Tutorial #1
A simple workflow - digital camera to web page
Updated: November 2009
There are numerous ways to carry out this task but this is the way I like to do it. I use this workflow because it follows a logical sequence that is easy to remember and has the added benefit of allowing me to save each stage so that I can re-visit and re-edit in the future and also produce other versions in any format that may be required.1) Camera to computer
If your camera supports it, always take your pictures in RAW (look in your cameras instruction manual to see if you can change to RAW – most will have the default image type as JPEG). A RAW file is much larger than a JPEG file – but for a reason - a RAW file retains every bit of the colour data obtained through the camera lens whereas a JPEG file compresses data by ‘losing’ some of the information that seems to be repeating itself. At a small image size this loss of data will not be noticeable – but if the image is ever required at a larger size (if you sell it for use in a magazine or poster, for instance) then you need to retain every smallest detail.Only use JPEG if you need to process a file very quickly, for instance if you have a newsworthy image to send to a newspaper of if you want to e-mail it to someone - and you ARE SURE that you never want to use it in a large file size.
Choose a preferred colour space and set in in-camera and in every piece of image manipulation software that you use,
Personally I use the Adobe (1998) RGB (or aRGB) colour space since that has a wide colour gamut which can be beneficial if your image is subsequently printed out. I only modify to sRGB colour space right at the end if I am using the image on a web site since this provides a 'punchier' picture for viewing on a monitor.
Transfer your images from your cameras memory card to the computer - preferably using a card reader rather than a USB cable (this is quicker and less prone to errors). Immediately make a back-up of the transferred images onto a separate drive.
Top Tip !
NEVER delete the originals from your memory card until at least two separate copies are safely stored on your computer and/or external drives.
I use Adobe Lightroom for this stage. Using its ‘Import’ function it automatically finds the memory card in the card reader, creates a new folder using the import date as its name and transfers the images to that folder. At the same time it produces a back-up on my external hard drive. If the drive is not switched on it flashes up a warning and will not proceed. As a result ALL of the images taken by my camera are safely stored in two separate locations allowing me to safety re-format my memory card and re-insert it into my camera ready for use again.
Use the ‘format card’ function on your camera to delete all images on the memory card rather than just using the ‘delete image’ function – this reduces the risk of a future memory card failure. Never use the 'format drive' option on your computer - it is known to cause memory card failure. Transfer your images from your memory card to your computer as often as possible – if your memory card fails then you may lose everything.
2) Initial sorting
This is where you make the initial decision on whether each image is worth working on. Even bearing in mind that you will be able to manipulate the image later on there will always be some that are definitely beyond hope and some near-duplicates where only the best needs to be retained. DO NOT delete the ones you don’t want - just mark them in some way so that you can see at a glance their status. One easy way is to edit the filename, maybe just adding an ‘R’ as a prefix, but some software allows a ‘flag’ or ‘rating’ to be applied to an image. Either way, the purpose is to reduce the number of images that are continuing through the workflow (i.e. less work) but keeping the ‘rejects’ just in case you have made a mistake.
Again, I use Adobe Lightroom for this stage. It has three rating systems: flags, stars and colours, so you can make it as simple or complicated as you like. I use a simple ‘colour’ system: red signifies an image that is definitely worth further work, yellow signifies an image that may have potential. The rest of the images are left alone – but can always be found again if required. The ‘colour-coded’ images then proceed to the next stage.
3) Metadata
Metadata is information about an image imbedded into that image that can be extracted at later stages as required. Usually your camera will automatically embed data about the camera type and the settings used into an image but some software will allow you to manually add more data yourself such as:
Image name – a short descriptive name to identify the subject matter
Keywords – a list of words associated with that image – used for searches within image- management software and by stock agencies.
Copyright details – that the image is copyright and who by (i.e. YOU !)
(This stage is optional – but can be very useful. Be aware that I have heard reports that some stock agencies cannot always read the keyword metadata applied by some software and, in certain circumstances, report that the image is corrupt. In such cases, remove the keywords from the metadata and insert it manually in the stock agencies website.)
Once again, I use Adobe Lightroom for this stage. The image is given a ‘name’ that is unique and can give me a memory-jog as to its subject matter, it is assigned keywords, it is marked as copyright and my name is marked as its originator.
4) RAW image manipulation
As mentioned is stage 1, a RAW file retains every bit of the colour data obtained through the camera lens. By carrying out initial image manipulation on the RAW file, you are adjusting the purest form of the image that will subsequently be carried on to the next stage. Any colour changes to a RAW file is not permanent – you can re-adjust and return to the original at any time. However, the image manipulation at this stage is on the whole image – you cannot choose sections in isolation or work in layers.
The first logical action at this stage is to crop the image, i.e. to cut the top, bottom and/or sides either to improve the overall composition or to remove unwanted intrusions in the frame. Do this now so that you don’t waste time later manipulating sections of the image that won’t be in the final version.Further image manipulation that can be carried out at this stage includes changing the levels of:
White balance
Exposure
Brightness/contrast
Saturation/hue
It should be noted that I turn all sharpening off in Lightroom. Later manipulation on a sharpened image could cause problems and create artifacting.
The effects of adjusting any of the above are too detailed to be included in this tutorial.
Remember, the changes at this stage are not permanent and can be previewed immediately – so just have a go and see what happens !
It’s almost like being able to re-take the photograph using different camera settings. Of course, it is always, always better to take the photograph ‘right first time’ – but we can’t all be perfect, can we?
Once again, I use Adobe Lightroom for this stage – going into the Develop module.
Finally, the image is then exported as a PSD file, using Lightroom’s ‘Export’ function, to a new folder called ‘Modified PSD’. A descriptive filename is assigned which is prefixed by the date of capture e.g.: ‘090105filename’
So, in my preferred workflow, I have used one piece of software, Adobe Lightroom, to carry out the first four stages and so it only takes minutes. Sometimes I find it best to stop at this stage and revisit my choices another day. It is surprising how often I reverse my decisions when I look at them again.
5) Detailed image manipulation
Open the PSD file in an image editing program.There are many, many other manipulations that can be done, some with weird and wonderful names carried over from the days in a darkroom:
Cloning
Dodging
Burning
Lassoing
The best part is that you can use layers so that manipulations can be built up in stages and each stage can be returned to and manipulated again.
As before, the effects of manipulation are too detailed to be included in this tutorial (but see my other tutorials for more) – but as long as you retain the layers then the changes are not permanent and the effects can be previewed immediately – so just have a go and see what happens ! (and remember, you still have that saved RAW file to go back to if it all goes wrong).
When you are happy with the result you need to save your work again. Save a copy as a PSD file at 16 bits/channel (This retains all of those layers so that you can return to rework the manipulations at a later date – and also retains all of the colour data).
I use Adobe Photoshop for detailed image manipulation.
6) Preparing for the web siteIt is worth remembering that once you image is published on a web site anyone can save that image onto their hard drive and use it themselves in a publication of their own (or even claim it as their own work! ). If you want to prevent that from happening then an obvious deterrent is to apply a watermark – your name or logo superimposed indelibly onto each image. Image manipulation software can achieve this easily and even the opacity can be adjusted so that the image can still be seen behind the text or logo. The exact position of the watermark depends on a balance between the risk of the image being ‘stolen’ and maintaining the composition of the image – too close to the edge and it could easily be cropped off but too close to the middle and it could ruin the shot.
Top Tip !
To create a copyright symbol © on a PC, press and hold the ALT key and then type in 0169 on the numberpad (the one on the right of the keyboard not the row of numbers above the letter keys).
The image saved so far is much too big in both physical and data size for using on the web. You now need to reduce the size so that it doesn’t lose too much quality but downloads in a reasonably short time and fits within the majority of web-users computer monitors.
It is universally accepted that a reasonable size for a web image is 600-800 pixels along the longest side so use image manipulation software to achieve this. If you use the ‘constrain proportions’ option then the shorter side will automatically reduce by the same proportion without you having to calculate the new figure.Also, although the colour space Adobe RGB has a wider 'colour gamut' and is preferable for printing, if you are using the image on the web it is preferable to change it to sRGB before uploading otherwise the web version will look a little 'washed-out' when viewed on a monitor (web monitors cannot show the wider colour range of Adobe RGB and so discard the excess colour data).
To get the image optimised for web use, I use the 'save for web' option in Adobe Photoshop which changes the colour space to sRGB, reduces the image size and converts to an 8-bit jpeg - ideal for a web image.
7) And finally...So, there we have it - a photograph taken on a digital camera has been converted into a photo on a web page. You may think that this is a complicated route to take, i.e. why not just set the camera to take a medium quality JPEG image in the first place? – but here I also have high quality version that can be revisited in the future either for manipulation again as trends change or to convert for sale.
It is, however, now saved as 3 versions: the original unmodified Raw file from the camera imported by Lightroom (with a copy), the modified PSD file manipulated by Photoshop and the web-size JPEG file – so frequent upsizing of my external drives are needed to retain some hard-drive space. But that’s the price I pay……
In the end though, the choice is yours. There is no workflow cast in stone, no ‘proper’ way. Create your own to achieve your own aims but make it fun – ‘workflow’ it may be, but ‘work’ it is not.
In the next tutorial we will look at a common query for potential stock photographers - resizing an image for the Alamy stock library.
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