LR- Culling/Importing Workflow

[Charles Loy]

Do you mean it is not displaying the jpeg embedded in the nef file at first, but it immediately renders the raw

It immediately renders the RAW - NEF file - upon export you can choose either jpg or nef or a couple others

 

[Replytoken]

When you import a bunch of images into LR before culling, you are doing database 'add' transactions for each image, including those you will later do a database delete, which takes time and seems unnecessary. There's nothing wrong with that technically, it's just slower.

I cull first using Faststone Image Viewer (free and fast browser). I also have FastRawView, which reads the RAW files fast and is very accurate, but not really what I would call a fast browser. Faststone is definitely less accurate of a viewer, but a very fast browser, and you don't have to care about accurate color for images that are obviously not keepers.

I still keep FastRawView (with RawDigger) around for detailed RAW file inspection, not for image culling.

Chris

I have a similar set-up as I like to cull before I enter my images into LRC. In FastStone (FSIV), I have set FRV as the external editor. This way, if I really need to have a critical look at the raw file, I just hit the "E" key and FSIV opens FRV. I know that FSIV also renders the raw file if set up to do so, but FRV has other tools that are helpful for culling, like a quick check for highlight or shadow recovery.

--Ken

 

[TCzPhotos]

I cull the images on an Android tablet. The Samsung Gallery is a fast way to whittle a large number of images into something more manageable. And I can do it from my favorite chair with my feet up.

 

[viper699]

When you import a bunch of images into LR before culling, you are doing database 'add' transactions for each image, including those you will later do a database delete, which takes time and seems unnecessary. There's nothing wrong with that technically, it's just slower.

I cull first using Faststone Image Viewer (free and fast browser). I also have FastRawView, which reads the RAW files fast and is very accurate, but not really what I would call a fast browser. Faststone is definitely less accurate of a viewer, but a very fast browser, and you don't have to care about accurate color for images that are obviously not keepers.

I still keep FastRawView (with RawDigger) around for detailed RAW file inspection, not for image culling.

EDIT: I just want to add that I consider it fairly important to do culling on a decent monitor. I never do it on the field based on the 3" LCD and I wouldn't trust it to small screen at home (tablet). I cull on my full monitors, even though I'm not at that point concerned with color accuracy, I feel that's best on the big screen to critically assess detail.

Chris

Same I wait till I’m home- unless the image is obviously crappy.

 

[TCzPhotos]

If you are in stop and go action, it can also save time and space to review in camera, protect anything with potential and delete the rest.

 

[Marsha Jane]

I'm new to LR (I HATE rentware!). I was watching a YT vid, presenter discussed bringing in images into LR's library where it seemed folders were created automatically by year. Then he mentioned Collections down below LR's software panel. As he mentioned deleting, it made me start to think about my recent trip. I have MANY thousands of images. Are they all keepers- NO, I'll delete those. Are there images where it's a tie between frame 1, and frame 3 etc, YES as to what I'll keep. BTW, I shot in RAW and JPEG (highest resolution format for both file formats) on z8.

The RAW and JPEGS are in the same folder on the same CFX card. I normally drag an drop onto my computer, and locally through windows explorer JPEGS (I know not the best) and I'm checking to see what images are in focus, and what seem reasonable to keep. It's my first pass. It seems logical, ie not to involve SW yet, so I can go through them faster- or so I think....

Which brings me to my question, there's no right/wrong approach to do this to my knowledge. There may be more efficient approaches I'm unaware of.

I'd be interested in what others do when it comes to importing images into LR. Do you screen first, like I'm suggesting above, then dump only the keepers into LR? Or do you bring everything into LR and screen there? Would large image folders cause the decision process of what to keep slow down because I'm relying on LR to view the images?

I should note I recently purchased FastRawViewer as well, but have not had a chance to tinker with it.

I'm not a pro, these are my personal images that I'll print at some point. I'm learning as I go.

Thanks in advance!

Suggest you use your Fast Raw Viewer to cull, and set it up to use the same shortcuts as LR. See this YT video for how to do it:

 

[MartyD]

I think we are always using rentware, it just depends on how you look at it. At least with Lightroom, I know that if a new camera or new operating system comes out the software will be updated to handle the files. I have been caught a few time with software I have purchased that suddenly doesn't work with a new operating system or fails to read the files from my new camera. Instead of paying a monthly rent, I have to purchase new software. I think the Adobe photography plan is one of the best values in photography.

I do approach my culling and importing process differently depending on what I am shooting. My family images don't get culled much before I import them into Lightroom Classic for further review and editing. This is not a big deal because I don't have huge numbers of family images.

I don't shoot in RAW and JPEG, I prefer RAW and I can always edit and export a JPEG from LrC. There are times when I only shoot in JPEG because I know I am going to have to produce JPEG images quickly after the event and maybe SOC. I don't see the need to shoot both, if I shoot both I have to delete both when culling.

I do shoot a lot of sports images and my sports images get culled heavily before ever making it onto a storage drive for importing. I copy them onto a temp drive, cull, and then copy to my storage drive. My first cull might eliminate 90% or more of the images so I don't want them to hit a storage drive, where they will be backed up, until I have eliminated many of them.

I use Photo Mechanic to cull my images. I open a proof sheet for the folder, rate the images I want to move to storage at 3 or higher. Photo Mechanic will then copy the rated images to my storage drive and LrC can import the images from the folder and retain the ratings in LrC. I might then cull, rate, and delete more image in LrC.

I use LrC and create collections to organize my images.