The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers

xi

Introduction

Each of these photographers is interested in greater productivity, and in the

longevity of his images.

The techniques described here were specifically developed for the challenges

presented by digital photography—particularly the large number of images

created with similar names. While much of this workflow will also be useful to

anyone managing a large collection of scanned images, it is particularly geared

toward those who shoot digital, who shoot RAW, and who shoot a lot.

My Assumptions About You

I have written this book for the serious photographer. Consequently, I

assume that the reader will be very familiar with the operation of a digi-

tal camera, and with the operation of Photoshop. This book is intended

to address one particular subject: the integration of sound digital asset

management techniques into a streamlined workflow. I do not discuss gen-

eral Photoshop techniques, photography techniques, color management, or

computer maintenance techniques. There are many other fine books about

these subjects.

The approach described in this book is not for the casual photographer. It

requires, at minimum, access to Photoshop CS2, which is an expensive, pro-

fessional-level software application. I assume that you are also willing to buy

DAM software, which is generally nowhere near as expensive as Photoshop,

but isn’t free either. I also assume that you will be willing to acquire the

hardware necessary to store your photographs safely and efficiently.

Most of all, I hope that you will be willing to make the effort necessary to

understand sound digital asset management techniques and to implement a

strong DAM system. Once you understand the concepts that are described here,

working with your digital photographs will be simpler, more straightforward,

and more secure than you can probably imagine now, but it will take some work

to get there. You will need to let go of a number of established practices and

preconceptions, and that can be a harder process than you might think.

Contents of This Book

This book is divided into nine chapters, covering a system for digital asset

management that leverages Photoshop CS2 and Adobe Bridge. Here’s a

basic rundown of what the chapters are about:

Chapter 1, What Is All This DAM Stuff?

In this chapter, I’ll give you a general sense of what the practice of

digital asset management means for photographers. We’ll go over some

broad outlines of the system, look at the types of software products

used in effective DAM solutions, and discuss why you actually need to

think about all this. I will also explain the DNG format and how you

can use it as the basis of an integrated collection.

Contents of This Book

As you implement the practices

and theories described in this

book, you will need to be familiar

with a number of technical issues

that are not described here, hav-

ing to do with the basic operation

of your camera, of Photoshop,

and of your computer. You should

know the differences between

various file formats and should

be familiar with the other termi-

nology used in digital imaging.

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