Camera Crazy

Like any new toy, I had to play with our new Nikon D70 non-stop since we got it. I've been shooting and tweeking pictures every available minute since last Friday. There are some shots that would have been impossible to take with our old camera and the image quality is an entirely different level.

However, with the added advantage of shooting in RAW format, I've added a large time commitment to pre-processing each image. A task that could limit the frequency I shoot. It also doesn't help that there doesn't appear to be any standard workflow for this process yet. So, for those that are interested, This is my workflow as of this weekend.

Stephen's RAW Workin' It Workflow
I shoot with RAW + Basic JPG on the D70. This provides me with the "Digital Negative" and a preview image. I then import the images with Nikon Picture Project, which came with the D70. After that, I open up the file browser in Photoshop CS and review the JPG previews, deleting any images that I'm not interested in. It's really important to NOT be a pack rat. The time and disc space devoted to each of these images is so great that you have to be ruthless.

Next, I rename all the images by date and serial number because seriously, what is PC250047.jpg going to mean to you later? Then comes the tricky part. You need to have the most recent Camera Raw Plug-in (mac) for Photoshop to be able to view the NEF RAW files (it will be a great day when DNG is the standard for RAW files, but that day is not now). Also, you need to decide what type of processing dialogue box you want to use. I went with Adobe Camera Raw because it allows for the greatest image control and you can save processing settings. And make sure you're using Adobe RGB (1998) in your color settings. This way, you wont be sad after you realize you've balanced all your pictures for screen viewing instead of for print.

Once all the RAW files have been processed, it's all down hill. I have batch processes set up to publish out sizes for print and web.