Chapter 1. A Plan for Nondestructive Workflow
This chapter gives you an abbreviated overview of the workflow around which the
rest of this book is structured. It's a sort of quick guide. More importantly, it orients
you to the way this book builds itself on what is currently being called
nondestructive workflow
. Although the workflow buzzword has lately been thrown
around with a variety of meanings, this workflow is very carefully structured so
that you are guaranteed to be working in what will ultimately be the most
productive and efficient way. It also guarantees that you will never have to start
from scratch when you need a different interpretation of the same subject.
So what's nondestructive all about? Well, first of all, the procedure only starts with
being nondestructive. Of course, certain operations, such as retouching or using
special-effects filters, are maximally destructive. However, when it comes time to
do such work, you will have already done all the completely nondestructive work
that you can. Furthermore, you will have protected that nondestructive work,
keeping it on separate layers within the same file, so you never need do it again. So
if you ever want a different look in that respect, you can simply turn off that
destructive layer, then create a new layer (or layers) from the nondestructive layers
for the process required by the alternative operation.
Another thing that's all-important to efficient workflow is being able to track your
images and their variationsthe DAM work. We're not swearing; DAM stands for
digital asset management.
NOTE

The DAM topic in this book is much more abbreviated than in The DAM Book:
Digital Asset Management for Photographers by Peter Krogh (O'Reilly). On the
other hand, you can do a lot of work here that will eventually blend with advanced

of your hands (or someone tries to steal it), it stays around your neck.
 Neutralize the camera settings. That is, set them so that you're most likely to
be ready for what happens next. If you're shooting RAW (read Chapter 3 to
see why you should beand when you shouldn't), if you have to shoot JPEGs,
turn off all the settings that cause the camera to preprocess the photo: color
balance, saturation, and special effects (such as sepia or infrared), and
situational settings (sun, shade, snow, portrait, etc.). You can always turn
them on when you need them.
 Most cameras give you the choice of naming all files in sequence or
restarting the sequence each time you change a card. Make certain that this
setting always stays at the default of naming all files in sequence.
 I like to keep my camera set for sequence shooting. If there's fast action
going on, I'm more likely to catch the peak moment. If there's any doubt
about whether the camera will be steady enough to ensure a sharp shot,
shooting a sequence makes it likely that one or two of the shots will be
sharper than the others. Remember, there's no such thing as wasted film in
digital. You just delete whatever doesn't work out.
 It's a good idea to carry two camera bodies. I often use a full-
frame body and
back it up with a slightly less expensive DSLR. On the other hand, if your
base camera is relatively affordable (for some time, mine was a Digital
Rebel XT and now it's my No. 2), it's worth considering simply buying two
of them. Any pro will tell you that the only time your camera breaks down is

when you can least afford it. You're on the vacation or assignment of a
lifetime when a donkey kicks the tripod and knocks it off an 800-foot cliff.
 Don't change lenses when there's visible moisture, dust, smoke, or other
"stuff" in the air. No, not even if your camera has a built-in dust remover. It
is possible to over-power any technology. If you don't have a proper sensor
cleaning kit, then you're definitely going to spend hours retouching the same

bit
of image data] for 8 MP image). Once you've processed that file according to the
recommendations in this book, you'll have between 5 and 15 layers and several
will be image layers. You could easily end up with 100 MB files for all your best
imagesthat is, the ones you have the incentive to really put some effort into
processing to perfection. For example, last year I shot some 8,000 images in CR2
format. Let's say the toss-out rate is about 15 percent. That still leaves 6,800
images I have to store and find and I have to spend most of my time writing
books! Still, this isn't too bad. I've used only about 54 gigabytes of storage so far.
If about 10 percent graduate to stardom, that's only 680 images. The problem is,
each image is going to need about 100 MB of space by the time I finish editing
them nondestructively. So I need another 54 GB for the special 10 percent that
survive. You begin to see the problem when you realize that a lot of pros shoot at
least 10 times as many images as I do.
The bottom line is that you need to start with a very fast computer with lots of
storage. For either Windows or Mac, I'd suggest a dual core or 64-bit processor
running at around 2.4+ gigahertz. Plug at least 1 MB of RAM into t
he motherboard
and move up to 2+ MB as quickly as you can afford it. This book is going to teach
you to truly appreciate speed and horsepower.
Every time you see a sale on 250500 GB external hard drives, get yourself another.
External drives make the most sense for storing large image libraries. They're easy
to copy to one another for backup and they can easily be moved from computer-to-
computer. At sale prices, you'll pay around 75 cents per gigabyte or $180 for a 250
GB drive. Make backups by copying one drive to another while you're sleeping.
External hard drives love to crasha much unpublicized factand you don't dare risk
your valuable images. Be very careful to follow the prescribed routines for
installing the software for the drives, plugging them in and out, and turning them
on and off.
When it comes to your ability to see your images clearly so you can judge them

NOTE

Delkin ( now
makes gold DVD disks with a guaranteed life span. As soon as I've done my
winnowing for a shoot, I put a duplicate of its folder into a folder reserved for
DVD backup. I keep checking its properties until it's nearly a full DVD's worth of
data, and then I copy that data to a Delkin gold disk and store it in an acid-free
binder. I also make a contact sheet of what's on that disk, so I can quickly find the
files I'm looking for.
If you travel or hike while shooting, a high-horsepower laptop is a lifesaver. Look
for the following features: 1+ MB RAM, 100+ GB HD, 15.4- or 17-inch
widescreen, DVD writer, built-in WiFi, and built-in card reader. Even a duo-core
64-bit processor is an affordable option nowadays. You should be able to get all
this for around $1,200 in a Windows laptop or for around $2,200 in a Mac laptop. 1.3. Image Downloading
One of the most critical points in an efficient workflow is the disciplined process
by which you get your pictures from camera to computer. You want to combine
downloading with both an efficient and effective naming process and a disciplined
and regular means for backing up. As a part of this process, you want to get rid of
anything that might be embarrassing to you, your client, or your model. Never was
the phrase "out of sight, out of mind" more appropriate than when winnowing out
the crap. The difference between an average photographer and a great one is that
the great ones know what to throw away. Then, you want to immediately get your
images to your client in a professional-
looking presentation that makes you look as

other devices you tested.
NOTE

The speed designations that manufacturers give their cards are only useful as a
guideline. One maker's 4X card is not necessarily the same as another's. Borrow
several brands and speeds, fill each with photos, and test them for yourself. It's
easy to test download times for the cards.
All things being equal, I'm in favor of the convenience of built-in, front-mounted
card readers. They're always where you can reach them easily, don't require any
operating expertise, can be used while you're camera is shooting something else,
and require no software expertise. Plug a card into the appropriate slot (it won't fit
if it isn't the right slot). Immediately, a new drive will appear on your desktop
(Mac) or in My Computer (Windows). Read the files and do with them just as you
would files in any other directory on your computer.
1.3.2. Storing the Files
Be sure to store all the files from a shoot in the same folder. Name that folder after
the most broadly applicable name you can give to the shoot. If it's personal, I name
it after the person or place where I did the shoot. Occasionally, an entire shoot
consists of a study of one subject. In that case, I name the folder after the subject.
If the subject is something like a road trip, I name the folder after the farthest or
most memorable destination. If it's a commercial shoot, I name it after the purpose
of the shootnever after the client. There are a couple of reasons for that: some of
the photos may end up being sold to a variety of clients, and I may have folder
after folder for the same client, many of which can contain very different subject
matter. The point is that you want to name your folders so that you're most likely to
know what they contain. You won't always be right, but you'll be right more often
than not.
NOTE

Another photographer just suggested naming the file with the date ahead of the

Then you can easily copy CDs and DVDs directly from one drive to another
without having to recopy them. That will be a big timesaver when you need to
copy DVDs every three to five years to avoid their untimely demise.
Be sure to get some name-brand DVDs. Don't buy those no-name or store-name
bargain-priced disks. With rare exceptions, you'll end up throwing away a huge
percentage just because you can't write to them. When they do work, don't be
surprised if you pop one in the drive a few days or weeks later, only to find that the
computer can't read it.
NOTE

The number of possible configurations for backing up your files is endless. For an
in-depth look at back-up systems and archiving strategies, again, I'd recommend
The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers by Peter Krogh
(O'Reilly).
1.3.4. Converting to DNG
As I just mentioned, there is one nonproprietary RAW format that belongs to us
all, even though it was invented by Adobe. It's called DNGshort for "digital
negative." It has more features than proprietary RAW files and may eventually
become a universal format. Any future version of this format is promised to be
backward compatible with older versions, so it is unlikely that your files will be
orphaned by the discontinuance of their format. Furthermore, you can rest assured
that virtually all image editing software invented or updated since late
2005 will be
compatible with DNG files. DNG files can even be read now as thumbnails by
your operating system's file browser, provided you have updated your system.
If you haven't already downloaded the DNG converter from the Adobe site, do it
now. It's a small utility that installs on your system's desktop and doesn't cost a
penny. If you're familiar with Dr. Brown's Image Processor or its descendant,
Photoshop CS2's Image Processor, you'll feel quite at home with the interface.
Here's the routine:

cameras
with the same naming convention, put a sticker on the bottom of the
camera with a letter on it. (Surely you don't have more than 26 of these
cameras, but if you do, use double letters.) Now, if you have multiple
sources for the same naming convention, type the letter(s) for the
appropriate camera into the third field.
6. Still in Section 3, make sure the File Extension menu choice is .dng.
7.
The chosen preferences should be Compressed (lossless) and Preserve RAW
image (you can change either of these by clicking the Change Preferences
button). Don't embed the original (takes more space and you're about to back
it up). If those aren't the settings, just click the Change Preferences button
and a dialog will appear that lets you specify the settings I've just specified.
Is that specifically clear?
Here are the steps to complete the DNG backup routine:
1. Open Bridge and drag the new DNG directory above the icon of its parent
folder. This simply moves it.
2. Insert a blank DVD or CD into your DVD drive. Your CD/DVD burning
software opens. Hopefully, you've read the instructions and know how to use
it. If not, you may want to download the manual from the company's web
site.
3. Drag the original folder into the data space in the CD/DVD burning dialog
and click whatever buttons are necessary to make the backup CD or DVD
(probably the latter, but why waste space if this was a short shoot?).
4. When the disk has been burned, you should get a dialog telling you that the
data has been successfully written to the disk. The disk usually auto-ejects,
but if it doesn't, close the disk burning software and eject the disk.
5. Reinsert the disk and open an image or two in Bridge to make sure the
images are there and haven't been corrupted. It will take longer to read all
the files, but checking the thumbnails is a good way to make sure that none