Raw Format & Workflow Options - Working with Adobe Bridge & the Adobe Camera Raw Plug-In

This step by step overview should walk you through handling images In Adobe Brige and in making use of the Adobe Camera Raw ( ACR) plug-in. Further down you'll read how Actions and Droplets can further enhance your operations - look for this area to be expanded on with full examples soon.

Getting Started

In PhotoShop, select the browse option ( File > Browse ) and this will launch a new program called Adobe Bridge.

Highlight images with similar lighting & exposure.

Right click OPEN IN CAMERA RAW or go to File > Open in Camera RAW . This brings up the Adobe Camera Raw interface with an extra thumbs column on the left side. 

Select the image you want to start with (single click) and make the adjustments needed for that image. 

Above the left column you will see 2 buttons.  Click on Select All.  All the thumbnails you originally selected are now highlighted. 

Click Synchronise... now all images in that column will update with the adjustments you made on the first image applied. You can also choose which settings to apply as well if you wish by un-checking the appropriate boxes.

Next you have to decide what to do with these image changes.

You now have 3 choices:

1) OPEN in CS2 – applies the adjustments and opens the images in PS

2) Done - saves your corrections to the XMP sidecar file associated with each image in the Bridge (for processing later).

3) Save - Bridge will process & save each file - you select the new format that you want and the destination folder of the processed image.

To make further adjustments after the Synchronize step, select individual images to adjust each one separately. As you adjust each thumbnail you will see the preview window update itself showing the changes you’ve made.

When finished making your final adjustments to the full list of images, select "Select ALL" and then Save (NOT Synchronize, as that would override your earlier adjustments & give all image files the same set of recent adjustments).


Batch Processing with Photoshop Actions

You can create your own Action for processing RAW images, and work from the File > Automate> Batch dialog to run the specific Action you want.

The first steps involve creating specific image adjustment settings that are saved within the ACR Custom Settings. You then create an Action by opening a RAW image, selecting the custom setting of your choice, and saving the image to a target destination folder - * If you make this a generic folder, you can make your programming much easier!

Close the image and then stop recording the Action.

When programming the Batch, check the “Override Open” box, and have the destination set to none. This will allow you to select the source folder of your choice, and the save destination to be what you programmed in the Action itself.

Droplets

Further efficiency is available by having your batches activated by a Droplet. This is a PS process that basically is a pre-programmed batch. They are created through the same menu ; File > Automate > Create Droplet at which time you set the destination folder and your options for that one Actions’s Batch. With the Actions created above, you can have the Destination set to None, and all options checked on to allow full automation. I like to leave the last option “Errors” set to “Log to File and have that left as “untitled” on the desktop ( that’s just so I never have to set it again! ).

Droplets can be activated by dropping a folder of images onto that specific Droplet Process. Keeping your Droplets together in a folder make sthem easyt o finmd and make use of.

** Cool Tip – PhotoMechanic now allows you to send selected images to a droplet – just specify the Droplet location in the PM prefs and you can launch your RAW production straight from PhotoMechanic!

Quick Links

Raw Format Overview & Description

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Copyright 2006 - Craig Minielly MPA