workflow on mac

[jmathew]

Just got a mac - and need some advice on software - Ive been using/used to RSE which isnt available for the Mac. What would a comparably easy to use program or flow be? Canon's bundled software or do it all in Adobe photoshop elements 2.0 (thats all I have) - also - does the adobe raw converter work for elements? I guess if it doesnt that would eliminate that?

Any advice would be appreciated!

[DavidTO]

Just got a mac - and need some advice on software - Ive been using/used to RSE which isnt available for the Mac. What would a comparably easy to use program or flow be? Canon's bundled software or do it all in Adobe photoshop elements 2.0 (thats all I have) - also - does the adobe raw converter work for elements? I guess if it doesnt that would eliminate that?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Hey,

Not knowing what RSE is, I'm not much help. How about outlining what you would like your workflow to be? How is it that you would be comfortable working?

[jmathew]

oops sorry - Raw Shooter Essentials - very easy/intuitive.

As you know David Im just a amatuer/hobbyist - so I want to keep this simple. I want an easy to use viewer - to get a layout of all the images from the card/cardreader to mark for upload, and I want easy batch renaming as well. I dont do a whole lot of postprocessing so far (mostly cause I dont know how) aside from white balance correction and obvious fixes. I do want to get better at all of that though. Again, the main goal is simplicity (for me) - this ISNT my full time job and I dont have the time to make it such - so I need to have a not so cumbersome process to get from shutter click to finished product. With adobe, if I understand correctly - I have to get from proprietary canon raw to adobe's raw (or is it DNG?) and then tweek - then save in Tiff or whatever final format. If thats not too painful I dont mind. I havent played with the bundled canon software much yet - digital photo professional or zoombrowser - which do I use???? Whew - does any of that make sense?

I just want it all, like everyone.

[DavidTO]

Well, I'm not sure why you're shooting RAW when simplicity is your goal. The benefits from RAW come from being willing to spend the time on the images.

You can save directly from CRW to JPEG or TIFF.

If you were to take RAW out of the equation, I would say just use iPhoto. It handles RAW, but I don't like the way it does. But then again, for someone wanting simplicity, maybe that would work for you.

You can open any image in iPhoto in PS Elements, but if you import the RAW file in iPhoto, you'll only be working with JPEG in PSE.

As far as downloading (if not iPhoto), start with Image Capture. That will just get your images to your drive from the card.

If you want a browser, then iPhoto or iView Media (the pro version for RAW) are my best two options. iPhoto is, of course, free. iVMP is $200, the non-pro version is cheaper.

Ask more questions, and we'll get you set up in style!

[jfriend]

Just got a mac - and need some advice on software - Ive been using/used to RSE which isnt available for the Mac. What would a comparably easy to use program or flow be? Canon's bundled software or do it all in Adobe photoshop elements 2.0 (thats all I have) - also - does the adobe raw converter work for elements? I guess if it doesnt that would eliminate that?

Any advice would be appreciated!
Photoshop Elements 3 or 4 both handle RAW quite well. I don't believe that Elements 2 handles RAW. If you process a lot of RAW files (hundreds at a time), then Elements doesn't have the full extent of Adobe's workflow features and you'd probably want either CS2 or a third party RAW converter that does support the Mac - perhaps something like Capture One (http://www.phaseone.com/Content/Downloads/COforMac.aspx).

--John

[jmathew]

Well, I'm not sure why you're shooting RAW when simplicity is your goal. The benefits from RAW come from being willing to spend the time on the images.

To be honest - the main reason is the WB control after the fact - I often forget to change the settings ahead of time - and I love how I can "fix" this aspect later with RAW. Im still learning when it comes to light and exposure - and being able to tweek this as well after the fact is fantastic. Exposure bracketing with my 20 month old is NOT an option.

I know Im not taking advantage of all it has to offer, but those are the reasons I switched to it.

Ill stick to the closer to free, rather than $200 dollar options for now until I know what Im doing better!

[jmathew]

Image Capture = EOS Capture??

[jfriend]

To be honest - the main reason is the WB control after the fact - I often forget to change the settings ahead of time - and I love how I can "fix" this aspect later with RAW. Im still learning when it comes to light and exposure - and being able to tweek this as well after the fact is fantastic. Exposure bracketing with my 20 month old is NOT an option.

I know Im not taking advantage of all it has to offer, but those are the reasons I switched to it.

Ill stick to the closer to free, rather than $200 dollar options for now until I know what Im doing better!
You might want to just upgrade to Elements 3/4 from Elements 2. That will give you two things. First, it will give you some built-in RAW processing for not very much money. Second, Elements 3/4 have a temperature/tint control that works on JPEGs too so you can fix white balance on JPEGs too fairly easily. I won't argue that it produces quite as high a quality result as doing it in RAW, but it works pretty well if you didn't shoot in RAW.

If you want the "close to free", then all I'm aware of is what Canon gave you with your camera or go with an open source option (GIMP/DCRaw for example).

--John

[jmathew]

You might want to just upgrade to Elements 3/4 from Elements 2. That will give you two things. First, it will give you some built-in RAW processing for not very much money. Second, Elements 3/4 have a temperature/tint control that works on JPEGs too so you can fix white balance on JPEGs too fairly easily. I won't argue that it produces quite as high a quality result as doing it in RAW, but it works pretty well if you didn't shoot in RAW.

If you want the "close to free", then all I'm aware of is what Canon gave you with your camera or go with an open source option (GIMP/DCRaw for example).

--John

Sounds good - Ill look into all of those above - thanks!

[DavidTO]

Image Capture = EOS Capture??


Image Capture is an app on your Mac. It's in your Applications folder.

[DavidTO]

You might want to just upgrade to Elements 3/4


PSE 4 is windows only for now. PSE 3 is the latest Mac version.

[DavidTO]

To be honest - the main reason is the WB control after the fact - I often forget to change the settings ahead of time - and I love how I can "fix" this aspect later with RAW. Im still learning when it comes to light and exposure - and being able to tweek this as well after the fact is fantastic. Exposure bracketing with my 20 month old is NOT an option.



iPhoto may suffice for you. I'm not crazy about the RAW functions on it, but give it a whirl.

[DavidTO]

Photoshop Elements 3 or 4 both handle RAW quite well. I don't believe that Elements 2 handles RAW. If you process a lot of RAW files (hundreds at a time), then Elements doesn't have the full extent of Adobe's workflow features and you'd probably want either CS2 or a third party RAW converter that does support the Mac - perhaps something like Capture One (http://www.phaseone.com/Content/Downloads/COforMac.aspx).

--John


I used Capture One for a long time. I didn't like the Camera RAW until PS CS2. You can get that for an educational rate of $300 if you have anyone in your household in school.

You could also upgrade from Elements, but that's $500.

[DavidTO]

Second, Elements 3/4 have a temperature/tint control that works on JPEGs too so you can fix white balance on JPEGs too fairly easily. --John


Elements is a great, inexpensive option. If you want free, though, iPhoto also offeres temp/tint control on JPEGs.

[patch29]

I would try iPhoto first, then Elements if it fit my needs. I don't know how much it is missing from PSCS2 (does it have a file browser?). :dunno CS2 is awesome and makes my life a lot easier when using Bridge. I can rename in it and go straight from RAW to jpg quickly. :thumb

[jmathew]

You can get that for an educational rate of $300 if you have anyone in your household in school.

hmmm...I don't suppose preschool counts - ya think? :wink

[DavidTO]

I would try iPhoto first, then Elements if it fit my needs.


I think so, too. Can't beat the price!

[DavidTO]

Open Image Capture and get familiar with the prefs. It determines which app is opened when you attach your camera. Your choices are iPhoto, Image Capture, other or none.

[jmathew]

Open Image Capture and get familiar with the prefs. It determines which app is opened when you attach your camera. Your choices are iPhoto, Image Capture, other or none.

Do I have to attach the camera - or will it see a card reader as well?

Also - what about bibble? good/bad? Just downloaded it -

[DavidTO]

Do I have to attach the camera - or will it see a card reader as well?

Also - what about bibble? good/bad? Just downloaded it -

Card reader'll be fine.

I don't know anything about Bibble.

[Thusie]

Being a switcher..PC to Mac and very much a hobbiest, maybe I can help? I personally am not a fan of iphoto so use a simple file system. I just creat a New Photo file in the Finder window and then subfolders inside that. I can then drag out on the desktop what ever I want to work on. Image Capture is wonderful and I use a card reader for the transfer and put stuff in what ever subfolder I want. IC allowes you to see all the shots on the card and you can download all or download some, great if you haven't cleaned up the CF card. From there it is quite easy to transfer what you want to work on into PSE. I don't shoot raw but was wondering how Graphics Converter might do?

[DavidTO]

Being a switcher..PC to Mac and very much a hobbiest, maybe I can help? I personally am not a fan of iphoto so use a simple file system. I just creat a New Photo file in the Finder window and then subfolders inside that. I can then drag out on the desktop what ever I want to work on. Image Capture is wonderful and I use a card reader for the transfer and put stuff in what ever subfolder I want. IC allowes you to see all the shots on the card and you can download all or download some, great if you haven't cleaned up the CF card. From there it is quite easy to transfer what you want to work on into PSE. I don't shoot raw but was wondering how Graphics Converter might do?


That would work fine, but how would you find photos? iPhoto, iVMP or other apps help you find them through keywords, smart sets, etc.

I don't know about GC and RAW, but I have serious doubts that it would be much help....

[Thusie]

That would work fine, but how would you find photos? .. I don't have thousands ,as yet, so I just type what I'm looking for in finder. I have about 500+ in iPhoto but the problem with that is (and maybe there is a way around it) if I want to send a photo I have to use Mail and Thunderbird is my prefered. Nit picky for sure since getting photes organized in iP is quite easy.

Thanks for the heads up on GC, would have been nice not to have to get something else:D

[DavidTO]

I don't have thousands ,as yet, so I just type what I'm looking for in finder. I have about 500+ in iPhoto but the problem with that is (and maybe there is a way around it) if I want to send a photo I have to use Mail and Thunderbird is my prefered. Nit picky for sure since getting photes organized in iP is quite easy.

Thanks for the heads up on GC, would have been nice not to have to get something else:D


There is a preference setting in iPhoto for your preferred mail app. Thunderbird doesn't show up in mine, but then again, I don't have it installed. Check it out and let us know if that works.

[Thusie]

There is a preference setting in iPhoto for your preferred mail app. Thunderbird doesn't show up in mine, but then again, I don't have it installed. Check it out and let us know if that works.
Nope, sure wish it did.

[jmathew]

I think maybe I misspoke in terms of what I wanted or meant (although I do certainly apprectiate all the help and advice, and I've been trying things out).

I DO want to get better at this (taking and postprocessing pictures) over time- esp. with photoshop - which I guess is another reason I switched to raw etc. When I said simplicity - I think I was referring to not wanting to go through 3-4 different programs in order to get to a nice, final result.

I was hoping ONE program could preview the cf card in the reader, select, batch rename, and do the needed processing -> saving, etc.

I do love how iphoto organizes things (I've been a huge fan of Picassa's format/album system). Im thinking that elements 3 may be right for me (although there is an elements 4 in the works for mac so I hear) and when/if that no longer is enough - cs2.

[DavidTO]

versiontracker (http://www.versiontracker.com/php/search.php?mode=basic&action=search&str=raw&plt%5B%5D=macosx&x=0&y=0) is your friend. Any software you need, that's the place.