Digital Workflow

Had to give myself a good talking-to recently after reading recent issues of Amateur Photographer. They were all making me feel a bit inadequate. Apparently my 'gear' doesn't 'sport' the latest 'high-end kit'. I had to remind myself that you can take great pictures on absolutely any camera provided you know how to work it properly and understand its limitations. I don't need any more kit.

Having settled this one, I was expecting another assault on my sense of self worth listening to the talk by our invited speaker Wayne Grundy ARPS on the subject of Digital Workflow. Did I need a 'workflow' instead of my usual haphazard try-this and try-that approach to image editing?

If I happened to be a professional, where of course time is money, fair enough. But I take pictures for my own enjoyment and I have plenty of time. The only person I have to please is myself, so do I really need workflow? 

Wayne is a seasoned professional with decades of experience to draw on and it felt as if most of this knowledge had been extracted and condensed into an hour and a half presentation. The talk was packed details of the evolution of cameras from the days of film photography through to the latest digital equipment, with his advice on the kind of equipment to invest in. He followed on with a recommended workflow sequence, from taking the photo through to filing, storing and editing the images in Lightroom, Photoshop and other software. 

If you are a newcomer to photography, you would be forgiven if much of this went over your head. This was no step-by-step guide. More an indication of the route to take if efficiency is your watchword. For me, it was most useful as a glimpse of what it is possible to do if you have the time and patience to figure out how to do it. 

To find out more, visit Waynes website at http://www.waynegrundy.com. 

The club programme will be reshuffled a bit towards the end of February and Mark will keep you posted once it has been settled. On 24 February, David P will be giving a talk on his own idea of workflow - but very basic, with plenty of time for interruptions, questions, answers and heckling. More a practical workshop really with step-by-step guides on how to go about it.