Workflow

Workflow encompasses everything from pressing the shutter-release button to the final resting place of the photograph, be it a print, on a website, or as fodder for a graphic artist or designer. A good workflow saves time and minimizes frustration, while a bad, elaborate, or nonexistent workflow does the complete opposite. A minimalist workflow does exactly enough.

For someone who takes photographs occasionally, workflow is a minor issue. It is only when dozens of images need to be edited, sorted, and stored on a regular basis that a system needs to be put in place. The system should be tailored to suit the individual photographer, not the other way around. The photographer should always work in a way that suits his or her own temperament, not in a way that others say is ideal. This means the process should be an organic one, arrived at by trial and error.

Think minimalism when creating your workflow, and try to keep things as simple as possible. The fewer required actions, the more likely you’ll adhere to the process and reap the benefits.

Other than the photographer’s temperament, the final output will influence workflow the most. If your photography is the starting point for an intensive graphic design or fine art project, then your workflow will be different than that of a photographer who deals with a lot of finished images but doesn’t want the photographs to look very different than when they were originally shot.

As I mentioned in chapter 1, the biggest change over the past couple of decades was the shift from film to digital photography. Computers have replaced the darkroom, and any time invested in learning how to use the newest technology will more than pay for itself. Working knowledge of a decent photo-editing software package will add another dimension to your work.

While we’re on the subject of computers and photo-editing software, I would like to throw in one piece of advice: if you haven’t already, do not go out and purchase Adobe Photoshop—at least not yet. Unfortunately, we have been influenced to think that being taken seriously as a photographer means having to own a full copy of this package. It is an excellent software package, but it is not necessarily the right one for the majority of photographers. Despite its name, it is much better suited to graphic designers and digital artists.

If you feel the need to invest in software right now, I recommend Adobe Lightroom. It is much more affordable, much faster, and the structure of the application is a lot more intuitive than Photoshop.