Lightroom workflow ???

Submitted by cessna182rg on Sun, 12/07/2014 - 10:24
Forums: 
General discussion

Hi,
Just tried FRV today, however I don't know how to integrate it with a LR5 worflow.
For me , the main advantage of FRV is to quicly sort through my pictures before importing them into LR, much like Photo Mechanic does. By reading the raw datas instead of the embedded jpeg, FRV is way better than PM.
However, to import all the selected pictures from PM to LR, you just have to drag them. Is there such an easy way with FVR, apart from moving the pictures one by one ? 
thank you

Iliah

Sun, 12/07/2014 - 11:22

Dear Sir:

FastRawViewer allows up to 3 programs to be used as external processors, please see Preferences -> External programs section. You can point to Lightroom, and press 'R' (or some other shortcut you programmed in Keyboard Shortcuts, press 'F1' in FastRawViewer to see the currently assigned ones) to pass the image to Lightroom.

Our own workflow is different, most of the times we browse through the raw files with FastRawViewer as the very first step (I do it right from the memory card), set white balance and exposure correction (orientation too, if needed) for keepers and while still in FastRawViewer, move the keepers to some folder (please see 'M' and 'Shift-M' shortcuts). Alternatively, you can move the un-wanted files to '_Rejected' sub-folder. Next, import the folder into Lightroom, and all the adjustments to exposure correction, white balance, and orientation you've made during the session in FastRawViewer will be picked up by Lightroom along with importing the raw files.

To keep things faster, FastRawViewer offers Propagation mode. In this mode the settings you've made to the current file will be automatically applied to the next file you open in FastRawViewer - that includes same basic three: white balance, exposure correction, and orientation. The Propagation mode is described in the Manual and in Tips.

Martin Harvey (not verified)

Tue, 10/13/2015 - 11:52

Recently purchased TRV and am just about to use it. To "pas an image" to LR, clicking R, it seems best to me to open LR first and set up the import dialog appropritately for your shots to go to. Otherwise will LR pick up the last import dialog settings?
However, I might not go this route and instead create an output file and then import that into LR.
Thanks,
 
Martin

lexa

Tue, 10/13/2015 - 15:48

Yes, Lightroom can work only with images imported into Lr catalog, so the import dialog appears.

The best Lightroom route, in my opinion is

  - move 'not keepers' images outside of current folder (e.g. to _Rejected subfolder)

  - assign stars/labels to keepers in current folder

  - adjust white balance/exposure if needed

Than import entire folder in Lr for further work.

--

Alex Tutubalin/FastRawViewer team

catchaspark's picture

catchaspark

Fri, 01/08/2016 - 16:34

I too am new to FastRawViewer.  I"ve used Lightroom (on my Macbook Pro) for years and as my volume has been increasing I'd love to decrease my initial review time.  My goal is to review images in FRV off my SD card to rate them (for at least my initial pass) and to avoid importing any photos that will only need to be deleted into Lightroom.  I shoot Nikon, but have been in the habit of copying my files into Lightroom as DNG in order to allow me to validate them periodically.
I must have a flaw in my workflow and I'm trying to find it.  After reviewing, rating and moving unwanted files to a reject file, I open Lightroom to import by copying as DNG and moving the files to an external hard drive (and an archive drive as backup).  I do not include subfolders (so I don't the rejects don't sneak into LR!), but when the dng files get to Lightroom there is no sign of the ratings I've given the files.  I tried just copying the files (as NEF instead of DNG), but I've gotten the same results--no ratings.  For the record, I do have the "Forced XMP files creation" option checked under XMP preferences.
I welcome any suggestions because I'd really like to figure out how to integrate FastRawViewer into my workflow!  Thanks!
 

Terri Burke
Catch a Spark Photography
catchaspark.com

Iliah

Fri, 01/08/2016 - 17:59

Lightroom for some reason does not expect XMP files on a CF/SD/any memory card, if they are present it simply ignores them.

I use 2-stage workflow.

First, I browse a memory card with FastRawViewer to copy all files I consider to be candidates to a hard drive. (In any case, I do not approve of the idea of writing to a memory card, as any disconnect or some other malfunction can ruin the card with unpredicted time to restore files there; and full success is not guaranteed).

Second, I browse the hard drive folder with candidates and do the adjustments, labels, and ratings, thus creating the XMP files and rejecting those raw files that are not keepers.

If the files are already imported into Lighroom, you may need to refresh the metadata records. One of the ways to do it is to select the files in the Lightroom Grid view (to select all files in the Grid view, you can use Ctrl-A), right-click on one of the selected files; and in the drop-down that appears choose Metadata -> Read Metadata from Files. You can do it with a single file too by right-clicking on it; you will see 'Read Metadata from File', singular.

We have a pdf with our suggested workflow available from the home page, scroll down a little or use the direct link: http://www.fastrawviewer.com/sites/fastrawviewer.com/files/workflow_FRV_...

Also, you can watch our videos, http://www.fastrawviewer.com/tips-and-videos - the one that covers the workflow is https://youtu.be/FG7W3wDm1-U , and the transcript  for it is at http://updates.fastrawviewer.com/data/pdf/FastRawViewer_Workflow_Video_t...

 

catchaspark's picture

catchaspark

Sun, 01/10/2016 - 17:03

Thanks for the explanation.  The strange thing is as I experimented, every so often I would suddenly get the ratings to show up, so I really was confused as to what could be going on.  I will try moving the files off the SD card to where I want them stored on my external hard drive and then use FastRawViewer to review and rate before I import the images into Lightroom.

Terri Burke
Catch a Spark Photography
catchaspark.com

ota@seycek.eu

Sun, 01/31/2016 - 18:53

As I started with FRV approx. a year ago everything worked as it should. It means:
- I made my exposure + WB corrections in FRV
- FRV wrote it into XMP
- I imported my NEFs into LR
- LR read XMPs and displayed the images with corrections applied in FRV
I learned to love FRV, it is the fastest culling- and basic-corrections-tool I know. I used it extensively and without any problems until the autumn 2015.
In October 2015 I had to suspend temporarily all my postprocessing work due to a long overseas trip.  Now, a couple of months later, is my FRV updated (v 1.2.4) as well as LR (CC 2015.4) and things have changed:
- when I pass the image (NEF) from FRV to PS [short cut 'R'], ACR 9.4 reads the corresponding XMP and displays the image with exposure and WB corrections applied in FRV (as it should),
- but LR ignores all exposure and WB corrections written into XMP by FRV, however - funnily enough - it reads and displays labels set in FRV
What is running wrong? Can somebody help me?
Ota

 
 

Iliah

Sun, 01/31/2016 - 19:01

Dear Sir:

Please check that in FastRawViewer Preferences, on the XMP tab, you have "Adobe Compatible Exposure ..." checked.

If it does not help, please e-mail an XMP file to support@fastrawviewer.com

lexa

Tue, 02/02/2016 - 01:11

Just checked with latest Lightroom (2015.4) and Nikon D7100 file:

1st: FRV: Preferences - XMP tab:

  - Use XMP for Raw files - checked

  - Read-only XMP - unchecked

  - Adobe compatible exposure... - checked.

Image WB/Exposure adjusted in FRV

2a: Image is not in Lightroom catalog:

  - at Import, Lightroom reads XMP sidecars and applies WB/Exposure if import is made from harddrive

For unknown reason, latest Lightroom ignores .XMP files from memory cards (and other removable storage??)

2b: Image is already in Lr catalog, than XMP sidecar is changed by FRV:

 - you need to select your image (or all images) in Lr catalog and use Menu - Metadata - Read metadata from file to update Lr catalog metadata for rating/label/WB exposure.

 

--

Alex Tutubalin/FastRawViewer team

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