IPhoto Raw Workflow

I have been experimenting with shooting in raw and am now trying to figure out how best to work with the files. I've always found iPhoto 11 to be sufficient for organizing my photo library (~50K images), while occasionally using Photoshop Elements to adjust or clean up specific images and create panoramas.
As I understand it, the raw file appears in iPhoto as both a raw file and a tiff that is used for display (in addition to the separate jpg created by the camera). When editing the raw file, it seems that the changes are saved in a tif that is *much* larger than the original (10mb ->100 mb). When I have tried to use Photoshop Elements to edit the raw files, there are more options for working with the file in ACR, but this process seems to create a second raw file on export (_2 appended to the filename) without incorporating the changes, thus requiring the resulting tif (or jpg) file to be re-imported into iPhoto (the resulting tif files do seem to be much smaller, however).
Working directly in iPhoto is much easier, but those large file sizes add up and my hard drive space is running low. Reimporting photos into iPhoto is cumbersome, but would seem to save space. Especially if I can then delete the duplicated raw file, which doesn't seem to have any purpose (as I understand it, I can always go back to the original if I want to try processing it differently). Is there another, better option for working with raw files than either of these imperfect solutions? I could rationalize the price of upgrading to Aperture *if* it would actually solve these problems, but I'm not sure I need if if it doesn't offer some demonstrable advantage.
Thanks for any advice.

As I understand it, the raw file appears in iPhoto as both a raw file and a tiff that is used for display (in addition to the separate jpg created by the camera).
No it doesn't.
If you import a Raw it's copied in and a jpeg preview made of it. There is no tiff involved. If you shoot Raw+Jpeg pairs then you get duplicates. Shooting Raw+Jpeg doesn’t make a whole lot of sense in this case.
When editing the raw file, it seems that the changes are saved in a tif that is *much* larger than the original
It's only saved as a tiff if you have chosen that option in the iPhoto -> Preferences -> Advanced. Otherwise it's saved as a Jpeg. A tiff - as it's uncompressed - will always be a lot larger. That's in the nature of tiffs.
When working with Raws and an external editor again there are no tiffs involved unless you choose there to be:
iPhoto does not handle this gracefully and it's a bit of a kludge.
First off set your preferred app as an external editor in iPhoto:
Note that iPhoto sends a copy+ of the file to Photoshop, so when you save be sure to use the Save command, not Save As... If you use Save As then you're creating a new file and iPhoto has no way of knowing about this new file. iPhoto is preserving your original anyway.
Next: In the iPhoto Preferences -> Advanced, elect to use Raw with your External editor:
Now when you go to edit the Raw it will be sent to your external editor.
Now for the kludge:
You cannot save a Raw. The work you do must be output to a new file, in a new format (jepg, tiff, whatever). However, as the External Editor is making this new file iPhoto has no knowledge of its existence. Therefore you must save it to the desktop and then import it back to iPhoto as a new file.
This means that you will have your Original Raw and the processed version in iPhoto but they will not be recognised as version and original. iPhoto will see them as two separate shots.
So, again, there are no tiffs anywhere in either workflow unless you choose to make them.

Similar Messages

RAW workflow questions - image degradation over several edits with 08?

I currently use Aperture to manage (and edit) my digital photo library. After reading about iphoto 08, the only major thing I can see preventing me from using it would be the RAW editing.
An example would be a photo taken in RAW format and edited in iPhoto. It is saved as a JPEG. Any future editing ontop of that jpeg and the image begins degrading as levels of compression are added ontop of it (I think).
In Aperture, the raw file is maintained and any editing to the RAW file becomes non-destructive as the RAW format is retained in "real time" (so to speak).
I know iPhoto also retains the original RAW file, but not the edited RAW file.
My question is this: with the great extra features of iPhoto (such as easier integration with .Mac) I am seriously considering a switch, but am concerned about image degradation. For all the semi-pro users, what is your RAW workflow in regards to iPhoto? Do you edit the file once, then when editing is required in the future just re-edit the JPEG or go back to the original RAW?
For any former Aperture users who switched to iPhoto, was it worth it?
Thanks!!

Terence,
Once again, thank you for a most helpful answer. I was wondering about the same issue. I guess this means that when you edit RAW files in iPhoto, it uses a similar approach than Aperture and Lightroom now. With far less options of course, but if you just doing basic editing of white balance and shadow/highlight, iPhoto is an appealing alternative.
If I understand correctly the Raw conversion is done at the system level, so iPhoto and APerture even use the same conversion engine, right?
Thank you
Bo

How do I import iPhoto raw (NEF) files into Lightroom 3.6?

how do I import iPhoto raw (NEF) files into Lightroom 3.6?

You will need an application that can convert those pcd files into one that iPhoto supports, mainly jpeg. GraphicConverter is supposed to support many, many formats and might just support the pcd. If so you could use it to convert them to jpegs.
There's an automator workflow that I've put into an application that will take many image files and convert them into jpeg with the RGB color profile. I've never tried it on the Kodak files but you can give it a try. It's called +*Convert to JPG and Embed sRGB profile*+ and can be downloaded from Toad's Cellar. Make a copy of a couple of files and see if it will work. If so then you can batch convert folders of the files at once by dragging them onto the application.
I believe GC can do batch conversions but am not familiar with the application.

IPhoto - RAWs - PSE3

Well hey there, one problem solved another rears it's ugly head.
Now, what I would like to do is establish a decent raw workflow but first must figure out what to do with my library. It's a mixture of Jpeg and Raw files that I previously installed into iPhoto. Ideally I would like to remove just the Raws (easily identifiable) and send them through a 3rd party converter (C1Le) > PSE3 if required > save Jpegs to iPhoto. Is there an easy way to do this without deleting all Raws currently (I do have backups) and sending iPhoto nuts? I believe OSX does not have the facility to have converted them in the first place and as such don't want to end up with dublicates but retrospectivly use my own converter. Point is, I don't want to end up with a corrupted modified folder as they will all be reimported after adjustments. Would I be better of to just delete them, import into C1Le through my backup CD > convert > PSE3 > back into iPhoto as a fresh Jpeg.
Once this is achieved, I will probably just have a dedicated folder sitting on the desktop where all raws can be stored (using image capture) to await import into a raw converter. But for know............
Thanks all.
PS Of course, Aperture would be ideal for what I want to do but we can't afford it and my wife really likes iPhotos integration with other apps. Besides, who knows at what speed it will run at on a X600XT !!!!!!!!!!?

argento:
I don't use RAW but are they stored in the Originals folder like the original jpgs are? If so, just copy the Originals folder to the desktop and run your conversion software on the RAW's there. If there are jpgs in there also you can remove them via the Finder before running the convertor. Then delete the raw files from within iPhoto and import the converted jpg versions from the Desktop.
Do you Twango?
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.

DNG in Smart Object RAW workflow?

I'm totally immersed in the Smart Object RAW workflow. I've been on the fence about using DNG as SO layers, but it suddenly dawned on me that, since you're building in raw layers, rather than having access to your original RAW files easily, that DNG becomes essential to ensure an archival process.
That is, if I have separate RAW files I can always, at some point, convert them to DNG. Once they're in the file as a SO, I'm hosed. (Yes, I can extract them, but I lose all my work in the TIFF.)
Is anyone out there slamming to DNG before working with a Smart Object RAW workflow? (Is anyone working in a SO workflow even? Sometimes I feel like the only one... heh)

Been requested since B2 or so. Still a wait.
Don
Don Ricklin, MacBook 1.83Ghz Duo 2 Core, Pentax *ist D
http://donricklin.blogspot.com/

Camera Raw Workflow options

HI
when i open jpag (or tiff) in camera raw Workflow options,
i have option to size image.
may question it's: if i choose the large size, what hapen to
may image - interpolation like in Ps?
thank

I don't know which algorithm Camera Raw uses ... but the result of the upsampling is virtually the same as Bicubic Smoother in Photoshop. Except for one thing: Camera Raw's upsampling will add tiny ringing artifacts to the result; Photoshop's won't. The artifacts are bright, horizontal or vertical, 1-pixel-wide lines along sharp, high-contrast edges. So for perfect results I recommend to convert the raw image to its native size in Camera Raw, then do the upsizing in Photoshop using the resampling method Bicubic Smoother. Before upsizing, apply some gentle source or capture sharpening.
However those ringing artifacts are really
i very
small; it takes a very close look at high magnification to notice. In most cases they'll go unnoticed. So you may decide not to care. However they tend to get emphasized by subsequent sharpening.
-- Olaf

IPhoto v7.x (iLife 08) RAW workflow

I'm looking for some opinions on a workflow here.
I have an Olympus E-510 and shoot in RAW. For my amateur needs, iPhoto's editing tools are sufficient and I like iPhoto's library characteristics. I import the Oly RAW files and then edit as needed which of course creates a jpeg. There are some pictures that I really don't care about keeping the RAW file as it considerably increases the size of the iPhoto library. I can of course right click on the particular photo and select show original file which shows the RAW file in the Finder, and of course can then delete the RAW file if so desired.
The problem (which I guess isn't really a problem, just kind of anal on my part) is that the edited (jpeg) picture in iPhoto still "points" to the original RAW file's location. I.e., you can right click on the jpeg and select show original file and it opens the folder in the finder where the original RAW file was. I've tried rebuilding the iPhoto library after deleting the RAW file but it makes no difference.
I could of course use another editing program first to edit the RAW image and save a high quality original size jpeg to import to iPhoto, but I kind of would like to keep everything to one application.
If there's no solution to this I simply need to make the decision to either keep the RAW files or ignore the jpeg thinking there is still an original RAW.
Just wondering if anyone else has considered this or has any opinion/suggestion.
Thanks,

Terry:
Deleting the RAW file as you've described is tantamount to committing the cardinal sin of iPhoto, messing with the contents of the library via the Finder. There's really no way to do what you want other than exporting those edited photos you want to keep to the desktop at full size and quality, import into iPhoto and delete the first copy of them.
Another possible workflow would be to upload the RAW files to a folder on the Desktop from the camera. Using a 3rd party editor create a folder of jpg files from the RAW, burn the RAW files to disk or another drive to store as digital negatives and import the folder of the jpgs.
Since iPhoto uses nondestructive editing you're always only one generation away from the originals jpg file. You won't get any significant image quality loss due to multiple edits.
Unless you use a 3rd party editor, like Photoshop, to edit the RAW files there's little advantage to using RAW in iPhoto. With an application like PS RAW files can be handled/edited far better than any other format but you need such an editor. Also, all edits are then saved to another format leaving the RAW untouched.
Since you're only using iPhoto for your editing needs just shoot jpg as that will eliminate several steps in your workflow and save lots of disk space.
Happy Holidays
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 08 libraries and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Iphoto / elements workflow for shooting in RAW

Sometimes I shoot in RAW and edit with photoshop elements. I will open picture in elements do my edited and save file in a folder on my desktop as a .jpeg or .tiff and then re-import into iphoto. Is that what other are doing or is their an easier workflow solution?
Thanks...Andy

Thanks...I've heard great things about Aperture. May
check it out. What do you mean you reference within
the originals folder?
Ah, sorry about the confusion. All I meant by that is if I am using an external raw processor (trying C1LE now) is going to user>photos>iPhoto>originals to make sure I get the Raw file to edit.
Please do some research with purchasing Aperture in terms of speed with your mac. Your profile didn't show what you have but I personally have been hesitant with this purchase because of my graphics card limitation with my iMac G5, no trial periods and no more G5s at local Apple stores for me to try. (they would'nt even let me do a install/uninstall at the shop to see what it's like).
So, maybe I will stick with iPhoto, a nice raw converter and PSE3.
Cheers

Viewing Aperture library items in iPhoto as workflow help

I wanted to view my Aperture library jpegs in iPhoto without opening Aperture. The reason for this is to use iPhoto to review my pictures and to open in an external editor from iPhoto. We use Fireworks in designing web sites and newsletters. I did not want to save to another folder which takes up space. The workflow requires the use of Fireworks, crop out what we need from or graphics/pictures and place in the final work for Dreamweaver.
I opened the Aperture library content and dragged the image folders to iPhoto. It did take the pictures and gave a notice for the files that were not imported. These were jpeg files, not the raw. Advantage is that the Aperture library is now the one resource for our workflow. I can switch from FireWorks to Photoshop when needed. We did not try this with the Raw files, but I suppose that could be done too. Opening the raw in PS would be helpful to some workflows.
I thought this was a good tip. It has saved us quite a bit of time and is easy to use.

I'm not sure I understand. If you're using iPhoto to review and edit jpg files you've pretty much nuked any reason to use Aperture at all. It also means that edited copies of your images are not tracked as versions and aren't backed up in the vault. Can you explain a little more what your workflow is?
I'm do not want versions tracked in Aperture in this case. I want samples of textures or parts of image available for use in designing other graphics. We are in the graphics studio and want to open files in FireWorks, crop/marque out parts and paste to another FireWorks file. I have iPhoto set up to open externally in Fireworks. Think of it as needing 'clip art' out of picture in the library.
What we are doing is designing banners for web sites and newsletters. I might want a horizon/sunset only as a background to blend into the banner. I have iPhoto open already along with Fireworks and Dreamweaver. No need to have Aperture or any other program open now. iPhoto has the jpegs..... click to open in FireWorks, marque, copy and past the parts I want into the banner design.
Before that I had to have a resource folder of jpegs. The Aperture library can now store jpegs and access them from iPhoto. I have to hunt quickly through hundreds of image we have store for each texture and different subjects for these banner creations.
Hope this helps. We just need small parts of any given image. This was a good solution. I'm sure there are others too.

RAW workflow question

I have begun using the RAW format on my Canon dRebel and I am having some difficulties in figuring out what my workflow should be. I found the post below in this discussion group, but I am not sure I completely understand the process around converting RAW files in an external program.
This is what I have tried to do:
1. in Photoshop Elements 3 I click Open and navigate to the folder containing the RAW files (if I control-click the RAW file in iPhoto and select Edit in External Editor it opens a JPG version of the file in PSE3 bypassing the Camera RAW application)
2. I make the necessary adjustments and convert the file to JPG at which point I "replace" the JPG in the iPhoto Library
This does not seem to be working as I am either unable to read the file after or iPhoto will not reflect the new version.
Any help would be appreciated.
Michel
PS: Bonus question: I copied all my old jpg files to the picture directory before launching iPhoto for the first time and importing them into the library. Do I now have duplicates of all files that were on the harddrive before doing the import? Can I delete these to free up space?
Jan,
I should have been more clear. Importing from the camera or a reader is the same. If the camera is not supported, it won't work from either as its the RAW file format that determines compatibility. If the RAW files imported into iPhoto the format is supported and you will now have an iPhoto generated JPEG for each RAW file imported.
If you double click on a thumbnail, it will open in edit mode (or an external editor if configured to do so) in its JPEG form.
To edit the RAW file you need to drag the thumbnail into your favorite RAW editor and save that converted file in your choice of format outside of the iPhoto library.
If you double click an image and then want your RAW file back to drop into a RAW editor, you need to select the thumbnail, right/control click, and select "Revert to Original".
Also, I believe the E1's RAW format is supported since the 10.4.3 update.
Hope this helped!
Sam

Hi Michel,
I don't do RAW but I can point you to an Apple article. Is RAW supported for your camera? Meaning does iPhoto import the RAW files and put them in an Originals folder in the iPhoto Library folder in the Finder?
Supported RAW cameras
iPhoto 5 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Working with RAW images
Working with RAW in iPhoto 5
For the bonus question. You can delete the jpg files you have in the Pictures folder as they were copied into iPhoto's database (the iPhoto Library folder in the Finder) when they were imported into iPhoto.
Lori

IPhoto, RAW and Elemnts

I'm not shooting in RAW every time (maybe I should) but when I do it it is really a mess if I want to edit them in my external editor Elemenent 9.
When I do it I have to select edit the photo in the external editor and I get the raw in elements then I've to select in iphoto preferences the tiff option, I do some edit in iphoto (just to create the tiff in the modified libray) and then I can edit and save back the photo in elements moving when i save from original to modified (I'm not sure it is clear what i do).
There is any better way to do it?

That's a very confused workflow and not the way to do it, but the actual way isn’t much better.
Processing Raw in a 3rd Party Application
You can also process your Raw with a 3rd Party app like ACR or Photoshop. But iPhoto does not handle this gracefully and it's a bit of a kludge.
First off set your preferred app as an external editor in iPhoto:
You can set Photoshop (or any image editor) as an external editor in iPhoto. (Preferences -> General -> Edit Photo: Choose from the Drop Down Menu.) This way, when you double click a pic to edit in iPhoto it will open automatically in Photoshop or your Image Editor, and when you save it it's sent back to iPhoto automatically. This is the only way that edits made in another application will be displayed in iPhoto.
Note that iPhoto sends a copy+ of the file to Photoshop, so when you save be sure to use the Save command, not Save As... If you use Save As then you're creating a new file and iPhoto has no way of knowing about this new file. iPhoto is preserving your original anyway.
Next: In the iPhoto Preferences -> Advanced, elect to use Raw with your External editor:
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
Now when you go to edit the Raw it will be sent to your external editor.
Now for the kludge:
You cannot save a Raw. The work you do must be output to a new file, in a new format (jepg, tiff, whatever). However, as the External Editor is making this new file iPhoto has no knowledge of its existence. Therefore you *must save it to the desktop and then import it back to iPhoto as a new file*.
This means that you will have your Original Raw and the processed version in iPhoto but they will not be recognised as version and original. iPhoto will see them as two separate shots.
You can, of course, simply process the Raw in iPhoto:
Processing Raw in iPhoto
When you import a Raw to iPhoto it automatically creates a jepg preview of the file. Why? Because you cannot do anything with a Raw: you cannot print it, use it a slideshow and so on. However, with this preview you can work with the photo immediately.
You can, however, also process the Raw in iPhoto simply by editing it. The Raw processing engine in iPhoto the same one used in Aperture, but with less fine control. (Think of the differences between Word and TextEdit, iMovie and Final Cut). The output from the processing then replaces the preview. You can choose to save your output as either jpeg or tiff in the iPhoto Preferences.
When you are processing Raw in iPhoto you will see the Raw badge on the bottom of the iPhoto Window
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
Note: After you have processed a Raw, subsequent edits to the photo are carried out on the processed jpeg (or tiff) not the Raw. If you want to go back to the original then you need to use the Photos -> Reprocess Raw command.
Regards
TD

Adobe Camera Raw workflow question #2901

Now that I have my new digital camera-dedicated rig up and running I have been using ACR and CS2 to process my backlog of Canon 30D CR2 files. I am trying to get them ready for posting on the internet. Currently I am using ACR only to tweak Exposure and White Balance, then I move the file in 16 bits/AdobeRGB to CS2 where I do noise reduction, levels, curves adjustment, saturation then resize, sharpening then convert to an 8 bit, sRGB Jpg.
I have adopted this workflow because it was similar to the one I used when my old creakin' PC required me to use DPP to do my RAW conversion (and I subsequently did PP in CS with a 16 bit TIFF)
But I notice ACR has many choices and options such as contrast, shadows, saturation, sharpness, noise reduction controls that one can perform prior to RAW conversion. I have read in the past theoretical comments that adjustments are best made to a file during RAW conversion rather than while as a jpg. Does the same apply to a 16 BiT TIFF? In the workflow above, am I working on a TIFF?
I am wondering if I am better off to make all of the adjustments in ACR window instead of the more lengthy process in CS2. Are there any advantages to doing these adjustments prior to RAW conversion? Or is it better to do PP on 16 bit files using layers?
What are the relative merits of processing the file in either ACR window or as an 16 bit file in CS2?
If it matters, I work on a PC and prefer to PP each file separately rather than in batches. But I DO use batch runs in CS2 to save time using Actions with around 10 file batches to do noise reduction and resize/convert to sRGB/save as.
As always, thanks for the time you take to help me out!!

>"What does Pixelgenius PhotoKit Sharpener do that I can't do, perhaps with more trouble, by applying what I've read in his book? And would I have a problem trying to use it with CS3? "
I have a few observations and perhaps Jeff can comment. With images taken with a digital camera at high ISO, noise reduction may be necessary in the capture phase of sharpening. PhotoKit offers the sharpen and smooth option for this purpose. One can exert some control over the smoothing process by changing the opacity of the smoothing layer and the blend if sliders.
In his sharpening book Bruce uses Photoshop's reduce noise and despeckle filters to reduce noise (sometimes using the despeckle filter multiple times), but I don't know what filter is used in the PhotoKit smoothing operation or what parameters are used for the reduce noise filter if it is used.
If you use Bruce's book and the "roll your own" approach, you have more control over the noise reduction process and also the possibility of using a third party NR product such as the Noise Ninja plugin. Furthermore, just as an edge mask is used to restrict the sharpening to the edges, a surface mask may be used with NR to keep the smoothing away from the edges. The surface mask may be derived by inverting the edge mask used for sharpening, but Bruce says that some tweaking may give improved results.
An alternative would be to use the third party NR prior to using PK sharpener. However, you would still need to make a surface mask for optimum results, but I doubt that many users take the trouble of doing this.
In my own work with the Nikon D200 (which has rather high noise at high ISO), I find that I often get unacceptable noise and artifacts with PK Sharpener when used with high ISO images.
Also, many landscape photographers mask off areas of clear blue sky and foliage that do not need sharpening, thereby avoiding accentuation of noise secondary to sharpening in these areas.
>Bruce gave you the recipies...he didn't give you the exact numbers to use. So, you'll have to do what he and I did...trial and error, to arrive at optimum numbers...
For output sharpening, the PK defaults seem to work quite well and the trial and effort of rolling your own is usually not worthwhile, IMHO.

Issues with NAS, iPhoto, RAW file format, AEBSn, Leopard

I think I've isolated it down to a networking stack issue with Leopard, but I was hoping I could get some more thoughts/advice. I don't want to downgrade to Tiger, but I may need to! Either that or host my iPhoto library locally.
Scenario:
My iPhoto library was messed up. Some albums were missing and it couldn't seem to find them. Rebuilding my library was giving me errors. So, I decided to start fresh. I created a new library and began importing files. I noticed that my RAW (.CR2) files were showing glitches in them! These were major glitches, like big squares of blue or yellow and distorted pictures. I checked the original pictures, those were fine. I checked the pictures in my new iPhoto library, those files are corrupted! Not the thumbnails, but the files themselves. I opened the file in Photoshop to verify. Yup, busted.
Attempted Solution:
I tried downgrading to iPhoto 7.0 from 7.1.1, thinking that that might be the problem. Still having issues with the RAW files. Do I need to downgrade to iPhoto 6? I can't believe that's the answer. Even in iPhoto 7.0, the problem persists.
Now here's the interesting thing: not all files are broken. Some files work, others don't. Some files are imported without glitches some of the time; reimporting them results in a glitch. That suggests to me that it's a networking problem.
I'm using 802.11n to an AEBSn2 (gigabit), which has a ReadyNAS NV connected to it by gigabit ethernet. I don't think it's a hardware network thing since everything seemed to work in Tiger.. I think it's a way that Leopard handles the networking stack. Didn't they revise the underlying network stuff for Leopard?
Help!

Are you able to switch to 11g? I heard that helps for some people. I haven't tried it yet. Right now, I have about 7500 photos, so I want to copy everything and back it up. Once I get it backed up, I'm going to try other solutions, but it may be a few days before I get anything tested.

Raw Workflow PS CS3 and Camera Raw 4.5

Hello
I just started working with raw files, that's why I'm not sure about the best workflow with Camera Raw 4.5 and Photoshop CS3. My aim is to post process in raw 4.5. and in CS3 with as less quality loss as possible.
So when I finished the processing in raw 4.5 do I have to save it before I can continue working with the file in CS3 and in which format am I going to save it? If I save the raw file as psd, will I have quality loss? After post processing in CS3 what is the best format (for quality) to save it (there is no DNG possibility).
Thank you very much for your help!
Sarosa

You will probably get a lot of different answers your question because everyone has their own preferred workflow. Generally speaking, however, I think it is best to do as much of your postprocessing in Camera Raw as possible because it is nondestructive. You do not have to save your image to a different format before you start working on it in Photoshop. By clicking the Open button in Camera Raw, any changes that you have made are stored as metadata, and then the image along with all those changes is opened in Photoshop. Once you have the image in Photoshop you are now going to be editing the pixels of the image directly. And once those types of modifications have begun you cannot save the image as a raw image or a DNG file. It will be necessary to store it in a different format. I think good choices are either as PSD or TIF because either of these formats will save your work without doing any damage to the image data. From either one of those formats you can create JPEG or any other type of image that you need when required. JPEG images are saved with a type of compression that can, over time and through multiple saves causes your image to deteriorate.
In summary, you always have your raw images to go back to if necessary to start over. Use PSD or TIF to save your working files in Photoshop. And only create JPEG images from those PSD or TIF when they are required for the Web or for e-mail, etc..

Raw workflow in Aperture 3

I just switched to shooting raw. I'm trying to figure out how to export my raw files after I've tweaked them in Aperture 3. When I export masters, I get the raw version but not the changes. When I export versions, they're jpegs. I'd like to be able to export toned raw files. Is that possible?

lindseydeb wrote:
I am a wedding photographer so I have to put my files in several places for backup, I can't just leave them in Aperture. As it is now, I burn DVDS of all images shot before I edit and tone as well as back them up in a RAID system. I am just looking for a way to have finished versions of the photos in a format other than jpg stored in the same external hard drives.
The short answer is save 'em as 16 bit TIFF files.
But, with deepest respect, you still don't understand RAW and more importantly, you may have wasted your money on Aperture. For the workflow you are describing, you would be better off with Adobe Bridge and Photoshop Elements. And, I would submit, you are losing time and energy that you could use to shoot more weddings. There are a lot of folks on this forum who really "get" Aperture and would really like to help.
As noted by others, you need to read and understand the opening chapters of the Aperture manual, or better yet, find a copy of Ben Long's old book "Real World Aperture." You are looking at Aperture as a mere RAW "converter" and maybe a file browser - it is much, much more. Ben Long called Aperture an image "appliance" and he is right - imagine an automated library that holds all of your images, all the time, can find any one or group in an instant, and produce an endless stream of JPEGs, CDs, prints, or whatever you want. All the time keeping your old images future proofed - better RAW developer, all of your old images just got better.
In simplest terms, you DO want to leave all of your RAW images in Aperture. (You do want to back these data up using Time Machine, the Aperture Vault, and probably a clone program as well. I use SuperDuper! I keep thirty years of images and memories from some of the more difficult places on earth and I don't want to lose a single one. That is precisely why they are kept in Aperture and not scattered across a bunch of disks. And yes, my Time Machine runs on a RAID.
I can't see why you would insist on converting your nice 12/14 bit images to 8 bits for eternity. What happens when the bride comes back two years from now and wants new prints? And could she have them in B&W and cropped for 13x19, not 4x6. And then she asks if you have any images of one of the bridesmaids, the one you ignored. Faces to the rescue, in seconds.
It is your time and money, but you haven't yet realized how much power Aperture gives you and how much easier it is to use Aperture than to do what you are doing now. D.C. is a tough market, you owe it to yourself to use the best tools you can.
Best wishes!

IPhoto Raw Workflow

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for