use the RAW converter that came with your camera) you can.

I have used iPhoto on RAW and it works pretty decent. Aside from more control, the reason I don't use it regularly it mainly space related. My library of just jpegs is up to about 15GB. I would rather keep the larger RAW files offline on a DVD and only grab them when/if needed.

--Joe

[Moody Blues]

jrm

I was just getting on the forum to say that the process you mentioned above just worked beautifully for me. I just did it the exact same way before I saw your post.

Using Tiger, I downloaded the photos from my 20D through Image Capture to a folder I set up called "New Photos". These photos are then copied to an archive folder using the same structure that I-photo uses. ie: Archive/2005/07/08. I then open Digital Photo Pro and work with my RAW files till I get what I want. I then select all files and batch process them to a temp folder called "ready for I-Photo". When the jpg's are made I then drag them directly to I-Photo for use as I was doing in the past.

It's great, now I have the exact same system from before using I-Photo and also have the original RAW files to play with down the road.

I am a happy man.

BTW, I went to the apple store tonight and purchased a Lacie 500 gig drive for all these RAW files. Oh yeah, picked up another 1 gig of RAM also.

Thanks guys for all the insight.

[Pelao]

I like I-photo b/c of the keywords. Is that what you were refering to with the keywords or does CS2 have a way of applying keywords?

Hi
yes, CS2 does have a way of applying keywords.

It seems you have found a way of working that suits you. Great!

One thing to be aware of: be cautious about updates to iPhoto. Make sure you backup very carefully before applying them as many people have experienced ruined libraries with updates.

By the way, congrats on the dual 2.7. That thing must be sooo fast!

[jrm]

Danny,

Glad you have a system that works. I would make one suggestion, however.

Don't worry about matching your backup folder naming structure to the iPhoto one.
1. iPhoto's own library structure may change in the future
2. You should never mess with files inside the iPhoto library folder. Thus there is no need to track/emulate it's library structure

I save each import inside a folder named for the date. i.e. 2005-07-10. This does a few things. First, iPhoto lists a date along side each roll name. This (plus the date embeded in the photo itself) allows me to easily track down the RAW when needed. (The RAW has the same name as the iPhoto jpg.) As an added benefit, naming the folders this way will sort them by date in the finder.

An external HD is a great way to keep photos. As added insurance, you should also backup the RAWs to DVD (the dual 2.7 has the SuperDrive, doesn't it?). You can also backup your iPhoto library to DVD right from iPhoto.



--Joe