Workflow - how to save, backup and archive files?

[GrahamS]

I have said this before but for those that are new to the forum here it is again: My workflow is-
1) Remove memory card from camera, replace it with a fresh card and download from memory card into temp folder on desktop using card reader. Put memory card aside.

2) Point Adobe DNG converter at this folder and convert any .nef or .cr2 raw files (depending which camera I used) to .dng files, saved in the same temp folder.

3) Delete original .nef or .cr2 files from the temp folder as they are redundant.

4) Import all of the files from the temp folder into Lightroom using the following naming protocol:

5) I create a destination sub-folder on my primary external drive within the "Master downloads" folder called, for Nikon images for e.g: D7100_1212-1236_Classic Car Show.

6) I tick the box to create a copy of the files on my secondary external drive and create a destination folder with the same name in the "Master Downloads Backup" folder.

My Nikon D7100 renames it's files in-camera with the prefix "D71 and numbers the files sequentially. I do not rename the files when importing into lightroom. My Canon 7D did not have the facility to rename files in-camera, so when importing from the Canon into Lightroom, I ticked the box to "Rename files" with the prefix "7D." With the latest firmware up-grade, I no longer have to do this as the camera renames files in-camera.

7) I quit Lightroom and confirm that all of the files are in both locations and that none are corrupt. (I have Lightroom 3.6 and occasionally get the message "There was a problem working with this file" when I try to preview a .jpg image, and I find that the file is corrupted. I then delete it and re-import it from the temp folder. This is just a glitch in Lightroom.

8) I replace the card into the camera and format it in-camera. I never format a card from the PC. I remove the card from the camera and replace it with the fresh card, which is the next card up from my card wallet. All of my cards are numbered. In this way I use all of my cards sequentially and if any are liable to fail, the failure doesn't come as a surprise because I have never used the card. I use them all in turn.

9) I delete all of the files in the temp folder on the desktop.

10) I preview all of the files in the primary drive folder in Lightroom and do a preliminary elimination based on sharpness, composition, etc flagging the rejected files, which I then delete from the Lightroom catalogue and from the HDD.

11) I edit the Raw files in Lightroom (which uses Adobe Camera Raw) for colour balance, noise reduction, clarity, exposure and maybe some spotting and sharpening and apply a lens correction profile.

12) I then open the file (File>Open With>Photoshop CS5> Open copy of image with Lightroom adjustments) in Photoshop and, if the image is something like a serious fine-art landscape or portrait, I carry out any editing that requires the use of layers, layer blending, masks, or anything else that Lightroom doesn't do. If the image is for my street portfolio, or is a record shot, I don't usually edit any further.

13) I then save the image as a tiff file, adding the suffix "master" to the file name, to a folder on my "D" internal drive called "Master Negs" which gets backed up automatically to both external drives and to my iCloud.

14) I crop if necessary to adjust the aspect ratio and re-size the image for printing and apply the required sharpening. My working colour space is Adobe RGB and I use this colour space for printing, therefore I don't change the image colour profile.

15) I save the image as a tiff file in a folder on my "D" drive called "Print Files" using a suffix to the original file name of "10x14 print" or "8x10 print" and close the file.

16) I re-open the original master neg file and re-size it to 1024 pixels across at 100 ppi resolution for web use. I apply the necessary sharpening for web display and convert the colour space to sRGB. I watermark the image with my signature (sometimes discretely, sometimes blatantly) and then I save the image as a jpg file at level 8 compression, with the suffix "web" to the original file name, in a folder on my "D" drive called "Web Files" and in a sub-folder called, for e.g: "Knebworth Car Show 2013" which also gets backed up automatically to both external drives, but not to my iCloud.

17) I close the file and if Photoshop asks "save changes" I always say "No!"

This workflow works for me, but your mileage may differ. I use Lightroom for the initial corrections and edits because it is non-destructive, and as long as the Lightroom catalogue is backed up adequately, my original files remain un-touched and the edits remain imbedded. I only have one internal HDD on my iMac, partitioned into a system drive, where all of the applications are installed but no photo images, and a "D" for "Data" drive, where all of my documents and master negs and print files are stored. I have them on this drive simply because the external drives, even though they are connected by fire wire ports, are too slow to do on-line editing from. Every now and again I burn my latest master neg files to a gold DVD, but I have no faith in the archival properties of DVDs. I use iCloud because it belongs to Apple, who are too big and ugly to go out of business in my lifetime. I could also use Google's cloud with equal security. Hopefully my heirs will be able to access my work from iCloud.