Taking photos is one thing, but having and applying a sensible and effective workflow is a different thing altogether and is just as important. This is where many photographers often come unstuck. Gavin Gough realised this and decided to write an e-book on photography workflow. The focus of this method is Adobe Lightroom and the integration of software into this workflow. Gavin is a professional photographer with a background in IT. His knowledge and experience in these fields influence his book, making it a practical and particularly vivid piece of writing.The individual chapters build logically upon one another, so you can read interesting facts about topics like data management, data risk analysis, how to build an image database, calibration, Lightroom settings and post-processing. It also gives you support and tips on working in the field as well as a whole host of practical and useful pointers and tools.
The whole thing is topped off with the addition of 65 Lightroom Presents, which help you adjust this workflow to your own work. It also gives you access to free online tutorials and a series of Lightroom Smart Collections so you can create a step-by-step workflow for managing digital images.
The book is a very good read; the text and topics are broken up with Gavin’s own photos and graphics, which are very impressive. You will find more information on Garvin’s work here. The most important thing about the book is that it is polished and complete; there are no random topics strung together, but the logic of the workflow is clearly visible and covered to an appropriate extent. This means it’s a perfect point of reference and great if you want to get to grips with certain topics without having to read the whole thing again. All in all, the book is an entertaining read and has a good balance between text, photos and graphics.
Conclusion
Photographer’s Workflow is well worth reading. Even for people who have already managed to successfully integrate a workflow into their work. You will still find lots of tips and pointers that are extremely practical and helpful. The main benefit for me is that it doesn’t contain pages and pages of critique about certain techniques or methods and doesn’t describe any complicated or pointless post-production processes. Gavin doesn’t claim to have found the ultimate solution either; he describes his own workflow and makes it clear and easy to understand. This means readers can decide for themselves what they want to take from his workflow and what they don’t. You can see from his work and successes that Gavin’s workflow isn’t far off though.
Of course Adobe Lightroom software is the focus of post-processing and you get tips and pointers on the software without it sounding like a technical manual. Nevertheless, the workflow described in the book is also suitable for other programs because the first chapter doesn’t need Lightroom. The book costs USD 30 and, given the added extras the e-book comes with, this is definitely a reasonable price.
Anyone yet to give the concept of a functioning workflow serious thought will certainly find this book useful in increasing their awareness on the subject. A workflow is more than just editing images — it is imperative for photographers.
A definite must-buy.
More Infos about this e-book and Gavin, you can visit his website:
