How photographers can profit from a Seize One workflow

When individuals speak about what they do with post-processing workflows, it’s typically straightforward to imagine there’s a magic “one measurement matches all” course of you’ll be able to observe. There isn’t. Workflows are a little bit like homes. All of them sort of look related, however inside they’re totally different. 

As somebody who shoots varied genres, my workflow tends to vary relying on the style. If I’m taking pictures sports activities or occasions, it’s typically excessive volumes of processing the identical sort of picture with little or no photoshop work; if I’m taking pictures portraits, I need to discover these 5-20 distinctive photographs and spend extra time on these. If I work on landscapes, it’s a few footage with much more time spent on every. I’ll even take just one picture from a panorama shoot.

Given workflows are predominantly style and photographer-dependent, the main focus of this text is to take you thru my Seize One course of from finish to finish, declaring a number of the distinctive issues I do alongside the way in which relying on the forms of photographs I course of. Hopefully, it’s going to aid you perceive and create your individual workflow that is sensible, quite than making an attempt to make use of mine and discovering out it doesn’t give you the results you want.

I don’t know whether or not the method I observe is what different photographers use or whether or not I get all of it mistaken; all I do know is that it’s the method I take advantage of, and it really works for me. So let’s begin at the start, with my reminiscence card able to insert into my machine.

My Seize One Workflow from Import to Export

Step 1: Importing 

Once I import, I sometimes import photographs to my native drive, which is an SSD (stable state drive). I need it quick from an accessibility perspective when producing previews or enhancing. I additionally again up my native drive to an area backup and an internet backup facility. All backups occur mechanically within the background the second the recordsdata are imported.

 Tip: Don’t import straight from the digicam. Reasonably import by way of a card reader. Cameras are extra liable to corrupting recordsdata on import.

I import to an area folder referred to as “Photos to be edited” utilizing Seize One’s store-by-date choice. It creates a folder for the date of the folder, and if the photographs have been shot over greater than someday, it might have separate folders for every day. These will in the end get moved to an exterior drive, normally three months later, after I know last edits are full and the shopper has accepted the work.

Once I import, I give the photographs a job title to make it searchable. I are inclined to maintain that separate from the file or folder title as a result of I can use the date as a novel means to search out the photographs.

Some settings resembling ICC Profile, Distinction or Readability can default if you realize they type a place to begin for all of your photographs.

As a aspect word, I’ve some defaults utilized to the photographs after I import. These defaults are important because it means you get the photographs nearer to the tip product with no work. Defaults might embrace a default ICC profile, distinction, lens correction, and many others.

To use your defaults, create a setting for a specific slider and click on on the three dots to get the set as default for this digicam. You will have to set these up for every digicam you probably have multiple digicam. The explanation for that’s that every digicam might require totally different defaults.

Step 2: Reviewing Photos – The First Go

Batch processing for some occasions helps cut back the processing time when your publicity is constant and all you require is cropping.

As soon as the preliminary import is full, I begin evaluating the photographs. What I’m on the lookout for are actually good and dangerous photographs. The context of excellent and dangerous might change relying on the context; with a mannequin shoot, I’m fussy about good and dangerous. With occasions, I’m coping with on a regular basis individuals who desire a picture of themselves. Because of this, I’m simply on the lookout for photographs with the themes in focus. Most individuals would quite see a mediocre image of themselves crossing the end line than none in any respect.

With occasions, I’ll give larger precedence to some in the course of the second move. There I’m sometimes on the lookout for photographs with emotion and/or sponsor model photographs as they are going to be trying to get the occasion’s publicity out as rapidly as potential. Photographs with emotion promote the drama of the occasion and the way necessary ending is, and these are sometimes used post-event or for promoting the next yr’s occasion.

Typically it’s a must to watch out with this course of, which is why I say solely delete photographs which can be out of focus or movement blur. Photographs will be misleading at first look, significantly in uncooked. I’d quite give one thing no stars and maintain it than delete it and probably want it later. I can delete my no-star photographs 3-6 months later.

Some individuals use totally different star gradings to indicate whether or not you’ll be able to recuperate a picture. If I shot weddings, I’d take into account that method. With weddings, you have got one shot at one thing; should you miss it, you might want to make use of no matter you have got. For what I do, that doesn’t occur.

Sometimes, I’ll crop and alter publicity throughout a primary move, typically in the course of the second move. It’s normally to grasp whether or not a specific picture could also be extra usable with a portrait vs panorama crop. I additionally sometimes swap to black and white to vary the look of the image. Some photographs you’ll take are overexposed for black and white, so I do a take a look at on one in a sequence to validate my considering on the time of the picture after which go away the remaining with 5 stars if it’s not too apparent, which is the very best of the lot.

Step 3: Reviewing Photos – The Second Go

This screenshot reveals an unedited uncooked file with a BNW Fashion and crop utilized. In lots of instances, a lightweight edit is enough to provide the mannequin the primary look to see which photographs she needs to course of. Except for pores and skin enhancing, it might virtually move as a last picture.

My subsequent move is a course of of sunshine enhancing and culling. The second evaluate entails fixing white steadiness, publicity and crops. Having a number of related photographs additionally provides me an opportunity to use some modifications in bulk. The sorts of bulk modifications I’d take into account are:

• Publicity
• Gradient filters
• White steadiness (if not utilized earlier)
• Shadows/Highlights
• Types

Typically, I’ll swap to black and white to see the way it modifications the look. Typically I’ve a preconceived concept of what I’m making an attempt to attain, however typically a slight change in fashion can take you in a totally totally different course. I’m not in opposition to utilizing Seize One Types; I take advantage of them repeatedly for occasions. Some purists hate them, nevertheless it’s typically a straightforward method to get a really feel for the look you need from a photograph. 

It’s a strategy of elimination the place needed to make sure that I can cut back the variety of photographs to one thing extra workable. This isn’t as large a problem with portrait shoots the place there are small numbers of photographs however should you’re doing an occasion with 500-1000 photographs, bringing the numbers down is important. This course of would enable me to cut back the variety of footage by about 60%.

If I’ve three related photographs, which I can’t resolve on, I’ll begin with colors by making all of them blue. Blue lets me see at a look that I want to choose one out of them. Typically I’ll maintain all 3 for a mannequin to evaluate to see if she has a desire.

Step 4: Consumer Critiques

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If I’m passing it on to a shopper to evaluate, I begin with color coding permitting them to choose their favorite photographs. I used to must export to Smugmug or Dropbox and watermark photographs, however fortunately, Seize One On-line made this extra simple, primarily if the evaluate isn’t taking place with the shopper in individual. I take advantage of star rankings and hues after I evaluate with purchasers in individual.

Seize One On-line might even be used for TFP shoots, letting fashions resolve which photographs they like. For instance, I give my shopper a collection of footage and ask them to choose a particular quantity they need me to course of. I toyed with the concept of getting them to vary the star score, however most of the time, you solely want their last choice. 

Heavy watermarks will be mechanically utilized to Seize One Dwell photographs to make sure there is no such thing as a confusion about utilizing unedited footage. Persons are excited once they get photographs from a shoot, and sometimes, they may put them up on Fb unprocessed.

The good factor with Seize One Dwell is that it solely leaves the photographs on-line for an outlined interval. Because of this, you don’t have to fret about unprocessed photographs sitting on the internet long run.  

Step 5: Color Coding and Heavy Enhancing

Relying on whether or not I’ve gone by a buyer evaluate, that is the place the subsequent little bit of magic occurs. I take advantage of color coding to trace the place I’m in an edit. It might be a mix of Purple -> Orange -> Yellow -> Inexperienced or simply Purple -> Orange -> Inexperienced. The colors themselves are irrelevant; it’s what is sensible for you. I’ve modified my color sequencing over time, or typically for a particular shoot, as a result of there’s something totally different I’ve to think about.

So here’s what the colors might imply in a fancy workflow:

• Blue – A number of related photographs with the ultimate picture to be chosen
• Purple – The picture was chosen by the shopper and wanted to be edited
• Orange – The picture is presently within the enhancing course of, however the enhancing is incomplete. This will likely both be because of having to provide larger precedence to a different picture or buyer or as a result of I believe to rethink how I method the picture. 
• Yellow – Enhancing in Seize One accomplished; some last photoshop required. Remaining enhancing could possibly be one thing like background elimination or frequency separation. 
• Inexperienced – Picture full and exported. 
• Purple – If I want buyer approval of a last picture, I’ll use purple to establish which photographs at the moment are authorised. Once more, Seize One Dwell now makes this lots simpler with out 

That’s in all probability essentially the most complicated instance. In some instances, like occasions, it may be so simple as 5 stars for “to be edited” and inexperienced for enhancing full. It is dependent upon what you want for a workflow.

Step 6: My Enhancing Course of

The 2 photographs aren’t a mistake. I typically carry totally different crops of ultimate photographs for social media and print.

Within the earlier part on colors, I lined a little bit about how I handle the colors however not the particular sequencing of the enhancing. Beforehand I discussed I do some mild enhancing (white steadiness, publicity, occasional crops) in the course of the rankings on the photographs.

From a workflow perspective, I like to recommend sequencing your instruments in a customized enhancing tab within the sequence you propose to edit. I.e. if the very first thing you do is white steadiness, put it on the high. If the subsequent factor you do is publicity, put that subsequent.

Some individuals like going by the sequencing left to proper. I’m extra of an up-down individual, and I need to have every part I want on one tab. Seize One provides you each choices. I take advantage of the short tab choice for many of my enhancing

My sequencing appears to be like one thing like this:

• Base traits
• White steadiness
• Publicity 
• Crop (utilizing menu bar)
• Excessive dynamic vary – If required
• Gradients – If required
• Readability – If totally different from the default
• Dehaze – If required
• Layers – If required
• Types – If required
• Color steadiness – If required
• Color enhancing – If required
• Photoshop – If required
• Noise discount/Moire/Purple fringing
• Clone and crop once more (Instagram vs different)
• Vignette – If required
• Sharpening

The gadgets I go away for final are the vignetting and noise discount. I don’t need to modify moire, sharpening or noise discount earlier than frequency separation in Photoshop for example.

Step 7: Exporting

The flexibility so as to add logos is a crucial a part of workflows

Exporting is the place it will get fascinating once more as a result of, like a workflow, you might must have a number of choices accessible. Some easy examples:

• If I shoot an occasion, I sometimes have two exports I want: One is low-resolution photographs with a brand suited to social media publishing on Fb or Instagram. The second is high-resolution photographs, sometimes and not using a brand. The high-resolution footage could also be utilized by the model (or its companions) to promote present occasions or future occasions on its web site. 
• Suppose I shoot a mannequin the place I do know the photographs are going up on social media. In that case, I normally present photographs (formatted and cropped for social media) together with high-resolution photographs for printing. 
• If I shoot a household, I observe the identical tips as a mannequin.
• If I’m taking pictures for an article on Shotkit, I solely want lower-resolution photographs that meet a particular guideline required by the web site. Typically I’ve totally different crops accessible for Instagram. For instance, I’ll use portrait orientation for a narrative or when a evaluate is printed, while all photographs on the web site are panorama.

The important thing issues to consider above are the next:

• Do I want it in a particular folder? For instance, I’ve one folder for Fb and one Full Measurement. I then have specific folders setup up for buyer exports, so I don’t by chance add a photograph from one other shoot, which is unprofessional. 
• Picture measurement/Decision? Is it for the online or printing, and who’s the individual utilizing it? More often than not, you gained’t know whether or not the individual enhancing has the abilities to downsize, so giving them the right measurement up entrance is important. 
• Picture high quality? If it’s full measurement for printing, it’s at max high quality, however for internet photographs, I attempt to maintain them underneath 400KB.
• ICC Profile? If I’m giving photographs for internet use or Instagram, my default is SRGB. If it’s full-size photographs for print, it’s Adobe RGB.
• Emblem/Watermark? Logos will be complicated because it typically is dependent upon the ultimate picture decision and the way large you need the brand. In my case, I solely sometimes embrace logos with smaller internet prints, nevertheless it’s one thing to consider.

Every of the above has distinctive necessities. If it’s a once-off, I copy an present merchandise and modify it for short-term use or use certainly one of my defaults. If I do know I might be utilizing the export a number of, then it’s one thing I’ll title and maintain long-term. I do have some defaults configured for on a regular basis use that embrace: Fb, Instagram, and Full Measurement.

Step 8: Remaining Cleanups

Seize One Dwell mechanically unpublishes photographs after an outlined interval, making certain you don’t have unedited photographs sitting on the internet for prolonged durations.

I discussed earlier that I transfer photographs to an exterior drive about 3-6 months after last edits. Whereas I do that, there are a few duties I’ll undertake:

• I clear out any unrated photographs that I do know is not going to be required once more. These are those rated zero stars. Remember the fact that I do nonetheless have a backup on the cloud for an additional 12 months
• I verify for any tough edits that I didn’t use. 
• If TIF recordsdata are huge (panoramas), I’ll convert the ultimate copies to a JPG. 

Luckily, I don’t want to fret about Seize One Dwell because it removes itself mechanically. 

What about Seize One for iPad?

Seize One for iPad produces high-quality photographs

Seize One for iPad is the brand new child on the block, and I’m nonetheless incorporating it into my workflow. Long run, I believe it’s going to assist cut back the necessity to convey my Macbook Air on the highway with me, and I’d have the ability to get away with simply the iPad. 

For instance, I’m on a kitesurfing journey as a photographer in October. More often than not, meaning I get to kitesurf, however my journey might be subsidised by spending a few hours out within the water with my water housing taking photographs and offering course of photographs to the opposite attendees.

With Seize One for iPad, I can construct up a group of images over the journey whereas dumping those that haven’t made the lower. In doing that, I’m not carrying ludicrous quantities of storage. I also can begin to push out semi-edited photographs to social media while I save the entire edits for when I’m on my desktop.

At present, meaning exporting the part-edited photographs to my desktop. It’s a reliable enhancing engine so far as iPad enhancing apps go, however I nonetheless must have my desktop or laptop computer round for extra complicated edits. Because the performance extends, it could even totally negate my laptop computer’s want.

Seize One WorkFlow: In Abstract

This text might have had quite a lot of data, however you need to use the knowledge selectively if required. One of many issues I typically get requested is whether or not workflows are primarily for professionals, and the reply isn’t any. I take advantage of related workflows for my private processing.

A workflow is an optimum means so that you can post-process constantly but additionally to maximise your output. It helps you perceive at any level the place you might be within the course of. Minimising replication means much less work, and should you’re something like me, post-processing isn’t what I need to be doing extra. I’d quite spend extra time behind the digicam and fewer behind the pc.

If in case you have any questions, please be happy to submit them right here, and I’ll be completely satisfied to reply the place I can.