since we're doing workflow descriptions ...
LR workflow:
- import originals into "in progress" LR *. During import, files go into right place in file hierarchy, split off archive duplicates to supplementary drive, rename to standard convention, add IPTC copyright/location/etc metadata from template, add general keywords for session entirety.
* If for an assignment or specific project, originals go into a new Lightroom catalog. All further steps are done in the new catalog until rendering is completed, then the catalog is imported into the main "in progress" catalog to allow for future searches and category organization.
- Sort for picks and reject using flags. Filter on picks and create new collection of them. Filter on unpicked and rejects, make second and third pass. Add any new picks to collection, delete all rejects. Switch to collection.
- run backup system
- Grade picks in collection. As grading progresses, render images. Refine metadata annotation and complete rendering (round trip to PS occasionally).
- Export products to project folder in completed projects (archive max rez 16bit TIFFs, and specific product outputs for client use). Prepare images for printing, web, etc etc. Annotate and document project (external to Lightroom, text or word processing file in the project directory, also rendered to PDF). Import projects into separate "completed work" Lightroom catalog for easy future access.
- run backup system
- Roll output products into Aperture as appropriate.
- Print output products as appropriate.
- Make web galleries as appropriate.
- etc etc
- run backup system
Notes:
- all image files and work is backed up into multiple separate archives regularly to minimize risk of loss.
- all *finished* images are exported to most editable, most complete TIFF format to minimize risk of loss.
- annotation in metadata is supplemented by documentation in project organization. this makes for a good transition to dedicated archiving and image cataloging software if required in the future.
- use of Aperture is for post image processing project use .. books, slide shows, as a distribution point for images into integrated multimedia projects, etc. Aperture libraries always look at the completed work files by reference to minimize space consumption on disk.
Works nicely for me. I'm not shooting with medium format digital cameras at present so I can't really comment on how much better or worse Lightroom's rendering qualities might be compared to Aperture's or C1s, or any other raw converter, for those cameras. But I like the use of LR for workflow the most of any other software I've used to date.