Batch processing - advice needed!

Yv

I'm guessing that most of you folk who process hundreds of images on a regular basis use software that makes this easier? You know, actions like resizing and saturation which would be the same for a set of photos - there must be a way to save yourself doing the same few actions in Photoshop (for example) a hundred times in a row.

Alternatively, is there a way to sort of make a preset in PS for a group of actions, so you can just open an image & apply that preset & you're away?

Getting into digital photography a lot more since I got my D300 & seriously need to solve some workflow issues! Not sure what to ask Google so I thought I'd ask some of you lovely real, live people

KarmaGarda

I don't process as much as a lot of folks, but I do use lightroom for batch processing. If there's similar steps you apply to all photos it's easier to do it through Lightroom. Version 3 is out free on Beta until April/May if you wanted to trial it too.

Rojo

Lightroom.

oshead

The problem with batch processing images is that not all images need the same treatment. I overcome this problem to a very large degree by taking a few simple steps. When importing to Lightroom I use the preset My Zeroed on all my images. This is the Zeroed preset with sharpening removed. By removing all of lightrooms builtin settings you are left with the 'true RAW file'. I then fix exposure, recover highlights and colour correct on a one by one basis. This can be time consuming, but if you have a few images that are similar you can then sync the settings from the first 'fixed' one.

Next I rate all the images, 1 star for the keepers and Zero rated for the one destined for the bin. I then go through the 1 star images and pick the best of that bunch by rating them 2 star. I colour code all of these and organize them by ISO level (High or Low). I then export them from lightroom as PSD files while running Photoshop Action droplets which fix the contrast, range, sharpening and colouring of them. Each file ends up being around 200mb due to all the layers. It is easy to alter them at a later date when needed. When I'm happy with the lot I then run them through another Action droplet which saves them off as jpegs. I delete the PSD's when finished.

I recently processed about 800 images from around 8000 using the methods described above. In all it took about 6-7 hours of pointing and clicking and what not. Would have taken a week and a bad headache had it not been for the automation of lightroom and photoshop. :pac:

Here's 200 of the 800 uploaded to animoto for a slideshow.

A year in the life of Jessica O'Shea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X42Io0ybxBE

twowheelsonly

I presume from your post that you're using Photoshop.
If that's the case then you can use 'Actions' to replicate previously used settings/adjustments.
If you find that you like one particular set of adjustments on a pic that you've done then you can 'one-click' to replicate it on another to see if it works for that.

Have a look at http://http://www.adobepress.com/articles/article.asp?p=434249 which explains it fairly well.

Yv

I've just downloaded the Lightroom trial - thanks for the suggestion folks, it would never have occurred to me. It looks like just the ticket so far.

Crikey oshead, that's quite the workflow you've got there - thank you for the insight into how you manage so many images, it's very helpful!

Now, to investigate PS actions...

Fenster

I use ufraw-batch and imagemagick for my batch work.

smelltheglove

If you use batch processing and save as a psd, then when you review your images if you notice a few images seem to be oversaturated you can reduced the o[pacity of the saturation layer.

WedPhoto

oshead is right: not all the photos require the exact same post processing. resizing can be done with photoshop via file/scripts/image processor, plenty options there.
you can also use file/automate/batch and apply an action to all your files.

i use adobe bridge all the time as it's very good with raw files and sometimes acdsee pro as it is easy to do a batch resize/reduce quality of images.

eventualy you will find a solution and a the software that is good for your particular way of doing things - good luck

KarmaGarda

If it's any further help, I find that lightroom still works a treat at this. I took snaps at a wedding not so long ago and at a quick glance I knew I needed to increase the exposure of all the indoor photos. So, I selected them all and increased the exposure, easy! I agree that some need slightly different attention than others. But a lot of the time the same actions on a lot of images will bring them all very close to the finished product. And slight adjustments can be applied to whatever ones you deem appropriate there after.