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Chapter 6, The Editing Workflow

Phase 2: Preparing Images in Bridge

We finished up the Phase 1 work by safely transferring the images from

the card to the computer. We’re already in Bridge, but now the real magic

begins, as we rename the files, apply metadata, rate and adjust them, and

make DNGs. Let’s take a look at this phase of the workflow.

Feel free to start working on the rating of individual files as the cache is

building, but do not try to perform any functions on all of the files, such as

batch-renaming or searching through metadata, because they won’t all be

accessible until the caching is complete. (In most cases you won’t want to

be searching yet anyway, since this is the part of the process where we are

assigning metadata.)

Building the Cache, and Applying Camera Raw Settings

When Bridge first opens a folder of RAW images, it displays the images

with Camera Raw settings that were most recently saved as Camera Raw

defaults. Note that there is a different default for each model of camera sup-

ported in Camera Raw—so, for example, if you make a custom default for

your Canon D30 that does not use Auto, the default for your 1DS MarkII

camera will remain unchanged. I suggest that you make a custom default

for each camera you use (unless you are happy with the way the defaults

already work). I have made a default for each of my cameras that do not use

the autoexposure options.

Note that if you never actively apply a Camera Raw default, Bridge will use

the current defaults when it opens the files. This means that if you open

files on your computer (where, for instance, you have Auto turned off) and

create DNGs of the files, and the files are then opened on a machine that

has a different Camera Raw default setting (with Auto turned on, say), the

second computer’s default settings will be applied.

Phase 2: Preparing Images in Bridge

Y O U M I G H T B E W O N D E R I N G . . .

To Auto or Not to Auto?

The settings that will be applied to image files as the

cache is being built are the current camera defaults that

Camera Raw is set to. For most people, the biggest deci-

sion is whether to use the autoexposure options or not.

Adobe has done a good job of creating Auto settings to

apply in Camera Raw, but they are not optimum for all

images. As you work with CS2, you may find that you

want to turn off Auto settings as the default, and apply

them only in certain circumstances.

There are several situations where Auto will definitely work

against you. For example, if you are shooting against a

white background, and you intend that background to

go to pure blown-out white, you will find that the Auto

settings will not work well. In general, Auto will try to

prevent the highlights and shadows from being clipped in

this manner. The Auto settings are also not recommended

for images that have been exposure-bracketed. Auto will

largely remove the differences between these frames,

making it difficult to determine which is the best exposure.

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Digital Asset Management

If you want a particular custom Camera Raw default to stick with these

files, you need to select the files and choose Edit→Apply Camera Raw

Settings→Camera Raw Defaults, as shown in Figure 6-11.

Phase 2: Preparing Images in Bridge

Figure 6-11. Applying Camera Raw defaults from Bridge. If no settings get applied to photos, they

will use the current defaults for the computer on which they are opened.

Figure 6-12. You can apply saved Camera Raw settings to images in Bridge. The Full Auto and No Auto

settings are some of the ones I’ve made, as discussed in the previous chapter.

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