03-25-2012, 10:40 AM
Sorry for the late reply. I don't know how you manage your exhibitions and sales.
I can only guess that your clients are no experts for your internal naming scheme and don't have access to your drives and therefore you create subsets for delivery. Correct me if I'm wrong.
This can be done with Lightroom and other DAM solutions as well. Let me explain the basic workflow, maybe it becomes clearer if this works for you or not. BTW: Would be easier if there is a professional photographer using LR in your area. A look over his shoulder will give you an better overview.
- Import your images into Lightroom.
--You may use your own directory naming scheme. LR won't move your image files then and keep file names untouched.
--You may want to copy/move your file to a directory as predefined. But LR uses a very simple naming scheme on directory level during this kind of import. The only level added during import is something like "\YYYY-MM-DD\" or "\YYYY\MM\DD\". File renaming is possible and much more flexible: You may use any string you like and a sequence number can be added by LR.
Doesn't sound very mature. Keep in mind LR uses a database and preferred way to manage your images is via metadata and collections inside LR, not in an hierarchical directory structure.
-- You may want to add only the most basic keywords during import. Major aspects like client name, some kind of session description will do. In most cases you have to add most of the keywords individually or to smaller subsets after import.
- Qualify and sort out your images. I think I can leave that to you.
There are several workflow options possible, the most basic is simple mark the bad ones as "rejected" and delete all rejected files via menu item. This will be the best place to add individual keywords.
- Work your images and keep them apart and together.
There are 5 colour flag markers and you can use them to track your levels of post processing.
You may also use "collections" to acceive overview. An image may be part of none, one or several collections. This is up to you. Some people are using two or three "collection sets" like "In Work/Processing Pipeline", "Portfolio" with collections inside and transfer images or whole collections after processing.
There are "stars" from 1 to 5, too.
If you are confused: That's the very problem I have. There are several ways to manage your images and there is no well defined sorting/workflow standard like in book labeling for libraries.
What works well for one person may be bashed by another. Several options are there, you have to choose your's.
- Exporting (at least I come to your question, I think)
-- Not defined as "exporting" by Adobe but I think it's some kind of export: You have several "publishing services" at hand. If you have an Flickr account (or something else) you are able to transfer and manage your Flickr images in LR. For example: If you change an image published to flickr you may synchronize the image after processing. FTP transfer is there, Facebook, etc. and if it is not there you might find a connector online and integrate it.
-- If you have file(s) you want to export as TIFF/JPEG/PSD/DNG, you can add a naming scheme during export. You may use strings as you like and sequence numbering is available, too.
You can store those settings as preferences (infinite number of them, almost). And that's the way to manage the needs your clients have and goes for collections as well.
-- If your client is using Lightroom as well you can export a image subset as a catalog. I don't think this is an option you want to use. All your processing steps are there, RAW data. It might be useable for processed JPEG/TIFF but RAW? Don't think so.
I made my point clear, I hope: You don't have to rely on naming conventions on file/directory level to manage data with a DAM software. It's not needed, there are better ways.
Ciao, Walter
I can only guess that your clients are no experts for your internal naming scheme and don't have access to your drives and therefore you create subsets for delivery. Correct me if I'm wrong.
This can be done with Lightroom and other DAM solutions as well. Let me explain the basic workflow, maybe it becomes clearer if this works for you or not. BTW: Would be easier if there is a professional photographer using LR in your area. A look over his shoulder will give you an better overview.
- Import your images into Lightroom.
--You may use your own directory naming scheme. LR won't move your image files then and keep file names untouched.
--You may want to copy/move your file to a directory as predefined. But LR uses a very simple naming scheme on directory level during this kind of import. The only level added during import is something like "\YYYY-MM-DD\" or "\YYYY\MM\DD\". File renaming is possible and much more flexible: You may use any string you like and a sequence number can be added by LR.
Doesn't sound very mature. Keep in mind LR uses a database and preferred way to manage your images is via metadata and collections inside LR, not in an hierarchical directory structure.
-- You may want to add only the most basic keywords during import. Major aspects like client name, some kind of session description will do. In most cases you have to add most of the keywords individually or to smaller subsets after import.
- Qualify and sort out your images. I think I can leave that to you.
There are several workflow options possible, the most basic is simple mark the bad ones as "rejected" and delete all rejected files via menu item. This will be the best place to add individual keywords.
- Work your images and keep them apart and together.
There are 5 colour flag markers and you can use them to track your levels of post processing.
You may also use "collections" to acceive overview. An image may be part of none, one or several collections. This is up to you. Some people are using two or three "collection sets" like "In Work/Processing Pipeline", "Portfolio" with collections inside and transfer images or whole collections after processing.
There are "stars" from 1 to 5, too.
If you are confused: That's the very problem I have. There are several ways to manage your images and there is no well defined sorting/workflow standard like in book labeling for libraries.
What works well for one person may be bashed by another. Several options are there, you have to choose your's.
- Exporting (at least I come to your question, I think)
-- Not defined as "exporting" by Adobe but I think it's some kind of export: You have several "publishing services" at hand. If you have an Flickr account (or something else) you are able to transfer and manage your Flickr images in LR. For example: If you change an image published to flickr you may synchronize the image after processing. FTP transfer is there, Facebook, etc. and if it is not there you might find a connector online and integrate it.
-- If you have file(s) you want to export as TIFF/JPEG/PSD/DNG, you can add a naming scheme during export. You may use strings as you like and sequence numbering is available, too.
You can store those settings as preferences (infinite number of them, almost). And that's the way to manage the needs your clients have and goes for collections as well.
-- If your client is using Lightroom as well you can export a image subset as a catalog. I don't think this is an option you want to use. All your processing steps are there, RAW data. It might be useable for processed JPEG/TIFF but RAW? Don't think so.
I made my point clear, I hope: You don't have to rely on naming conventions on file/directory level to manage data with a DAM software. It's not needed, there are better ways.
Ciao, Walter