LR5 > PSCC > Nik Workflow

[Panda77]

Let me start by saying that I am very new to photography. I only picked it up about a month ago as a new hobby. Since then I have fallen in love and spend every spare minute I have (when not shooting) reading about photography and, just recently, post-processing.

I have started to create my own post-processing workflow chart and I would like some input. From extensive reading, this is what I have compiled so far:

1) Lightroom 5
-----a) Import RAW image
-----b) Tag images with keywords
-----c) Broad edits to image from top of adjustment panel to bottom
-----d) Photo > "Edit in..." > Photoshop CC (edit a copy with LR adjustments)
2) Photoshop CC
-----a) Heavy image editing, cloning, content aware, etc. (if desired)
-----b) Convert layer to smart object
3) Nik (from within PSCC: Filter > Nik Collection) (all applied to the smart object)
-----a) Sharpener Pro 3: RAW Presharpener
-----b) Dfine 2
-----c) HDR Efex (if required)
-----d) Analog Efex 2
-----e) Viveza 2
----------i) Specific control point edits
-----f) Color Efex 4
----------i) Apply filters
-----g) Silver Efex 2 (if desired)
-----h) Sharpener Pro 3: Output Sharpener
4) Photoshop
-----a) Save as psd or tif (16 bit ProPhoto RGB)
-----b) Save as jpeg (8-bit sRGB)

I would like feedback on the general workflow. Is there anything that's redundant?

Which programs should I use for specific functions like exposure, brightness, contrast, highlights, shadows, clarity, vibrance, saturation, split toning, lens correction, etc. Is this just a matter of personal preference or does one do them better than another? Is it better to do these things in LR on the RAW before handing it over to PS, or again a matter of personal preference?

Thanks for any responses.

[Shadowman]

Nothing wrong with your work flow that I can see, to me it doesn't matter which program you use for exposure, brightness, etc., however I have noticed that certain programs will slightly change previous processes; for instance if I make a change with NIK and bring the image back into LR, sometimes highlights will be a bit elevated and I'll have to readjust; hopefully not offsetting something I did in NIK (this usually happens after NR).

[Panda77]

Nothing wrong with your work flow that I can see, to me it doesn't matter which program you use for exposure, brightness, etc., however I have noticed that certain programs will slightly change previous processes; for instance if I make a change with NIK and bring the image back into LR, sometimes highlights will be a bit elevated and I'll have to readjust; hopefully not offsetting something I did in NIK (this usually happens after NR).

OK. Sounds like something I'll just have to experiment with. I loved LR when I first started using it. Then I got Nik a little bit later and REALLY loved working with it. It's just I have read to do as much as you can to a photo in RAW before exporting a tif to PS, however, that's the only way to do the edits in Analog Efex (which I like working with more) vs. LR.

[dubaiphil]

Let me start by saying that I am very new to photography. I only picked it up about a month ago as a new hobby. Since then I have fallen in love and spend every spare minute I have (when not shooting) reading about photography and, just recently, post-processing.

I have started to create my own post-processing workflow chart and I would like some input. From extensive reading, this is what I have compiled so far:

1) Lightroom 5
-----a) Import RAW image
-----b) Tag images with keywords
-----c) Broad edits to image from top of adjustment panel to bottom
-----d) Photo > "Edit in..." > Photoshop CC (edit a copy with LR adjustments)
2) Photoshop CC
-----a) Heavy image editing, cloning, content aware, etc. (if desired)
-----b) Convert layer to smart object
3) Nik (from within PSCC: Filter > Nik Collection) (all applied to the smart object)
-----a) Sharpener Pro 3: RAW Presharpener
-----b) Dfine 2
-----c) HDR Efex (if required)
-----d) Analog Efex 2
-----e) Viveza 2
----------i) Specific control point edits
-----f) Color Efex 4
----------i) Apply filters
-----g) Silver Efex 2 (if desired)
-----h) Sharpener Pro 3: Output Sharpener
4) Photoshop
-----a) Save as psd or tif (16 bit ProPhoto RGB)
-----b) Save as jpeg (8-bit sRGB)

I would like feedback on the general workflow. Is there anything that's redundant?

Which programs should I use for specific functions like exposure, brightness, contrast, highlights, shadows, clarity, vibrance, saturation, split toning, lens correction, etc. Is this just a matter of personal preference or does one do them better than another? Is it better to do these things in LR on the RAW before handing it over to PS, or again a matter of personal preference?

Also, in step 2)a), if I have multiple layers, do I have to merge those layers before converting to a smart object in step 2)b)? Ideally, I would like to be able to keep the workflow as non-destructive/baked-in as possible, able to be fully edited (or unedited) again later if desired.

Thanks for any responses.

Wow I'm slack!

[Manfred M]

The only comment I might make is that you look at using Adobe Bridge / Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) rather than Lightroom.

Also, pre-sharpening (i.e. import sharpening is usually performed in ACR or Lightroom), rather than in the Nik software. If you plan to use Nik for that step (and I virtually never do), make sure all sharpening is turned of in ACR / Lightroom. You don't want to do this step twice. I will set my white point and black point there, do the lens corrections compensation (distortion and CA) and teak the colours in the HSL/ Grayscale tab. I especially do this in landscape shots to get the skies to look "right". I will someimes apply a different curve as well as a starting point for a flat looking image.

In my workflow, I do both the colour space selection (ProPhoto) and SmartObject conversion at RAW import stage. ACR can be set up to do this; LR defaults to ProPhoto, I believe.

I will do heavy lifting in Photoshop and pretty well work 100% with layer masks and SmartObjects as part of a non-destructive workflow. I also do any in-process sharpening (always at 100% image size) at that stage. In some images, PS gets virtually no use an in others I will do a lot of heavy lifting there.

As for the Nik software, this is something I generally don't use, because most of my images don't seem to need it. I generally only use Color Efex and Silver Efex as needed. I sometimes use Sharpener Pro when I get lazy for screen output sharpening. I find I duplicate my work and rasterize the layer I send over to Nik software. Using a SmartObject here usually means the darn thing is always refreshing and slowing down my workflow.

When the image looks good enough to me (whether I use Nik or not) I save as a psd file. This is my final edit and it does not get touched again.


My final step (and this gets repeated for each and every different final output I look for) is to output sharpen based on final use. If I plan to print the file, I set it to the final print dimensions and sharpen (generally with unsharp mask or smart sharpen, both in Photoshop) at that size. Same goes for display on the computer or web. For web display I will resize the image for final display size with a drastically downsized image; I will sometimes even soften (make the image less sharp) because of some of the inherent sharpening that accompanies the downsizing operation. I generally work to a 2000 pixel maximum dimension for display, but will leave the image larger for speciality things like stitch panos.

My final step is to convert to sRGB colour space for web display or a commercial printer. I either throw this file away or sometimes save it under a new file name. The original psd file is kept as I may want to print or display for a different size some other time.

[Panda77]

The only comment I might make is that you look at using Adobe Bridge / Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) rather than Lightroom.

Also, pre-sharpening (i.e. import sharpening is usually performed in ACR or Lightroom), rather than in the Nik software. If you plan to use Nik for that step (and I virtually never do), make sure all sharpening is turned of in ACR / Lightroom. You don't want to do this step twice. I will set my white point and black point there, do the lens corrections compensation (distortion and CA) and teak the colours in the HSL/ Grayscale tab. I especially do this in landscape shots to get the skies to look "right". I will someimes apply a different curve as well as a starting point for a flat looking image.

In my workflow, I do both the colour space selection (ProPhoto) and SmartObject conversion at RAW import stage. ACR can be set up to do this; LR defaults to ProPhoto, I believe.

I will do heavy lifting in Photoshop and pretty well work 100% with layer masks and SmartObjects as part of a non-destructive workflow. I also do any in-process sharpening (always at 100% image size) at that stage. In some images, PS gets virtually no use an in others I will do a lot of heavy lifting there.

As for the Nik software, this is something I generally don't use, because most of my images don't seem to need it. I generally only use Color Efex and Silver Efex as needed. I sometimes use Sharpener Pro when I get lazy for screen output sharpening. I find I duplicate my work and rasterize the layer I send over to Nik software. Using a SmartObject here usually means the darn thing is always refreshing and slowing down my workflow.

When the image looks good enough to me (whether I use Nik or not) I save as a psd file. This is my final edit and it does not get touched again.


My final step (and this gets repeated for each and every different final output I look for) is to output sharpen based on final use. If I plan to print the file, I set it to the final print dimensions and sharpen (generally with unsharp mask or smart sharpen, both in Photoshop) at that size. Same goes for display on the computer or web. For web display I will resize the image for final display size with a drastically downsized image; I will sometimes even soften (make the image less sharp) because of some of the inherent sharpening that accompanies the downsizing operation. I generally work to a 2000 pixel maximum dimension for display, but will leave the image larger for speciality things like stitch panos.

My final step is to convert to sRGB colour space for web display or a commercial printer. I either throw this file away or sometimes save it under a new file name. The original psd file is kept as I may want to print or display for a different size some other time.

Thanks for the info.

Why use Bridge > Raw when LR does it all-in-one? At least, as far as I know (which is limited). What are the advantages? Also, it seems you are a fan of doing exposure/color corrections in ACR, if I read correctly. Why do you favor this over Nik?

Good point about the sharpening. Yes, I intend to do very subtle pre-sharpening with RAW Presharpener and avoid it all-together in LR and ACR (which, while I have it, I'm not currently using). However, you advocate using LR or ACR for this. Are they known to have better sharpening capabilities than Nik?

"Sharpening based on final use" is not something I had thought about. Very clever. If the image will be downsized dramatically (say, for web), do you usually sharpen > resize > resharpen? or just resize > sharpen?

EDIT: I think I see your answer to my last question: resize first, then sharpen.

[Polar01]

Panda77 welcome to CIC, it would be help full if you went back into settings and added your name and general location as it is nicer to call one another by our real names and location helps guide advice to find items in your own country.
Now LR is a stripped down version of Photoshop CC (sorry LR users but it is in my mind), however it does have a very strong cataloging system for images than CC. The development and ACR are the same so what you can do in one you can do in the other.
Here is my basic workflow:
load images into computer by way of Bridge
Bridge into ACR (Adobe Camera Raw)
here colour space is auto selected (ProPhoto), and other presets are applied
all other adjustments done here, same ones that you can do in LR
open file into CC as an smart object
Photoshop CC
resize image to possible print size
use of tools in CC are applied (adjustment layers and masks)
possible use of NIK Viveza, Silver Efex 2, to get wanted look
more use if needed of CC tools
possible use of Colour Efex 4 for effect wanted
Rename file as a Master file and save as a psd file
High light all layers
Alt+Ctrl+Shift+e to produce a visible merge
Trash all layers below visible merge layer
NIK Define 2 for noise
NIK Output Sharpening before print
Rename file as Master Print and save still as a psd file
if image is printed and needs adjustments after print then resaves as same Master Print file name

This will give you an idea of a slightly different work flow than your own.

Cheers: Allan

[JR1]

What's workflow, Never bothered with this in 30 years, perhaps like driving a car it is something you just "do", without working it all out..............

[Donald]

What's workflow, Never bothered with this in 30 years, perhaps like driving a car it is something you just "do", without working it all out..............

Just for the purposes of allowing new or inexperienced to weigh up pros and cons of the respective positions, the above is a view I would never endorse. I absolutely believe in developing your own workflow. It will take time and there will be much trial and error. Once you get a workflow in place you can then begin to deviate and try new things ... but from the position of having a solid platform of a tried and tested workflow that works for you.

Once you've got it in place, then it indeed becomes like driving a car. But you've got to work at it first.

[dje]

Let me start by saying that I am very new to photography. I only picked it up about a month ago as a new hobby.

Firstly I have to say that you seem to have come up to speed very quickly indeed and it’s good to see someone taking such a methodical approach.

I tend to do as much of the basic editing as I can in ACR (I don’t have LR). I like the way the basic editing screen is set out with a logical flow from top to bottom (WB down to Clarity etc ) and I can often get the image very close to how I want it here. Also bear in mind that these adjustments are much newer than the ones in PS and possibly are improved versions in some cases.

I also prefer to do capture sharpening in ACR along with noise reduction (if necessary) on the same screen.
I also do lens correction in ACR and often will do cropping and straightening here too.

One advantage of ACR/LR is that it is a parametric editor and in fact you can save a few different versions of the edit with negligible storage penalty.

I use the presets to set up my default settings for the raw file when opened.

I like the Nik filters and find things like the Detail Extractor in Color Efex Pro and the control point adjustments in Viveza very useful at times. I occasionally use the Nik RAW Presharpener for a bit of extra sharpening in PS, but not for the initial capture sharpening. I like the more basic control in ACR/LR for sharpening, including the choice of pixel radius and masking level. The Nik product seems to produce quite good sharpening results but the settings are a bit of a mystery to me.

When I have finished editing the 16 bit file in PS, I save it as a PSD. I then process it further for display on the web by downsizing, sharpening using PS Smart Sharpen and saving as an 8 bit jpeg. I don’t usually print but if I did, I would process the master psd file in a different way for a print version tif or jpeg.

Note that when downsizing in PS there are a few interpolation algorithm options available (set from the Preferences /General menu). I use “Bicubic (Best for smooth gradients)” but some would use “Bicubic Sharper(Best for reduction)”. With the former, you have more control over the output sharpening.

Dave

[Simon Garrett]

The tools we are talking about (LR/ACR/PS) are so powerful, and functions overlap, so there are often many way of achieving the same thing. This means no "right" answer IMHO (though some may be less than optimum, perhaps).

I do as much as possible in LR. Like ACR, it's a fully parametric and non-destructive editor, but unlike ACR it has a very powerful image management system built in. Although one can achieve non-destructive editing in PS too, it often involves multi-layer images that start to get huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge if you have 36M pixel images. With LR, the files stay at the original raw image size, which can be 1/10 or 1/20 of the size of a PS file.

I reckon at least 90% of my "good" images never go beyond LR for editing, and I print (if necessary) from LR. That means my work is 100% non-destructive, and I don't need multiple copies of images. (Multiple versions can be achieved by LR "virtual copies".)

However, I'll not argue with those that do most of their work on every image in PS. The important thing is a workflow that gets the result you want, and with which you're comfortable. After all, most of us (I suspect) are doing it for pleasure, so whatever gives most pleasure...

PS - I forgot to mention, I also have Nik, but don't use it a great deal. I generally use it from PS (rather than LR) as you can do the Nik work in a smart object, which makes it non-destructive, and you can come back and alter the Nik settings. If you use Nik applications from LR, it's a once-for-all edit - you can't change it without starting again.

[Mike Buckley]

perhaps like driving a car it is something you just "do", without working it all out..............

The process of learning how to use post-processing software effectively isn't intuitive for most people. That's why workflow can be so helpful to most people. While I agree that the process of learning how to drive a car is less problematic, even that is troublesome to a lot of people.

[Panda77]

First of all, thanks to all of you for your responses. Seems to be a great community.

Panda77 welcome to CIC, it would be help full if you went back into settings and added your name and general location as it is nicer to call one another by our real names and location helps guide advice to find items in your own country.

Cheers: Allan

Done and thanks for sharing your workflow. However, I will ask: why do you use Define after the other Nik software? It seems to me that most people think it should be done first thing after PS heavy lifting.

Just for the purposes of allowing new or inexperienced to weigh up pros and cons of the respective positions, the above is a view I would never endorse. I absolutely believe in developing your own workflow. It will take time and there will be much trial and error. Once you get a workflow in place you can then begin to deviate and try new things ... but from the position of having a solid platform of a tried and tested workflow that works for you.

Once you've got it in place, then it indeed becomes like driving a car. But you've got to work at it first.

Yes, being as inexperienced as I am, I plan to use this workflow as a starting point. Hopefully, it will help me produce decent images while I learn the ins and outs of the software I'm using (it's still very new to me).

Firstly I have to say that you seem to have come up to speed very quickly indeed and it’s good to see someone taking such a methodical approach.

Dave

Yea, I'm a math and science sort of guy, lol.

I also prefer to do capture sharpening in ACR along with noise reduction (if necessary) on the same screen.
I also do lens correction in ACR and often will do cropping and straightening here too.

One advantage of ACR/LR is that it is a parametric editor and in fact you can save a few different versions of the edit with negligible storage penalty.

I use the presets to set up my default settings for the raw file when opened.

Dave

For your noise reduction and sharpening, do you send the image back to ACR after PS, or is this done in the early stages?

Yes, I love the fact that the "sidecar" file is so small.

I have developed a preset for my camera so the images look good (closer to the viewfinder) straight into raw. The preset I came up with (which I just use as a starting point) is:

Contrast +20
Highlights -25
Shadows +10
Whites +10
Blacks -30
Clarity +10
Vibrance +50
Saturation -10

Note that when downsizing in PS there are a few interpolation algorithm options available (set from the Preferences /General menu). I use “Bicubic (Best for smooth gradients)” but some would use “Bicubic Sharper(Best for reduction)”. With the former, you have more control over the output sharpening.

Dave

Yay, new words to look up I mean that sincerely, lol.

--------------------------------------

In response to most of the other posters, it seems most of you favor Bridge over LR, and only use a couple of select tools in Nik. I would imagine this is because you are comfortable working with the Adobe Suite. Let me say, as a beginner, the Adobe Suite interfaces can be very intimidating (with the exception of ACR and LR).

The LR interface is a joy to use (probably because it has less options ;p). It makes it very clear, for me, from import to catalog to develop to print, exactly what tools I should be using. Nik takes this even further and has separate programs, each designed for an intended purpose, with very easy to understand controls. Now, while I'm sure that as I become more comfortable working with the Adobe line, I may very well change my opinion, but for now their interfaces are like looking at the inside of the human brain. I have no idea what each part does, lol.

That said, maybe it's time to get a book on PS

[Polar01]

Well Adam as to your question of why do I use Define 2 so late in my workflow. We I shoot mostly landscapes so I can use a slow shutter speed along with base ISO which with my Nikon D600 is 100 along with usually shooting 1 to 1-1/3 stops over exposed. This is because when the camera warns me that the image has blown highlights, I know that when it goes into LR or ARC that the image is not blown so I also end up with more detail (data) in the dark areas so less noise is generated. I do not run Define 2 on every image I print, only on the ones I feel it may help except, if it is an B&W images as I am working with 256 tones and I lean towards more towards low key B&W than high key.
If you notice when I use Define 2 for noise it is after Photoshop CC has done all the heavy lifting, and as it maybe applied only to those images that are going to be printed.
Usually the last thing done to the image before printing is out-put sharpening based on image size and paper type. However there are times when after the test print you find that you need a slight curves adjustment added so the printed images looks like it does on the monitor or in some case I have used Viveza instead as it is only one very small area that I want adjusted. They are only tools, sometimes you do not use them for months then one image comes along well you have the right tool for the job.

Cheers: Allan

[Manfred M]

What's workflow, Never bothered with this in 30 years, perhaps like driving a car it is something you just "do", without working it all out..............

I personally suspect you have one, even though you might not use that terminology.

Most people process their images in more or less the same way, unless some extraordinary action needs to be taken.

[Manfred M]

Thanks for the info.

Why use Bridge > Raw when LR does it all-in-one? At least, as far as I know (which is limited). What are the advantages? Also, it seems you are a fan of doing exposure/color corrections in ACR, if I read correctly. Why do you favor this over Nik?

Good point about the sharpening. Yes, I intend to do very subtle pre-sharpening with RAW Presharpener and avoid it all-together in LR and ACR (which, while I have it, I'm not currently using). However, you advocate using LR or ACR for this. Are they known to have better sharpening capabilities than Nik?

"Sharpening based on final use" is not something I had thought about. Very clever. If the image will be downsized dramatically (say, for web), do you usually sharpen > resize > resharpen? or just resize > sharpen?

EDIT: I think I see your answer to my last question: resize first, then sharpen.

Adam - I prefer Bridge over Lightroom for several reasons. First of all, I don't like Lightroom's database structure and to use Lightroom forces me into additional steps that are a pain for someone who does not use its cataloging system. The other reason is that I use other Adobe software, and Bridge is the common interface for all of these.

The reason I prefer doing this work in ACR (or Lightroom's Develop Module; these two are functionally identical, the only difference is the user interface) is that I am manipulating the RAW data as opposed to data that has parameters like white balance and gamma "baked in". Just as an aside; I use three other RAW converters; Nikon's View NX2; which does better skintones than ACR / LR on Nikon cameras; DxO Labs Optics Pro 9; as it does much better lens correction than ACR and Phase One Capture One (also a file cataloging system that I like a lot better than Lightroom); I also do my input sharpening there.

The reason I favour most things over Nik is that I don't need an extra step in my workflow. I use Nik (and other plugins) only when needed, and I generally find I don't need them. I find that both Photoshop's Unsharpen Mask and Smart Sharpen give me all the control I want or need, without having to spend time in an external program that does no better job that Photoshop.

[dje]

For your noise reduction and sharpening, do you send the image back to ACR after PS, or is this done in the early stages?

I do it in the early stages Adam. It's called capture sharpening and is intended to compensate for the loss of sharpness during capture due to lens blur and the blur caused by the anti-aliasing filter (if there is one).

Incidentally the only time I use Define is occasionally after using some of the Nik filters. Sometimes these can enhance the noise in certain parts of an image, particularly the sky.

Dave

[davidedric]

Workflow is a very personal thing, but here are my comments.

You can almost certainly do a lot more of the "heavy lifting" in Lightroom than you think. The more you do in Lightroom, the better (non-destructive ) starting point you have if you want to re-edit.

I assume you are using the smart objects to enable re-editing of your Nik changes?

You are keywording up front, but you make no mention of saving back into Lightroom. I would be inclined to save the .psd back into Lightroom, and only create the .jpeg by exporting from Lightroom as you need it. That way you can select the appropriate resolution and export sharpening for the purpose you have in mind.

I know Manfred hates the Lightroom catalogue, but I (and many others) find it an excellent tool for managing images.

Dave

[JR1]

Just for the purposes of allowing new or inexperienced to weigh up pros and cons of the respective positions, the above is a view I would never endorse. I absolutely believe in developing your own workflow. It will take time and there will be much trial and error. Once you get a workflow in place you can then begin to deviate and try new things ... but from the position of having a solid platform of a tried and tested workflow that works for you.

Once you've got it in place, then it indeed becomes like driving a car. But you've got to work at it first.

So, to me it is what developed over the years, that has been sort of given a name

[Panda77]

Well Adam as to your question of why do I use Define 2 so late in my workflow. We I shoot mostly landscapes so I can use a slow shutter speed along with base ISO which with my Nikon D600 is 100 along with usually shooting 1 to 1-1/3 stops over exposed. This is because when the camera warns me that the image has blown highlights, I know that when it goes into LR or ARC that the image is not blown so I also end up with more detail (data) in the dark areas so less noise is generated. I do not run Define 2 on every image I print, only on the ones I feel it may help except, if it is an B&W images as I am working with 256 tones and I lean towards more towards low key B&W than high key.
If you notice when I use Define 2 for noise it is after Photoshop CC has done all the heavy lifting, and as it maybe applied only to those images that are going to be printed.
Usually the last thing done to the image before printing is out-put sharpening based on image size and paper type. However there are times when after the test print you find that you need a slight curves adjustment added so the printed images looks like it does on the monitor or in some case I have used Viveza instead as it is only one very small area that I want adjusted. They are only tools, sometimes you do not use them for months then one image comes along well you have the right tool for the job.

Cheers: Allan

If I understand you correctly, shadow noise can be lessened if I lower the ISO (to preserve more detail) and increase exposure, at least for landscapes. Therefore you don't need to use software (as often) to eliminate noise?

Sharpening based on output size is something I still need to research. It wasn't obvious to me at first, but makes a lot on sense to resize > sharpen.

Adam - I prefer Bridge over Lightroom for several reasons. First of all, I don't like Lightroom's database structure and to use Lightroom forces me into additional steps that are a pain for someone who does not use its cataloging system. The other reason is that I use other Adobe software, and Bridge is the common interface for all of these.

The reason I prefer doing this work in ACR (or Lightroom's Develop Module; these two are functionally identical, the only difference is the user interface) is that I am manipulating the RAW data as opposed to data that has parameters like white balance and gamma "baked in". Just as an aside; I use three other RAW converters; Nikon's View NX2; which does better skintones than ACR / LR on Nikon cameras; DxO Labs Optics Pro 9; as it does much better lens correction than ACR and Phase One Capture One (also a file cataloging system that I like a lot better than Lightroom); I also do my input sharpening there.

The reason I favour most things over Nik is that I don't need an extra step in my workflow. I use Nik (and other plugins) only when needed, and I generally find I don't need them. I find that both Photoshop's Unsharpen Mask and Smart Sharpen give me all the control I want or need, without having to spend time in an external program that does no better job that Photoshop.

Understandable. If you scroll up tho, you can find my comment about the intimidation factor of the Adobe Suite's interface.

As for other raw converters, I appreciate the input. At this time however, the amount of new software I'm trying to wrap my head around is a little daunting, lol. I will log your recommendations and, in time, check them out.

I do it in the early stages Adam. It's called capture sharpening and is intended to compensate for the loss of sharpness during capture due to lens blur and the blur caused by the anti-aliasing filter (if there is one).

Incidentally the only time I use Define is occasionally after using some of the Nik filters. Sometimes these can enhance the noise in certain parts of an image, particularly the sky.

Dave

Capture sharpening is something I am reading up on atm. IIRC, this should be very subtle and should lay a foundation for editing, while the output sharpening is done during the final steps. And, as I have recently learned, output sharpening is best done after resizing for intended purpose (makes sense).

Nik enhancing noise is not something I have read/encountered, but will definitely be on the lookout for it.

Workflow is a very personal thing, but here are my comments.

You can almost certainly do a lot more of the "heavy lifting" in Lightroom than you think. The more you do in Lightroom, the better (non-destructive ) starting point you have if you want to re-edit.

I assume you are using the smart objects to enable re-editing of your Nik changes?

You are keywording up front, but you make no mention of saving back into Lightroom. I would be inclined to save the .psd back into Lightroom, and only create the .jpeg by exporting from Lightroom as you need it. That way you can select the appropriate resolution and export sharpening for the purpose you have in mind.

I know Manfred hates the Lightroom catalogue, but I (and many others) find it an excellent tool for managing images.

Dave

Yea, I plan on doing most of the work in LR, as it is the most user friendly for me atm.

Also yes, I am using smart objects. Great tip, tho.

Saving/printing is not something I have really been concerned about yet. Right now I am having more fun with capture/processing, so I'll have to get back to you on that. Thanks for the suggestions.