What are the options..

[candleman]

Heres my problem, I want to shoot RAW,
Currently I’m shooting jpeg+RAW but this isn’t doing the trick for me anymore because its really quite slow in burst mode, but i want to batch process the RAW too..

So I need a software solution to manage and thumbnail preview, tag and batch process my raw files.
I’m happy with the editing capabilities within elements (ok, not quite, I do want to be able to create my own actions.. and use actions that I’ve downloaded)
Elements is hopeless at managing the files as you have to open each raw file individually, export it, and then move the the next, plus thumbnails doesn’t give a preview of what the file is until you open in ACR.
This makes it VERY hard to give all the images the same “feel” as each one has different saturations, skin tones are slightly different. Etc etc.
Heres an example of what I want to achieve..
Heres an example.. http://www.aweddingphoto.com/album.php (see Vanda and Marko)
see how saturated, glowing and smooth the pictures are. And they are all the same..!

http://www.finephotography.co.nz/c%2.../pages/024.htm
http://www.finephotography.co.nz/c%2.../pages/166.htm
http://www.finephotography.co.nz/c%2.../pages/178.htm

I’ve put this down to something like batch action processing.. but I’d like opinions on how this is done otherwise.

Heres my wishlist for how I’d like to operate..
I want to be able to
1. batch process files using actions (custom or otherwise)
2. create customised actions, such as cross processing with blurry edges (as an example) and apply them to al images in a set (or selected images)
3. batch watermark with my logo (heres an example.. currently I have to do them one at a time by adding the white frame via an elements action, then inserting an .abr file where my logo is stored)
First Flash Fotography Foray

I’ve been told by a photographer friend that Lightroom is the answer (possibly with exception of the watermarking)
So I’ll be trialling LR soon.. but I’d love to hear what other softwares, or combinations of softwares are good at handling masses of raw files and batch processing them.
OR, if anyone knows more about the Elements Organiser than i do i'd appreciate some insight WRT the batch processing. ... or do i need LR and CS3

[OsmosisStudios]

You can batch process with Adobe Camera RAW (ACR)

You dont need both LR and CS3: either one will work. Id suggest the photoshop option just because it also gives you super powerful editing and graphics capabilities built in (no need for exporting/saving, etc)

[Nicole]

Originally Posted by candleman

3. batch watermark with my logo (heres an example.. currently I have to do them one at a time by adding the white frame via an elements action, then inserting an .abr file where my logo is stored)
First Flash Fotography Foray

I’ve been told by a photographer friend that Lightroom is the answer (possibly with exception of the watermarking)

LR2 Mogrify may be your answer to the watermarking issue with Lightroom.

[candleman]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

You can batch process with Adobe Camera RAW (ACR)
Id suggest the photoshop option just because it also gives you super powerful editing and graphics capabilities built in (no need for exporting/saving, etc)

dude.. this is pretty good.. i did google batch processing and found elements can do it through ACR (thank you!) so i did it last night... quite effectivley too.

my only item to check off is checking out CS3/CS4 and seeing if i can apply actions as a batch process.. hmm

thanks.. i guess CS3 could be the solution.
i'll trial both over the coming months and see which method blows my hair back.

thank you too Nicole, the link didnt fully open for me but i'll look into Mogrify when i trial LR.