Asset Management and Workflow
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The document discusses asset management and digital workflow best practices for photographers. It covers organizing digital files through proper naming conventions, file storage using external hard drives and cloud services, and establishing backup and archiving systems. The Universal Photographic Digital Imaging Guidelines (UPDIG) recommend a workflow process of planning shoots, capturing images, and ingesting files to ensure quality reproduction and efficiency. Proper asset management is important for organizing a growing portfolio and facilitating production.
![ASSET MANAGEMENT: CROSS-PLATFORM
NAMING CONVENTIONS
For compatibility across Mac and Windows, use file names that are compatible with all
platforms. In general, follow these guidelines:
• Use file name extensions that are appropriate for the file type, even on Mac OS X.
• Avoid high-ascii characters when possible. Some systems don’t like them.
• Avoid the following characters in file names: ? [ ] / = + < > : ; “
• Format dates in a simple manner. For example the date June 23, 2004 can be
represented as 040623. This helps keep the files sorted in order in the Macintosh
Finder, Windows Explorer and other file display systems.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/vdis1002105damworkflow-170608100705/85/Asset-Management-and-Workflow-13-320.jpg)
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Asset Management and Workflow
- 1. VDIS10021 WORKING IN DIGITAL DESIGN SANGEETA JAIN
- 3. ASSET MANAGEMENT • As you go on building a portfolio of images, it’s important to have an organized system for handling the images right from creation of images to print or digital production. Without a method in place, images would continue to accumulate chaotically, in different folders and locations or may even get lost. In this lecture, we will discusses the various aspects of asset management and workflow and also look at some resources for storage and archiving. • Asset management also known as Digital Asset Management (DAM) is a term that refers to everything a photographer does with his or her files from the moment they capture an image up until the moment they have successfully finished working with an image. It is a discipline to organize, categorize, search, retrieve and archive digital files, such as images, documents, creative files, audio and video clips. • These digital files are referred to as assets because a significant amount of time, effort and expense goes into creating content, thus making the files a valuable resource.
- 4. ASSET MANAGEMENT: HARDWARE & SOFTWARE The first step in asset management is to evaluate your needs and then select solutions accordingly. A computer and camera are the most basic requirements followed by an image editing software: • Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom – https://www.adobe.com • Phase One Media Pro – http://www.phaseone.com • Extensis Portfolio – http://www.extensis.com • Daminion Photo Management – http://daminion.net • Fotoware Fotostation – http://www.fotoware.com • Canto Cumulus – http://www.canto.com
- 5. ASSET MANAGEMENT: FILE STORAGE • File storage consists of a set of interrelated steps designed to ensure that files can be readily identified, organized, accessed and maintained. Poor choices in storage technology can be damaging and can lead to production slowdowns, inefficient delivery, needlessly high costs and the fear of corruption and loss of data. • Storage takes on many different meanings at different points along the digitization chain. During capture, the concern is on accurate recording and then on reliability as the files go through various processing steps. Once ready for delivery, the concern shifts to maintaining availability of important files by minimizing storage system down time, and recovering rapidly from failures. In the long-term, reliability is focused on replacing storage systems before hardware and/or media fails, loses integrity or becomes obsolete.
- 6. ASSET MANAGEMENT: FILE STORAGE • Higher quality images will result in larger file sizes that may process slowly on your computer and be cumbersome to store and share. Be conscious of what quality level is required and don’t keep files with excessive size. Be aware that photos/compositions with multiple layers as this increases the file size. • If you have a large collection of assets and large files you need to make sure you have ample storage space in the way of an external hard drive, or several of them. You may require additional storage as backup for all your work and assets. This is especially necessary if you are responsible for storing client work. You will need to archive and keep all photography in raw form as well as optimised work for future use.
- 7. External hard drive storage options
- 8. ASSET MANAGEMENT: FILE STORAGE If you are running out of space, consider external hard drive storage options. If you work on multiple platforms like PC and Mac, you may decide to have more than one external hard drive too. Some main features to consider are: • Storage capacity – drives start at 500GB and go upwards to 12TB. • Transfer speed – USB 3.0 and 7200 RPM makes for a faster transfer speed. • RAID option – having the choice of how to use the space on an external drive is key. • • Compatibility – Windows or Mac? • Portability – connected to the computer or used as a backup.
- 9. THE BEST EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES OF 2017 Storage has never been more plentiful or less expensive. But which to choose? Here's everything you need to consider when shopping for an external hard drive. Read more: http://in.pcmag.com/hard-drive/40646/guide/the- best-external-hard-drives-of-2017
- 10. ASSET MANAGEMENT: FILE NAMING Default file and directory naming schemes are rarely the best for any specific collection. Sound decisions about files and directories can help minimize chaos, especially for very large collections. Some basic file system recommendations: • Use a file naming structure that is compatible with the operating systems and also with the storage media you plan to use • Use standard file formats and extensions for different file types • Don't overload directories with too many files and/or folders • Rely on storage management software to manage large collections
- 11. ASSET MANAGEMENT: FILE NAMING • File names, filing of the job and version tracking: Every designer needs a clear tracking system for their files ensuring information about the client, job and document version number are precise. You should be systematic with how you file work for clients and always keep back up of that work. It is a good idea to include: Description and/or Headline, Specific Rights Usage (possibly PLUS code or usage description), Client Name, Location, Keywords, Star Ratings, Special Instructions, Version number and File Dimensions if applicable. • For example; JAdams_BusCard_90x55mm_JUL14_v3.indd
- 13. ASSET MANAGEMENT: CROSS-PLATFORM NAMING CONVENTIONS For compatibility across Mac and Windows, use file names that are compatible with all platforms. In general, follow these guidelines: • Use file name extensions that are appropriate for the file type, even on Mac OS X. • Avoid high-ascii characters when possible. Some systems don’t like them. • Avoid the following characters in file names: ? [ ] / = + < > : ; “ • Format dates in a simple manner. For example the date June 23, 2004 can be represented as 040623. This helps keep the files sorted in order in the Macintosh Finder, Windows Explorer and other file display systems.
- 14. ASSET MANAGEMENT: FILE SHARING • Sharing Files: When sharing your images and work it is very important to make sure your IP is protected. You also don’t want to hand over high resolution files until you have been paid for your work. Therefore it is always best to supply flattened low resolution and smaller files to clients for soft proofing. Another alternative is to place a watermark on your imagery so it cannot be used. There are several ways to share small and large files online. You can simply email files or use of an FTP Site (File Transfer Protocol) like ‘yousendit’ or ‘dropbox’. The great thing about sites/services like this is that they can also act as extra storage and backup for your work.
- 15. ASSET MANAGEMENT: BACKUP & ARCHIVING • The two terms backup and archive are widely used today. The basic purpose of both is related with storage and security of data. However both perform their functions in different style with different features and options. Backup is the copy of original data while archive is in itself an original file. • Backup means duplicating the files in a second media mostly on a storage drive. So in case the original is lost or corrupt, you can retrieve it back by backup facility. So the basic purpose of backup is to store the data and recover the lost data.
- 16. ASSET MANAGEMENT: BACKUP & ARCHIVING • Archiving means storage of digital data or asset which is not changed and is mainly used to document or record preserve the data for a longer period of time or due to legal requirements. It is saved either on CD/DVD or cloud storage or hard disk or flash storage. Archive files need to be inspected after short intervals of time because if the media on which the files are saved has been changed than there will be no benefit of using that storage media any more. While there are no such critical issues in backup.
- 17. Storage, Backup & Archiving Options
- 18. ASSET MANAGEMENT: STORAGE, BACKUP & ARCHIVING OPTIONS Here is a list of the most well resources for storage, backup and archiving: • Crashplan – http://www.crashplan.com • Dropbox – https://www.dropbox.com • Sugarsync – https://www.sugarsync.com • Mosaic – http://www.mosaicarchive.com • Smugmug – http://www.smugmug.com • Photoshelter – http://www.photoshelter.com
- 19. An overview of a DAM. From the book “The DAM” Digital Asset Management for Photographers by Peter Krogh.
- 20. WORKFLOW
- 21. WORKFLOW & UPDIG • During the industry’s migration from analog to digital photography the Universal Photographic Digital Imaging Guidelines (UPDIG) were written. The site was designed to offer photographers the information required to ensure that quality reproduction of imagery was universal. • According to Patricia Russotti & Richard Anderson, authors of the book ‘Digital Photography Best Practices and Workflow Handbook: A Guide to Staying Ahead of the Workflow Curve’ the best practice workflow to employ the UPDIG guidelines in photography is a process of:
- 22. 1. PLANNING: The outline or schema for a project whereby the outcomes and methods are decided upon before starting the process. In a digital photography workflow, planning is an essential element for the efficiency of the process and takes into account issues as ease of use, repeatability, collaboration, final usages, sustain-ability, longevity and preservation of the work. 2. CAPTURE: The process of using devices such as digital cameras or scanners to capture images in a digital format. The resulting files are then further processed to arrive at a final image. This could be in the form of a photographic, moving image, or an audio recording. WORKFLOW & UPDIG
- 23. 3. INGESTION: Ingestion refers to the process of downloading images to your computer. This includes a number of important steps that can be done automatically by your software, or that can be done in a batch to an entire shoot. When done correctly, good Ingestion can save time and add security to your photos. 4. EDITING: The process of selecting, ranking, and organizing images. This can include deleting outtakes, applying star ratings, color labels, and metadata to files, along with sorting according to content. The term edit is also used to generally describe the process of applying image-processing steps. WORKFLOW & UPDIG
- 24. 5. OPTIMISATION: In the context of digital photography workflow, the process/steps of correcting tone and color, sharpening, retouching, and other output specific adjustments. Optimization can take place at the individual file level, or it can be done as a batch process for multiple files and in more than a single pass or round. Files that have been prepared for specific uses such as proofing, printing, and web would be considered optimized. 6. PROOF: Proofing is the process of testing image output for the desired outcome prior to the finished product being produced. This often saves money on expensive print runs or large scale prints or high quantities. It is a trial sheet of printed material that is made to be checked and corrected. Also called proof sheet. It may also be a trial impression of a plate, stone, or block taken at any of various stages in engraving. WORKFLOW & UPDIG
- 25. 7. OUTPUT/DELIVERY: A broad-based term that refers to an end use/ destination for a digital image. This could be print output using inkjet, press, laser writer devices, film, or other substrates. It could also be screen based for use on the web, multimedia and interactive applications, or video. 8. ARCHIVING: A collection of images kept in secure, long-term storage. Archiving can take place at different stages of the workflow: original captures prior to processing and optimization, the master files that contain image optimization, and working files and their derivatives at the completion of job. WORKFLOW & UPDIG
- 26. WORKFLOW & UPDIG • You can read more about UPDIG at the official website. I have uploaded their guidelines into the resources. http://www.updig.org/ Another great resource is http://dpbestflow.org/
- 27. CREATING YOUR OWN WORKFLOW
- 28. CREATING YOUR OWN WORKFLOW Creating your own workflow may not come to you overnight and it can evolve over time. However, most workflows follow a fairly standard path as follows: 1. Obtain files to catalogue 2. Catalogue files 3. Apply information to your files 4. Rename, edit or modify originals 5. Organize files in different folders 6. Share files with other users 7. Archive files
- 29. ASSET MANAGEMENT & WORKFLOW: SOME TIPS • Library of Assets: Keep track of your photographic assets by building a library that you can go back to again and again. This library may consist of all original (raw) photography or include stock imagery you have purchased and have rights to use. Having an organised library will make working on future projects more efficient. • Document your process: Documenting your process is valuable to your learning process but also for repeating effects when required. There is nothing worse than creating the most stunning image with your exact desired effect and then either losing it or forgetting how to create it on the next image in a series of work. Make a habit of documenting your steps and processes in a notebook or diary as you work.