Digital Photography Standards and Practices Project Workflow: From Camera to Computer Outlined below is the Image Handling Protocol that I use when I shoot digital. The workflow outlined is for use with a Nikon D series Camera, Macintosh Computer, and the Software iView Media Pro, Photoshop, and Roxio toast. The top list is the short version of what I do. The list at the bottom of the page has the same steps outlined, with further explanation in red.   Image Handling Protocol: Studio: (or Location when laptop can be set up as processing station) 1. Always reformat card when starting to shoot. 2. Finish shooting card, place in card Clamshell upside down 3. Download Card through Firewire card reader to New Raw Files Folder 4. Copy to Backup Folder on Firewire Hard Drive 5. Open Files With Nikon View and Rotate. Confirm Integrity of Files 6. Quit Nikon View 7. Drop Folder on iView Media Pro Catalog, Enter Subgroup Keywords 8. Place Card back in Clamshell Right-side up, Ready to use again. At the end of Shoot do the following to all the files in iView 1. Download all Remaining Cards 2. Make Backup of raw files on Firewire drive 3. Open and rotate with Nikon View, Quit Nikon View. 4. Drop Folders on iView Catalog. 5. Consolidate and nest Catalog Sets. 6. Batch Rename 7. Batch Annotate 8. Make Selects with Color Code Labels 9. Synchronize entire shoot 10. Copy Entire Shoot to Temp Folder on Firewire Drive, Turn Off Drive 11. Remember to re-synchronize after subsequent Keywording/Labeling On Archive Machine 1. Move to final folders 2. Burn 2 DVDs 3. Drop DVDs onto iView Test catalog 4. Files can be erased from Firewire Drive   Image Handling Protocol: Studio: (or Location when laptop can be set up as processing station) 1. Always reformat card when starting to shoot. 2. Finish shooting card, place in Card Clamshell upside down 3. Download Card through Firewire card reader to New Raw Files (or JobName) folder on Capture Drive (or on Laptop Drive if on location) 4. Copy to Backup Folder on Firewire Hard Drive 5. Open Files With Nikon View and Rotate. Confirm Integrity of Files (thumbs correct) 6. Quit Nikon View 7. Drop Folder on iView Media Pro Catalog, (Mu current catalog is Capture 2003) iView Settings: Large Thumbnail Size, Ignore Built-in thumbnail, Jpeg Compress Thumbnails, Make Catalog Sets from Folders a. Enter Subgroup Keywords (Keywords that are for this card only) 8. Place Card back in Clamshell Right-side up, Ready to use again. a. Use cards in Numerical order. (Some people vary the starting card to ensure even use) a. Only Format Card as necessary. Serves as additonal backup. b. Reformat and use cards again as they fill up. At the end of Shoot do the following to all the files in iView 1. Download all Remaining Cards 2. Make Backup of raw files on Firewire drive 3. Open and rotate with Nikon View, Quit Nikon View. 4. Drop Folders on iView atalog. 5. Consolidate and nest Catalog Sets Folder: Jobs Folder: ClientName Folder: ProjectName Folders: Situation Names 6. Batch Rename (Replace DSC with Client/Subject Code and MonthYear: eg, PBS1202_####.NEF) a. Select Files in iView, Action>Batch Rename>Replace String 7. Batch Annotate a.Photographer/shoot Information b.Client/Project Information c. License information d. Stock Keywords e. Date/Place 8. Make Selects: Color code Labels, Photographer Selects Trash 9. Synchronize entire shoot a. Select the whole shoot b. Actions>Synchronize>Catalog to file 10. Copy Entire Shoot (now keyworded, rotated and renamed) to Temp Folder on Firewire Drive, Unplug Drive 11. Remember to re-synchronize after subsequent Keywording/Labeling On Archive Machine 1. Move to final folders Drive Name: Capture01 Folder Name: Capture_Raw_001 Folder Name: Client/Project/Subject 2. Burn 2 DVDs a. One stays in the studio, one offsite 3. Drop DVD onto iView Test catalog 4. Files can be erased from Firewire Drive Back to Workflow Back to the Main Page All Text © Peter Krogh