What is your post-processing and upload workflow?

[Hoodie Ninja]

So, I haven't been paying much attention to microstock for awhile for a number of reasons, but a big one was because my house got robbed and all my camera equipment was stolen so that put me out of commission for awhile (and kept me busy on other things like moving, installing a security system, etc.). 

Anyway, I'm ready to get back to working on things and was wondering what everyone is currently using as their workflow for post-processing and uploading?  Several years back I was using a program called Cushystock for keeping track, but have since abandoned it.  Then I was just using FileZilla. 

Is FileZilla one of the better options still or is there something better?

For post-processing, I use Lightroom as my base starting point.  I keep all files under year>month>shoot and retain the original file name (although I read something about changing the file name to further help with searches on your photos).  I still need to figure out how to most effectively add key words to my photos in Lightroom.  After I do my Lightroom processing, I will do further edits with Nik Software and CS6 (just recently got that program so am very newbie to it). 

Also, do you do any noise reduction/sharpening for your images?  If so, what programs do you use for that?

Last time I asked about keeping track, I found most people just used folders to keep track of what they had uploaded (instead of using a commercial program).  Has that changed for any of you?  Do you still do most things manually rather than trust commercial programs?  Also, do any of you use any companies to process/keyword/upload your images?

[tab62]

a lot of this depends on how much volume you intend to push out each month? I only push out from 50 to 100 images a month thus use camera raw to do some of the adjustments and than finish in CS6. All keywords are done in CS6.  Shutterstock has a section that you can use to create your keywords as well thus making it a lot easier to manage. 

On my data structure I have the Year, month, Day and a basic descriptions of what photo session I did on that day. On finished file I save a JPG and 12 setting (Max) before I upload. Yeah, I would name the file something similar to what the photo describes instead of date or other things that better related to the data structure.

Good luck and hope this helps.

T

[Lizard]

I use folder tracking 500 images per folder...

When starting into microstock i started putting sequence number in front every file name and it help me numerous times...

I like to have some things on paper so I have always written up to whant sequence number image i uploadaded last to what site and also halped me lots of time...

Now Im using stock submitter to keyword files , I like non alphabetical order so I dont touch keyworded files in software that can mess keyword order and Lightroom for example  likes to do that.

For faster work i like to use general templates which I then modify in last step of keywording...then cut-paste  files in  portfolio folder and back it up 2 times on external HD and on online server from which im sending images to sites because of way faster internet speed...


Files that need some external work like cloning ,cleaning etc i put in special folder during the post-processing in LR  and i tend to do only that 1 day in the week or in 2 weeks depending of how many of those i have.

The best advice I have is really to keyword images after they are done for good because whenever I notice something on keyworded files and start messing in processing later I  find myself rekeywording and wasting twice of the time at some point.

[Pinocchio]

There is a recent closely-related discussion on this topic at http://www.microstockgroup.com/newby-discussion/a-growing-mess-what%27s-your-filing-system/

Hope that helps - it will certainly give you many, many opinions.

Regards

edited to correct link..

[Hoodie Ninja]

There is a recent closely-related discussion on this topic at http://www.microstockgroup.com/newby-discussion/a-growing-mess-what%27s-your-filing-system/

That's an interesting way you go about things.  I don't think I'd be able to remember to edit out keywords every time, and I definitely wouldn't want "rejected" as one of my keywords. lol!

My problem is, and always seems to be, the fact that I have a gross number of images that should be uploaded to stock sites, but just haven't. 

I loved Cushystock because, after your images were uploaded, it would mark which sites they had been submitted to, and then you could manually go back and mark them accepted or rejected if you wanted to.  Unfortunately, the program lagged as you got more and more images in your library.  Also, the developer of the program abandoned it so I just don't like the idea of getting hooked on another program that might also get abandoned.

I don't care so much about keeping track of which images were accepted or rejected, but I would like to keep track of which images have been submitted.  Of course, as new sites move up in the rankings, I am also considering joining new sites, which means older images would need to be uploaded.  So, the whole idea of uploaded to everyone and then deleting them isn't really, IMO, a good way to go about things.

I think mostly I just need to get a handle on keywording in Lightroom.  Not that it's rocket science, but if you haven't done it, it's just another thing you have to spend time learning how to do efficiently.

[Imagenomad]

One of the good (little known?) features of keywording in Lightroom is the "non-exporting" keyword. So you can allocate say, "shutterstock_rejected" to an image & even set up smart collections based on them but you can tell LR not to export them with the image.

Unfortunately, this feature isn't found in Aperture & I'm not sure about Bridge or other DAM programs.

[lightphoto]

Close to BME.  Trendlines for SS just crossed iS for first time.

SS - BME up 157% over Feb 2012 +38% over Jan 2013
iS - up 12% over Feb 2012 (saved by one EL from being worst month since 2011) - making almost as much from partner sites as iS now
DT - even with Feb 2012, down 33% from Jan 2013 (BME)
123rf - poor month, down 75% from Jan 2013 (BME)

I've given up on Fotolia.  Anyone have a suggestion for a 5th site to add?  My port is mostly landscapes & nature

[Pilens]

I've given up on Fotolia.  Anyone have a suggestion for a 5th site to add?  My port is mostly landscapes & nature

May I suggest CanStock? Easy to submit to, reviewers are easy on landscapes & nature (which I shoot a lot, too) and incomes ranges right behind SS, FT, IS, DT, 123 (for me, anyway).

One of the good (little known?) features of keywording in Lightroom is the "non-exporting" keyword.

Yeah, "little known" was right in my case. Thank you for pointing this out. I'll use it.