The 2011 [ b ] Flow

“Quite simply, the best workflow ever”

- Becker (even if I do say so myself)

 Background
Since switching to digital in 2001, Becker has been
obsessed with finding the ultimate workflow for
managing his digital images. Over the years, new tools
& technology become available, but the 2 underlying
philosophies behind his methods remain the same:
1. Safety First &
2. Work Smart, Not Hard
 Disclaimers
There are about a billions different workflow
combinations that technically work, but it’s
important that you figure out what works for you.

It’s also important that once you settle on your

workflow, you do it the exact same way every
single time. Consistency is key.
 It’s not my fault
This is the workflow that I use in my wedding
photography business, but of course, Christopher
Becker, Pixel This, nor the [ b ] School can be held
liable for any loss that you may incur if you use this
and for whatever reason, it doesn’t work for you.

Remember rule #1: Safety First!

 Cheat Sheet
• Prepare • Massage
• Download • Archive
• Back Up • Pre-Design
• Pick Faves • Protect & Post
• Promote • Promote S’more
• Edit & Organize • The Extra Mile
 Prepare
• Sync the clocks (if using multiple cameras)
• Clean the sensors & lenses
• Charge your batteries
• Format the cards
• Make sure you have everything.
• Pack your back the night before the shoot.
 Download
• Download your cards as soon as humanly possible.
• Download all images into a single folder. Mine is
labeled “downloads” on my desktop.
• Mac users should use “Image Capture”
• Lexar Pro Stackable Firewire 800 card readers
 Back Up
• Back up the “downloads” folder to multiple drives.
• Rename the folder to “weddingdate_outs”
• Buy enough cards so you don’t have to shoot the
same cards on back to back jobs. I use Hoodman.
• Get a Drobo. It’s not super fast, but it’s safe,
reliable, affordable and easy to use/upgrade.
 Promote
• Use Photo Mechanic to select your faves. (2 stars)
• Tweak 12-24 images in Photoshop, Save PSDs, then
resize to blog size, save for web. (Make sure it has
your logo & your url)
• Blog the wedding ASAP. Link to vendors, venue, etc...
• Upload images to Facebook. Tag your clients, they’ll
tag their friends.
 Edit & Organize
• Use Photo Mechanic to cull. Tag keepers 1 Star.
• Edit in, tag keepers instead of deleting bad ones.
• Two finger edit. Index finger on right arrow, middle
finer on #1 key (full size keyboard)
• Make 1 lap. I can do about 2,500 images per hour.
• Renumber the selects and move them the “Keepers”
folder (see MCF later in this PDF).
 Massage
• For you RAW shooters, this is the step to make your
global corrections in Lightroom or Aperture.
• Import only the Keepers, and tweak those. It’s
pointless to massage all of the shots since you’ll be
deleting most of them.
• Jpeg users can skip this step and take a nap!
 Archive
• Back up Keepers folder or Massage Keepers to
multiple external drives or a Drobo.
• Burn multiple DVDs, store one set off site.
• Back up online for extra peace of mind. I use
SmugMug.
 Pre-Design
• Do a rough draft of the album BEFORE the client
returns from their honeymoon.
• Start by using the images you tagged as possible
bloggers.
• Don’t worry about making it perfect.
• Send a link to the album before they see proofs.
• Offer incentives for them to upgrade their album.
 Protect & Post
• Watermark images in Photo Mechanic
• Separate images into categories
• Post to online shopping cart
• I use PickPic and it rocks.
• If you make it easy for people to give you money,
they probably will.
 Promote S’More
• Make a mini promo of the wedding that can be
emailed along with the link to the proofs.
• Include a custom code for an extra discount
towards reprints & enlargements.
• If you can get the B&G on board to help you
promote that link, you’ll sell lots of pictures.
• Make a slideshow in Show it. Post on Blog/Facebook
 The Extra Mile
• Hook the vendors up with prints and/or files ASAP
• Submit photos to bridal blogs via Two Bright Lights.
• Share images on [ b ] School to get feedback from
peers. Always try to get better. Never be content.
• Slideshow at Reception.
• Extra points for iPad slideshow (see how it’s done).
 No excuses
• Now you don’t have any excuses not to have a
quick effect workflow in place.
• Feel free to massage this process as needed, but no
matter what you settle on, do it the same way
every time.
• If you have any questions about this process, post
them inside of the [ b ] School forums and I’ll be
happy to answer them.
 Master Client Folder
I use a Master Client Folder to keep track of all of
my clients and their images. It’s basically a folder with
a bunch of folders inside of it. I keep a blank one on
my desktop, then when I book a job, I copy the MCF
to the appropriate external drive, then rename it to
“weddingdate couple’s first name”
ex: 10-10-10 Ryan & Amy (see photo on next page)
 Resources
• Photo Mechanic • Hoodman Cards
• Photoshop CS5 • Totally Rad Actions
• PickPic • Smug Mug
• Two Bright Lights • Kubota Actions
• Album Exposure • The [ b ] School
• Lexar Card Reader • My gear bag
 Resources
• Transmit (Mac FTP) • Drobo
• Lightroom 3 • 45 minute video of the
[b] flow -members only
• Aperture 3
• iPad slideshow how to
• WHCC (my lab) video -members only
• Leather Craftsmen • 1 on 1 help from [ b ]
• Show It Sites • Affiliate Disclaimer