PCPhoto

Digital Workflow In 20 Easy Steps

Improve your efficiency in the digital darkroom

By Ibarionex R. Perello

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Digital Workflow In 20 Easy Steps

When I think about my days in the darkroom, I realized I achieved consistently good results when I methodically followed specific steps. With traditional printing, even a small variation in time, temperature or chemistry could make a significant difference in the look of a print.

Although the digital darkroom doesn’t require a safelight or chemical bottles, a precise way of working makes as much of a difference now as it did then. These 20 steps will make your time in front of the computer as effective as it can be.

1. New Folder. Create a folder to which you’ll download your new digital files. If my images were taken in Phoenix, Arizona, I create a subfolder in my Travels folder and label it with a name and year, e.g., Arizona2005. Either drag and drop the images to this folder or use your browser software.

2. Rename. Open your image browser and batch-rename the image files. When shooting JPEGs, I rename the file with a combination of letters and numbers that reflects the location and date. My Arizona image would begin with ARZ2005.001. If I’m shooting RAW+JPEG using my Nikon camera, I only rename the NEF portion of the image identification so that the number values match the JPEG files. This is so the RAW and JPEG files stay matched. So NEF.2353 will be renamed ARZ2005.2353.

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