tPP47: Why basic workflow matters

In this Episode In this week's episode, we look at some of the key concepts and places to start your workflow from. Based on similar workflows coming out of the film production, many of the choices we made in the past are even more relevant today. When starting to think about workflow, I make sure to start by objectively reviewing the work before I make any edits. I look at point of view, compositional elements and expsoure. Where there things I could have corrected in camera. I also start to think about the areas that need to be corrected in the image. After that, I attempt to do the same basic concpets for each image. While every image is unique, I try to follow the same path over and over again. In many ways this is a hold over from the darkroom, where we would set print times first, contrast second, post-development manipulations and toning decisions. The consistency of the process really helped create consistent prints. Workflow Concepts The most important part of a workflow is that you can use it to create meaningful work and do it in a consistent and reliable manner. My key workflow is broken down in three primary areas: global adjustments regional adjustments local adjustments When you work in this order, you will find that you have less re-edting to do as you work on images and that you can build some consistentcy into your workflow. At each of these phases, I am look at issues with expsoure, color, sharpness, and any other issues. I also try to make sure that all the work is done non-destructively in Photoshop or Camera RAW so that I maintain as much flexibility as possible. If you subscribe to the Perceptive Photographer up on in iTunes, I would love to hear some feedback or have you take a few minutes for a quick review up on iTunes to help others know about the show.