Mastering The Photographic Workflow

Alana Tyler Slutsky shares with the readers of FashionPhotographyBlog.com, the processes she goes through in her workflow. After revealing her tips for working with agency models, Alana explains that there are two types of workflow that photographers should pay attention to. In this article she will be discussing the photographic workflow process.  The stage is yours Alana!   

Having establish a workflow system that works for you means that you’ll be more efficient. Once you have a set routine you’re less likely to forget something or mess something up. Rather, you’ll find yourself almost on autopilot and able to get through things much more quickly.

I used to be a mess when it came to organizing my files and keeping things clean and precise. I was a workflow nightmare! But over time I’ve recognized the importance of workflow now have everything impeccably organized. What is a workflow? A sequence of steps, or a routine, that creates a sense of flow to your typical workload.

 

There are two types of workflow we’re going to look at here, Photographic Workflow and Digital Workflow.  Technically all of this just falls into workflow, but I’ve broken it down into two different categories to make it less overwhelming.

 

Photographic Workflow

 

Basically this entails everything that happens with your camera before you get to a computer (or if you’re working with film, before you bring the film into the darkroom). My typical photographic workflow goes as follows:

 

– Check File Format, Size and Color Output (you only really have to do this once depending on how you shoot.)

– Set to Auto/Manual/Aperture Priority/Whatever (Manual for life!)

– Set ISO

– Set Aperture and Shutter Speed

– Check Focus

– Shoot!

 

Checking File Format and Size:

 

Typically with cameras you can chose what file format to take pictures in. On Canon and Nikon you have two options: JPEG and RAW (Canon: CR2, Nikon: NEF). What’s the difference?

 

– JPEG files are compressed files.  The sensor on your camera captures a scene then packs all that it sees into one nice, neat little file.
– RAW files are uncompressed.  They are significantly larger files that JPEG’s because they take everything that the sensor sees and packages it into one file which then has to be converted to open.  This can be done through software that comes with your camera or a RAW converter (Photoshop has one that can be installed.)

 

You can also choose the size in which your camera captures an image. While I prefer to shoot full res RAW files, that is purely because of the nature of what I shoot. Someone who is shooting an event may prefer to work in JPEG because their work requires less retouching, faster capture time and more images to be captured. Because of the sheer size of a RAW file, you can’t capture nearly as many images on one CF/SD card as you can if you’re shooting JPEG (Why?  Remember… JPEG’s are compressed!)

 

Setting Color Output:

 

With Canon and Nikon cameras there are two color output, Adobe RGB 1998 or sRGB. What’s the difference?

 

– Adobe RGB 1998 is a “larger” color space.  Essentially a color space, or “gamut,” is a range of colors that can either be seen by a camera/computer or printed by a printer.  Being that Adobe RGB 1998 is a “larger” color space, means that it contains more colors than other color spaces, such as sRGB.  Adobe RGB is becoming a common gamut to print in.
– sRGB is a smaller, more condensed color space.  It’s best when an image is being used for web or something that will be viewed on a screen, rather than in print.  A good way to think of it is screenRGB.

 

General rule of thumb is to always start with your images in the largest color space you have access to and then convert them into a smaller color space later on.

 

– Alana

 

 

Did you find Alana’s post useful? Please leave your comments below in the comment section. We would like to know what you thought about this post. If you enjoyed this article, do stay tuned as Alana has another post just around the corner on FashionPhotograhyBlog.com. If you want to know about shooting with models from agencies, check our post on Tips For Working With Agency Models.

 

 

IMAGE SOURCE: 

Feature image & images 1: courtesy of Alana Tyler Slutsky.