Wedding Photographers Workflow

For those wedding photographer. What is your workflow for raw files? I ask this because I done a wedding where I let the client select a hundred photos out of all the photos what where rough edited then I went back and fine tuned the hundred photos. I sure this is not the most effective way, but through suggestion maybe I can come up with a better way. Thanks

Here is my workflow:

1. Download all the cards using Downloader Pro (assigning camera ID to photos - ie 30D_IMG_1200.jpg)
2. Use Pixort to quickly delete out the bad photos, I have it setup with number 1 being good and 2 being garbage. Pixort automatically goes to the next image after you hit a number, so I never have to use the mouse. I can go through 1000 images in 30 minutes or less.
3. Renumber the Good RAW files in breesebrowser Pro
4. Burn two copies of the good raw files to DVD
5. Select about 10 of my favourite images to edit and put on my Blog.
6. Open all the RAW images in Adobe Camera Raw, colour correct, exposure correction, turn some of them to black and white, crop etc. - Takes about 2 hours per 500 images.
7. Batch process all the RAW files to JPG based on the above settings.
8. Run a mild sharpening action on all the JPGs created in step 7.
9. Run an action to resize for my web gallery and apply some un-sharp mask and save in another folder
10. Run the web gallery automation in CS2 to create a web gallery
11. Upload files to web server.

Everything else after this point depends on what the client ordered in their package, but that gives you a general idea of my workflow.

Toogy wrote in post #2266449
Here is my workflow:

1. Download all the cards using Downloader Pro (assigning camera ID to photos - ie 30D_IMG_1200.jpg)
2. Use Pixort to quickly delete out the bad photos, I have it setup with number 1 being good and 2 being garbage. Pixort automatically goes to the next image after you hit a number, so I never have to use the mouse. I can go through 1000 images in 30 minutes or less.
3. Renumber the Good RAW files in breesebrowser Pro
4. Burn two copies of the good raw files to DVD
5. Select about 10 of my favourite images to edit and put on my Blog.
6. Open all the RAW images in Adobe Camera Raw, colour correct, exposure correction, turn some of them to black and white, crop etc. - Takes about 2 hours per 500 images.
7. Batch process all the RAW files to JPG based on the above settings.
8. Run a mild sharpening action on all the JPGs created in step 7.
9. Run an action to resize for my web gallery and apply some un-sharp mask and save in another folder
10. Run the web gallery automation in CS2 to create a web gallery
11. Upload files to web server.

Everything else after this point depends on what the client ordered in their package, but that gives you a general idea of my workflow.

My workflow is very similar to this, with a few exceptions.
a) Download using the free DIM from www.alanlight.com
b) Rating is done in bridge using 1-5 keys. 1 = out of focus, 2 = duplicate but keep it in case someone blinked in another shot, 3 = proof, 4 = probably going into album, 5 = my portfolio
c) Rename in Bridge
d) I don't sharpen unless it's really necessary, and no blog

Apart from that, the general principle is to do as little as possible at the proof stage.

The only thing more fun than posting a question and then getting great answers, is when someone else beats you to the asking and all you have to do is read

Wow,

I have tonnes to learn...hahaha ...i am kinda scared actually. I'm assuming that for efficient wedding photography workflow, it would be good to have some actions installed so I can batch process them all (resizing, sharpening, etc. etc.)

Forget the actions, just shoot RAW and focus on the basics - exposure, shadows, brightness, contrast.

wedding:
dump card to image tank throughout day

office:
copy images from image tank to Hard Drive
backup images to External Drive
backup images to DVD x2
rename images using explorerX2 (alternative file browser)
use pixort to choose keepers
edit RAW using C1 (tweek exposure etc - select white balance using macbeth shot at wedding when lighting changed)
export 16bit TIFFs
backup TIFFs on DVDx2
backup TIFFs on External Drive
open TIFFs in PS
Tweek again - make people smile, change faces, eyes etc, get rid of any dust etc, etc, smart sharpen and save again
run batch on TIFF folder making thumbs and low res shots for website including copyright watermark
make new directory on website
upload pics
if a paper proof is required i run a batch command that resizes for low res print and i put a book together
contact bride and groom (now wife and husband ) and let them know that the shots are now available for viewing

When using bridge to select your keeper with the star rating. Is it possible to open just those image by using a command or short cut in photoshop?

extrememc wrote in post #2305894
When using bridge to select your keeper with the star rating. Is it possible to open just those image by using a command or short cut in photoshop?

You can sort tell bridge to only show images rated with at least, say, 3 stars, using a drop down at the top right of the screen. You can also sort by the star rating using the menus.

tim wrote in post #2305929
You can sort tell bridge to only show images rated with at least, say, 3 stars, using a drop down at the top right of the screen. You can also sort by the star rating using the menus.

Off-topic question, I clicked your link for some of your favorite pictures and noticed the florals in the nature category. Do you carry a white card or other sort of background into the field with you, or were those done in a studio?

imhotep wrote in post #2307156
Off-topic question, I clicked your link for some of your favorite pictures and noticed the florals in the nature category. Do you carry a white card or other sort of background into the field with you, or were those done in a studio?

The were done in my lounge, in RAW, the room had white walls and I used light from the window.

When batching these photo of for the web. What resolution to you use? I use 72 is that to small. Should I use the save for web or save as and set my image quality option to 5?

Resolution is irrelevant. I use around 500 pixels wide, usually watermarked, saved at high quality using save for web.