emmapal

<p>select/highlight all photos to rename and use Library>Rename or F2</p>

<p>you can set preferences to choose if you want the editied copy of the RAW into PS to be saved as PSD, TIFF, 8 or 16 bit, and the dialog has prompts that explain the pros and cons of the choices.</p>

<p>The XMP data written is an option to turn on that makes Bridge play nicer with LR! LR and Bridge remember the settings, but I've found they don't remember the ratings/colors etc. Anyone know how to get my green LR images to show up as green in Bridge? I still use Bridge to organize my PNG graphics files, and have some older shoots done in Bridge/ACR that I have to retag in LR now, and it's a pain.</p>

<p>thanks!</p>

<p>you can only stroke pixels or a selection, not a blank layer. So create your marquee first, then use Edit>Stroke</p>

<p>you cannot contract a selection started from select>all (stupid oversight), so you can use whatever method you prefer to draw your selection accurately: guides, info palette, stroke the select>all selection, magic wand inside it and then use the Contract feature, plenty of other options</p>

<p>once you get your selection, the Edit>Stroke feature won't be grayed out any longer</p>

<p>what's the file extension for them? Are they stored in the same folder as the RAW files, or in the folder with the cat file?</p>

<p>are the "sidecars" the XMP files? When mutliple versions are in multiple catalogs, where are all of these stored? A single file, or multiple sidecars?</p>

<p>Thank you for your compliments: I am making big strides trying to break out of the beginner realm!</p>

<p>the catalog function is one of the most confusing features of PSE Organizer, Picasa, Lightroom, etc. Personally, I prefer the browsing system used by Bridge and used the Bridge/ACR combo for a long time in resistance to the catalog system of LR, and because I'd read that the combo does everything that LR 2 does, but it's not true. LR 2 does a lot more, which is why I finally tackled the stinkin' catalog system! I grudgingly admit I am seeing some benefits to it, but still don't like it very well.</p>

<p>Anyway, I don't know where the "sidecar" files are, as they're referred to. The lrcat file keeps track of all the files you need, where they are, and which to apply. You can have the same digital master file in several catalogs, each with different edits on it, w/o changing the master.</p>

<p>Once you see that the catalog is just that, a catalog like the card file in a library, that just "calls" on the file and shows you the preview you're working on, it makes more sense. you never touch the original file, only attach edits to it that are saved by LR.</p>

<p>All my stuff is in one catalog, and the only time I export them are moving files from laptop to desktop. Eventually I'll likely kick all my older client work to a new catalog to not bog me down, but haven't been bogged down yet! Some people make more extensive use of catalogs and collections than I do. The only right way to organize your stuff is what makes your unique work flow the most efficient.</p>

<p>www.lightroomkillertips.com has great videos and tutorials, no nonsense style, is thorough for beginners, though can be winded once you're past beginner. </p>

<p>no: to move the file into PS, you just right-click on the image in LR and choose Edit in>Photoshop. Learn to use LR to manage your files and folders, because anything you do outside of LR is not saved. If you edit in PS this way, then the changes are saved and the resulting TIF or PSD file imported into LR.</p>

<p>The lrcat file does automatically save changes you make in LR, no need to keep saving. That history is intact, as all editing is non-destructive.</p>

<p>the file is .lrcat and it asks you to back i tup as often and wherever you want to set in the Preferences. The entire thing is the default .lrcat, and you can export collections, folders, whatever, as catalogs, and each will be its own file which you can back up on your own. I can't remember where the default is stored in the Adobe system folders, but the exported ones are wherever you choose. Just do a search for any file w/ that extension, and it'll show up in your file browser. I like my back up copy in My Documents folder, and an EHD.</p>

<p>yes, I hate it :P Actually, what I hate is not readily finding 8x12 frames. I have started custom ordering them from www.frameusa.com in wholesale batches and printing that size instead. They're cheaper than retail frames, but I hate not having a local source.</p>

<p>just had to add, i always offer after the event ordering, but it's not a strong business for me. A few trickles is all I get because most order at the event. That's why I followed the advice of others to sell more by during the event ordering, but still cannot ignore after the event orders.</p>

<p>I'm unclear if you are asking to have a web site where clients can go after the event to order prints, or ways to take orders at the event also. The full-service sites/labs suggested are the most popular for after the event orders. For during the event orders, Express Digital Darkroom is the way to go.</p>

<p>I use Express Digital Darkroom after trying several other solutions. It's far superior and very reliable. I print on site using a Shinko 2145, but ExDD makes it easy to place orders in your basket and send them to whatever printer you want, even your own home printer, but because the ordering system in ExDD is so complete, you can send them to any lab you prefer that offers drop shipping.</p>

<p>If you use ordering stations, you'll need ExDD Pro and then an ExDD Core for every station. Can be pricey! I have just Core on one machine and print directly from it, but it limits the size of event I can do with onu-site ordering/printing. For larger events than I can handle with my setup,I prefer rather to hire another better equipped local event photographer to come with me than do after the event orders. Impulse, see it on the screen ordering at the event is the way to go.</p>

<p>You can start part time while still at your current job. I really like www.parttimephoto.com for practical and encouraging advice on pricing, marketing, and general photo skills.</p>

<p>I recommend in lighting to start on location, outside, with natural lighting, and read a lot and become educated about what good lighting is (meaning learning where shadows should fall) before you introduce the flash. Since you have studio experience you're way ahead of the game there!</p>

<p>I also really like www.strobist.com for off-camera flash. I personally have a light on a stick with a hotshoe flash and portable softbox on a crappy tripod that goes everywhere with me.</p>

<p>While the argument of not bothering because people can and will remove them by cropping them out, etc, is valid, what you're missing out on by not bothering are all the people who do leave them on. Having a watermarked photo as someone's Facebook profile photo, or used in other ways, is great advertising for you.</p>

<p>I've worked in digital information with online classes and e-books and graphics several years now, and at work we try to boil down the piracy issue to ensure that people are not just paying for our information and digital products, which are easy to pirate, cheap, and many argue should be free, but paying for us, meaning they have access to our skills by being able to ask questions or have us take their photos or design custom graphics. We still charge for the honest people, and fight blatant piracy, but we spend more time designing our services to include things that cannot be pirated so someone wants to pay for the full version of what we offer.</p>

<p>There is a huge shift in the digital community over these types of rights, and the argument is far from solved, in fact far from even being fully explored to even begin to formulate solutions. I watermark my images because, as the poster said, you need to if you're serious about it, and you need to for the "free" advertising. You have to at least make some sort of effort to protect yourself, but there are more issues than just that.</p>

<p>I didn't WM for a very long time, however, because it was one extra and tedious step. Google the tutorials for watermarking in Lightroom (using the Mogrify plug in or a PS droplet), or a PS action if you don't use LR, and it becomes so easy it's silly not to do it! In LR, mine are marked as I export them to JPEG format, and I have different expport presets to copyrigth and resize them for my blog, full size with small logo jpegs for print or digital negative delivery, etc. that Export dialog in LR has a lot of powerful options.</p>

<p>Don't shoot your friends, what did they do to you? :) Shoot their KIDS. Everyone love pics of their kids. And their pets. Teenagers and young adults typically love having their photos taken. Get a business card and hand it to a stranger while asking if you can take a few shots of the dog. Offer to do head shots for their Facebook and MySpace pages.<br>

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Offer to do the annual family photo that no one wants to do but everyone has to. A group of all their kids. If they have family coming in town, ask to do a mini session.<br>

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Put it on your Facebook page that you're doing free portfolio shoots. <br>

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I have zero response from local photographers. What I do is book a wedding and then hire a photographer as a second for $1-200, and that's how I got "trained."<br>

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A portrait party is a lot of fun: put it on your social network site with a date, time, and place, open invite, and email everyone you know, and offer free portraits (no prints, just digital files).<br>

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I offer to shoot every directory for school, church, neighborhood, every party, gathering, friend's wedding, or function I shoot almost like I'm the hired photog. You'll get a lot of event practice that way and using your flash, but for the directory photos you can set up an off-camera flash and maybe a little softbox to practice location portraits.<br>

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Take lots of self portraits, your own kids, your pets, and practice Photoshopping until you're sick to death of it. Learn Lightroom and PS inside and out. Don't mess with buying a bunch of plug-ins and actions until you can do the stuff on your own, and then buy carefully.</p>

<p>I have Express Digital Darkroom Core, and do events similar to these, but I have them fill out a sheet for their names. Now I have loads of these sheets with loads of contact info for people who have bought my photos onsite, or for my custom portrait clients, and now not sure what to do with them for a customer database. A spreadsheet seems too limited, as I want to be able to email them offers etc based on how much or how often they order.<br>

Can EDD handle this? It would be nice to have the info handy in the same software I'm already using for order fulfillment. Or any other suggestions for specific software titles I should look into? I couldn't figure out how to customize Access to do what I needed, but if it's the best choice is there a premade database template I can download?</p>

<p>Oh, that worked beautifully! I now have some custom templates in EDD ready for my next event. Thank you! It was incredibly easy, and a big relief.</p>

<p>In fact, it was even easier than your instructions because I had the transparent hole in the PNG flattened version, so I had to just load it as a new graphic and place the photo layer in the Send to Back position. No saving individual layers and importing the extra graphics one at a time. I could leave the dates off to make updating them easier, and do it in layers, so both options are great to know.</p>

<p>Now the tedious work of getting them all into EDD, because I have a lot! Thanks again</p>

<p>Thank you, I will let you know if this works for me: it's exactly how I design and save digital scrapbook kits for the user to download and assemble on their layouts. When I used Add Template, it didn't recongnize my PNG files, so I will try the Add Graphics route instead.</p>

<p>I am a graphics designer turned photographer giving Express Digital Darkroom a try. Most of the reason I was attracted to this software was the ability to create my own photo graphics and borders for events. Last year I used a Sony Snaplab kiosk and there was a Photoshop plug-in to convert all my PSD templates into borders for the printer. This year I have gone the laptop/printer route with a Shinko 2145, and I cannot get my templates into ED!</p>

<p>Is there a tutorial, instructions, plug-in, ANYTHING that will allow custom templates to be added to ED?</p>

<p>Many of the sites that sell templates say they're ED ready, and others say they're not and the user has to convert them. But no where can I find instructions for doing so.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>PS: I joined the Yahoo ED group, awaiting approval, if there's an answer either here or over there that addresses this.</p>

<p>Resurrecting this old thread, as I have a similar setup and it needs to be improved. I need some new software.</p>

<p>Right now I use a tethered D300, photos through Nikon Control on Laptop to Nikon Capture (which is buggy and SLOW) to Shinko 2145 dye-sub. It's fine for low-volume events, but I have a larger event coming up. Last year I hired another photog with a Sony SnapLab, which is a kiosk printer. This year I'm going it alone w/ just my assistant, and I have to have some kiosk software for my laptop.</p>

<p>Must have features:<br /> incoming photo must automatically be on top of list<br /> MUST have selection of graphics/borders (customers get to choose which they like)<br /> accept tethered camera<br /> minor retouching available, like crop, if needed</p>

<p>I'm just starting out with onsite printing, and I'm in the red on equipment so far, so I'm looking for something with an entry-level price tag!</p>

<p>Thanks for any suggestions</p>