Backup Workflow Assistance
Hi All!
New Capture One user here. I'm trying to migrate my existing workflow over from Lightroom. I've been working on this for a couple of days now and watched everything I can find online. I'm wondering if I'm pushing the proverbial uphill by attempting to work the way I always have, and so I'm looking for a little advice on how this process might be adapted to Capture One or how I might achieve a similar workflow in Capture One.
So, allow me to lay out how I work.
My workflow looks like this after a shoot:
1. Copy memory cards to dropbox (this gives me three copies of my images immediately)
2. Import those images into my "working catalog" (This contains my last month's work in Lightroom)
3. Post process, deliver
4. Open master catalog on external drive (these are my archive drives) - import work from previous month while copying raw files to archive drive
5. Backup archive drive
6. Remove working files from dropbox as they are now backed up elsewhere
The troubles that I'm having with Capture One start at Step 4. There seems to be no convenient way to import from one catalog to another in Capture One while copying the original images to a new location. I have to move them manually within the new catalog after importing. However, in my experience, even this doesn't refresh to folder hierarchy effectively in Capture One (sometimes files are present in the folder on disk, but not in the capture one hierarchy, however they are visible in Capture One collections).
To be honest, at this stage I'm regretting my purchase and would love some help!
New Capture One user here. I'm trying to migrate my existing workflow over from Lightroom. I've been working on this for a couple of days now and watched everything I can find online. I'm wondering if I'm pushing the proverbial uphill by attempting to work the way I always have, and so I'm looking for a little advice on how this process might be adapted to Capture One or how I might achieve a similar workflow in Capture One.
So, allow me to lay out how I work.
My workflow looks like this after a shoot:
1. Copy memory cards to dropbox (this gives me three copies of my images immediately)
2. Import those images into my "working catalog" (This contains my last month's work in Lightroom)
3. Post process, deliver
4. Open master catalog on external drive (these are my archive drives) - import work from previous month while copying raw files to archive drive
5. Backup archive drive
6. Remove working files from dropbox as they are now backed up elsewhere
The troubles that I'm having with Capture One start at Step 4. There seems to be no convenient way to import from one catalog to another in Capture One while copying the original images to a new location. I have to move them manually within the new catalog after importing. However, in my experience, even this doesn't refresh to folder hierarchy effectively in Capture One (sometimes files are present in the folder on disk, but not in the capture one hierarchy, however they are visible in Capture One collections).
To be honest, at this stage I'm regretting my purchase and would love some help!
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It seems to me that your preferred way of working would work well with a Session used for the current month's work instead of a catalog. Sessions are ideally suited to this kind of workflow, and when you move on to the next month you can simply import the session into your master catalog. (Or if you prefer not to import the whole session, import just the images you want. For example, the default session structure has 4 folders for Capture, Selects, Output and Trash. I just import the Selects and Output into my catalog when the month, vacation, or whatever is finished.)
Ian0 -
[quote="Ian3" wrote:
It seems to me that your preferred way of working would work well with a Session used for the current month's work instead of a catalog. Sessions are ideally suited to this kind of workflow, and when you move on to the next month you can simply import the session into your master catalog. (Or if you prefer not to import the whole session, import just the images you want. For example, the default session structure has 4 folders for Capture, Selects, Output and Trash. I just import the Selects and Output into my catalog when the month, vacation, or whatever is finished.)
Ian
Thanks a lot, Ian. I'll look into this. Still struggling to understand the file management of Capture One.0 -
I agree with Ian3.
I suspect you might be overworking your backup process as well - good to have the locations but less good if it causes additional work and stress in your work flow. Did I read it right that you delete from Dropbox when you have processed the images? Do you have an alternative "off-site" storage?
Also ... do you load the catalogue from your Dropbox account rather than one of your local disks? (did I misunderstand your description at that point?)
If I am travelling (lite and by air) I back up cards to a netbook and, when time and battery allows, an external disk. Also keep the memory cards available unless I really need to re-use them.
On return I will use one of those sources to import to a (usually new) session.
I keep the previous backups at this point.
When the session post processing is well under way or more likely complete - it depends on the purpose of the work - I copy the entire session to an external disk or disks or, more recently, a NAS used mostly as a storage unit rather than a network file server.
I should probably run regular backups but I tend not to. I do undertake irregular backups when I feel it to be sensible.
I don't use catalogues but working with sessions it would be easy enough to create one or more catalogues should I wish to for what I would consider to be "archived" work. I might do that one day if I ever get around to adding Keywords to significant parts of my old collections.
To copy completed edits from one catalogue to another it is my understanding that you would first export the selected images complete with their edit details and then import the files to your target catalogue. So 2 step process but not too difficult. I'm sure someone with practical experience of that process will drop by and comment at some point.
HTH
Grant0 -
A session would certainly save you a couple of steps.
I run a single session and just point C1 towards the folder with the images I want to work on - no importing needed. So you could copy the files over to your Dropbox folder, and then point C1 to that folder.
Then once you've delivered all you need to do is backup your folder from dropbox.0 -
[quote="NN635830684188779139UL" wrote:
My workflow looks like this after a shoot:
1. Copy memory cards to dropbox (this gives me three copies of my images immediately)
2. Import those images into my "working catalog" (This contains my last month's work in Lightroom)
3. Post process, deliver
4. Open master catalog on external drive (these are my archive drives) - import work from previous month while copying raw files to archive drive
5. Backup archive drive
6. Remove working files from dropbox as they are now backed up elsewhere
I also agree with the other posters here specifically is how it could work in your current work flow (your word copied and tweaked in bold):
1. Copy memory cards to dropbox (this gives me three copies of my images immediately)
2. Import those images into this project's session (This contains just the images from the current project)
3. Post process, deliver
4. Copy the finished project's session and images to archive drive
5. Open master catalog on external drive (these are my archive drives) - import work from project's session into the master cataloge
6. Backup archive drive
7. Remove working files from dropbox as they are now backed up elsewhere0 -
I should have added that's pretty much how I do things except I don't use drop box - my back up is just different. 0 -
[quote="IanL" wrote:
[quote="NN635830684188779139UL" wrote:
My workflow looks like this after a shoot:
1. Copy memory cards to dropbox (this gives me three copies of my images immediately)
2. Import those images into my "working catalog" (This contains my last month's work in Lightroom)
3. Post process, deliver
4. Open master catalog on external drive (these are my archive drives) - import work from previous month while copying raw files to archive drive
5. Backup archive drive
6. Remove working files from dropbox as they are now backed up elsewhere
I also agree with the other posters here specifically is how it could work in your current work flow (your word copied and tweaked in bold):
1. Copy memory cards to dropbox (this gives me three copies of my images immediately)
2. Import those images into this project's session (This contains just the images from the current project)
3. Post process, deliver
4. Copy the finished project's session and images to archive drive
5. Open master catalog on external drive (these are my archive drives) - import work from project's session into the master cataloge
6. Backup archive drive
7. Remove working files from dropbox as they are now backed up elsewhere
Thanks, Ian. This is what I'd understood from your previous post and have worked this into my current flow. Although it means I now have sessions littered about for each project, it does eventually serve the same purpose. A little messy, but it seems the best way to do it within Capture One's system. Thanks for the help.0 -
[quote="SFA" wrote:
I agree with Ian3.
I suspect you might be overworking your backup process as well - good to have the locations but less good if it causes additional work and stress in your work flow. Did I read it right that you delete from Dropbox when you have processed the images? Do you have an alternative "off-site" storage?
Also ... do you load the catalogue from your Dropbox account rather than one of your local disks? (did I misunderstand your description at that point?)
If I am travelling (lite and by air) I back up cards to a netbook and, when time and battery allows, an external disk. Also keep the memory cards available unless I really need to re-use them.
On return I will use one of those sources to import to a (usually new) session.
I keep the previous backups at this point.
When the session post processing is well under way or more likely complete - it depends on the purpose of the work - I copy the entire session to an external disk or disks or, more recently, a NAS used mostly as a storage unit rather than a network file server.
I should probably run regular backups but I tend not to. I do undertake irregular backups when I feel it to be sensible.
I don't use catalogues but working with sessions it would be easy enough to create one or more catalogues should I wish to for what I would consider to be "archived" work. I might do that one day if I ever get around to adding Keywords to significant parts of my old collections.
To copy completed edits from one catalogue to another it is my understanding that you would first export the selected images complete with their edit details and then import the files to your target catalogue. So 2 step process but not too difficult. I'm sure someone with practical experience of that process will drop by and comment at some point.
HTH
Grant
Hi Grant,
Yes, perhaps I didn't provide enough information. At any given point in the process, I have 3 backups. At least one of these is offsite. Everything is automated, so it's simply a case of copy-and-paste the files and the rest is done for me.0 -
[quote="NN635830684188779139UL" wrote:
A little messy, but it seems the best way to do it within Capture One's system. Thanks for the help.
I suppose that's true. Since after I have added my session to the catalogue I only ever see the files (pictures) through C1 after that. I never look at the HD folders directly - out of sight out of mind 😊0
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