POST-PRODUCTION WORKFLOW
1ST STAGE • CLEANING
- The preview screen renders my images at 100% accuracy,
- The file renaming utility is useful. You can even save presets which helps me a lot in the final stage of my workflow when I need to annotate the filenames. Bridge also automatically renames the .XMP and .ACR files.
- Camera Raw is completely integrated. For this reason, I haven’t found a need to use Lightroom.
- I can select any number of images in Bridge and send them to Photoshop’s Image Processor, to convert my files to PSD or JPG
- I also use Bridge to Photoshop Batch all images to add my watermark.
- Adding metadata is completed in a just a few mouse clicks.
- I use the 5-star rating system to organize all my images for publication. More on that later.
- Bridge creates a convenient modular .XMP sidecar (i.e., Extensible Metadata Platform file that accompanies each .CR2 file. This includes the main editing and metadata details). This .XMP file is essentially the image’s “custom profile”. If it’s accidentally deleted or no longer in the same directory, then all edits are lost.
- Bridge allows you to copy-paste all profile data between files, which essentially copies the .XMP file to all the other images.
My next task is to add my custom metadata profile to all files using Adobe Bridge. This includes keywords, copyright, biography, and my web links.
The next item on the agenda is to delete all images that are out-of-focus or poorly composed. I systematically zoom into the model’s eyes of each photo to determine sharpness. One of my fundamental rules is that model’s eyes must be in focus (i.e., there are exceptions when I’m trying to direct the viewer’s attention to a different focal point). I also do a preliminary pass of color, composition, and horizontal-horizon corrections. Duplicates are also deleted (i.e., photos taken in rapid succession resulting in nearly-identical images).
Favorite images are labeled with 3 stars.
1st Stage Reduction • 2000 → 600 images (70% of the images are removed in stage 1).
Total Reduction • 2000 → 600 images (30% remaining after 1st stage).
Stage 1 Completed
2ND STAGE • REPAIRING & REFINING
Through each iterative pass distractions are removed (i.e., Once an image has been edited, there is clarity in how it compares to adjacent images). Throughout this process new images graduate to 3-stars. Then the remaining unrated images are given a single star.
2nd Stage Reduction • 600 → 240 Images (60% of the images from stage 1 are removed in stage 2).
Total Reduction • 2000 → 240 Images (12% of the original image count remain after the 2nd stage).
Stage 2 Completed
3RD STAGE • FINALIZING
23.Mar.19 – Toronto • Anastasiia Koval (Canadian Ballet, ak, 2.com).CR2
Next is to quantize all 3-star images into sets of 10 with a “.com” designation. This way I’m be able to find which ones were published, and in which order (i.e., 10 files have “1.com” in the filename, 10 with “2.com”, etc.). The .com images are published on https://gabrieldusil.com and https://dusil.org. If there are thirty-four 3-star images, then four are downgraded to 1-star to maintain increments of ten with 3-stars. Likewise, if there are 48 images with 3-stars, then I’ll see if I can find two 1-star images that can be upgraded so that I’ll have 5 sets of ten images. My file name convention is further organized as follows:
- Boudoir images are appended with “xx” in the filename (i.e., meaning that the image contains topless or an implied nude model). A “xxx” designation means that the images contain a fully nude model. This way I know not to publish “xx” or “xxx” images on “Facebook friendly” pages such as https://gabrieldusil.com. Fine art nude images are only published on dusil.org because this site has an 18+ age gate restriction.
- For images used in my promotional videos, the file name will be appended with .video.3, which means that the image has been used in my third promotional video. This way I can minimize repeating the same image across different videos.
- A “.print” designation means that the image has been printed in my professional portfolio.
- Finally, an @Super designation means that is the “best of the best” from my entire portfolio.
23.Apr.28 – Prague • Lenka Rouskova (Hradcany Square, 2.com, m @Super.print.video.1).jpg
Essential to my file management is a tool called Everything Search, and can be downloaded here. When I need like to find all JPG images in my portfolio that are @Super, and have been printed & published the search term would be as follows:
path:”Dusil, Gabriel (blog, portfolio)” .com @Super .print .jpg
This entire batch of final images are sent through Adobe Photoshop’s Image Processor to create .PSD (i.e.., PhotoShop Document) files. This step automatically combines and embeds the CR2, .XMP, and .ACR files into a 16bit image and Smart Object and embeds it into Photoshop (i.e., I want the option to do some last-minute non-destructive editing in Photoshop, if needed). These PSDs are then sent through Photoshop’s Batch process to add my “GabrielDusil.com” watermark. Next, I individually edit each .PSD file in Photoshop to adjust the watermark by transparency, size, and placement. My rule-of-thumb is to position and color the logo so that it doesn’t interfere with the model. I mainly use the Soft Light layer blend and adjust the fill percentage accordingly so that the logo won’t be intrusive in color or luminosity.
All watermarked PSD files are then sent through Photoshop’s Image Processor one more time to create JPGs for publishing and delivery to the model.
Next up is to upload all the ‘.com’ images to the media libraries of of https://gabrieldusil.com and https://dusil.org. “Alternative Text” tags are manually added to each image. On gabrieldusil.com a post is created for each ten .com images. Introduction text is also created as well as social media content with relevant hashtags, Search Engine Optimization data (i.e., SEO) and a feature image is cropped and loaded with a 16:9 aspect ratio. On dusil.org posts are split in two: The first post includes “Facebook friendly” images. The second post contains all fine art nude images and configured with the 18+ age gate.
And We’re Done!
3rd Stage Reduction • 240 → 120 Images (50% of the images from stage 2 are removed in stage 3).
Total Reduction • 2000 → 120 Images (6% of the original image count remain after the 3rd stage).
Stage 3 Completed
