Work flow looking for pointers

Messages
470
Name
Darren
Edit My Images
No
Hi
I am looking for online step by guilds to workflow for Photoshop & Lightroom, guides what to adjust for the likes of a landscape Image and what to leave alone.
I generally just play around on sliders until i get an Image that I like but I know technically this is most probably wrong.
I like step by step more that Youtube as I could save them to ready while editing on other occasions.
Anybody care to point me in the right direction.

Thanks Darren
 
I don't use many online resources for workflow - I guess I have just fallen into my own way of doing things. I do use online resources for learning new techniques though.

I think phlearn may have some vids on youtube that deal with workflow as may piximperfect, and I know you said not youtube, but maybe you can note the steps as such ...

Not sure what level of step by step or experience you require. If it helps my workflow follows these basic steps ...
1) Ingest into LR - I shoot raw usually (?90% of the time) - I'll rename on import and add keywords. I let LR deal with where the files go (uses a year / date hierarchy) as the naming and keywords will find any image for me
1a - I may apply a preset on import, if I do it will be a camera profile (e.g. I like the camera portrait profile as a starting point for portraits, rarely use one for landscapes).
1b - If I intend to crop the image then I'll crop it now.
1c - If I wish to use lens correction, this is when I do it (immediately after ingest), i.e. before any other edit. I don't always use lens profiles so worth trying them and if you like the corrected image leave it, if not reverse it or use it manually.​
2) Make any exposure adjustments - I do this now as it can affect the way I see colours so before adjusting wb I adjust exposure if required. It may work better for others to adjust wb first (if required)
2a - if noise reduction is needed I sometimes do so here, otherwise it waits until usage stage (export/print) tbh I rarely use NR these days​
3) Make any wb adjustments needed.
3a - If I'm going to use the Tone Curves in LR I do so here - it may seem odd to some but once I have the exposure and colour where I want it, then I can adjust the contrast.​
4) Apply any grads - usually only for landscapes (I used one once on a portrait) - on landscapes I will sometimes use the brush tool to "undo" the grad where it covers trees or a peak if needed - I find using a tablet perfect for this type of work.
5) If needed I'll use the various other local adjustment tools (the radial filter can be very powerful) to get the "light" right - again usually on landscapes.
6) Take the image into PS, using edit in ...
7) Gets tricky now as depends on the image, for landscapes I only tend to use PS for blending/stitching and for the odd effect (like orton) - for portraits this is where I do all the fine editing, e.g. blemish removal, eye work, teeth, skin work etc ... one rule, is to do all the blemish removal before any other type of work in PS on a portrait, looks weird if you remove a blemish after smoothing and toning skin for example! This step is too detailed to detail so hopefully it gives a good general idea.
8) Take the image back into LR - I prefer to use LR for exporting and printing. I will use the bare minimum of output sharpening.
8a) if I'm going to use a vignette this is when I apply it, but before usage otherwise whats the point ;)
I use non destructive techniques in PS wherever possible and usually it is possible for everything! The good thing with LR is that all edits are non destructive and you can work on virtual copies without using masses of disk space. I also make a lot of use of collections as images can be in multiple collections. I don't use any third party plugins anymore, I find for what I want I can either make a preset or just a few clicks of a mouse achieves the result I want. I rarely split tone work, if I do, I do it in PS as it is far more flexible.

I'm far from being an expert at pp - perhaps only competent - but I hope the above helps.
 
Wow thanks Paul for taking the time and writing such a detailed reply..|I thought that I was not going to get a responce at all.
I will probably read your reply a few times and try to check out some of the methods you have described..
Thnaks again.
 
I use Adobe Lightroom for editing and publishing my photographs. I think I have quick and easy workflow and generally do not do lots of editing to my photos. I can’t remember the last time I had to import a photo into Photoshop. Here is a rundown:

  1. Import from SD card. I shoot RAW. I import my files using the following protocol. I import in c:\lightroom photographs then make a subfolder based on date and description. As follows; 20121018_beach I set previews to 1:1 and just import.
  2. Once imported I will click on each image and view full screen and any that I get in focus and are good I rate as 1 star by tapping the number one on keyboard.
  3. I will then get lightroom to display only the rated photographs by using the filter in the bottom right corner. Once this is done I go through each photo and crop / straighten them etc as required.
  4. Now I start to tweak the images, as I shoot RAW the images are basically flat when imported into lightroom, so I add some punch. I apply my general Colour Pop preset to one photo and then sync the all photos. I have uploaded it with a few other for download.
  5. I will now take a run through my photos in the develop module and rate any photos for my blog with a 2 rating. Then I display only 2 rated images and export them to my blog.
  6. I use an imagemagik plugin for exporting my images from here http://photographers-toolbox.com/products/lrblog.php this adds my name to the bottom of each photo and creates a new blog post and inserts the images in order
  7. I then run through the new blog post online and add my witty comments!!! And hit publish.
  8. I can go from a few hundred photos to 20ish on my blog post in 10-15 mins..
 
My initial worksflow is roughly similar to Adams:

Upload from card to hard drive manually into a dated folder.
Import into lightroom, giving images appropriate keywors in the meta data section when importing.
Go through each image as quickly as possible, deleting obvious failures, marking images that I want to use immediately with 1 star.

I have 2 different approaches depending on reason for creation of the images:
For holiday pics I'll select the one-star images and whip through as fast as possible, usually adjusting the first of a set and then synchronising the rest to that temperature, default noise and sharpness, highlights & shadows, etc, then quickly tidy each image as needed.
For intentionally creative images I'll treat each image individually, starting with lens corrections & cropping, then detail, then to the basic section where I'll first apply any required gradients & brush work and deal with dust spots, then sort exposure, highlights & shadows, W&B points, colour temperature, contrast & clarity etc. After that, if needed I'll tweak colour luminance & saturation in HSL, then tweak tones in the curves section. Finally I'll re-check any tweaks haven't blown highlights.
 
Might have been better posted in the processing and editing section.

Do a search for Justin Case on here, he has posted links to some very good tutorials that he has made
 
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