Storing Photo's

[selo]

Hi,

We recently bought a small NAS HDD to store the photos and if possible edit from the NAS... Here is our setup:

We work with 2 people with multiple computers... so a network drive is very handy to reach our photo's. At the moment we use a external drive but it is a pain to unplug en plug it to different computers. So our plan is to use the NAS (with 3tb hdd) as the main storage. And use our google drive account as a backup (this will be automated)... Im pretty new with NAS, but im not sure how to pull it off and which method is the most efficient.

The NAS is connected to my router with an ethernet cable. The 2 main computers are connected to the same router with a cable as well.
- I guess i won't have speed issues if i load photos from the NAS to lightroom?
- Is it better to sync some folders that we are working on, to the main computers?

How do you guys store your photos? Im looking for ideas to make our workflow better.

 

[The_Traveler]

I'm fairly certain that LR does not work across a network.

There are many references to rather complicated ways to do this but the real issue is how you plan on handling situations where both people update an image file separately?
I work on mainly one computer but, if I'm working away from home, sync files to a portable HD and then sync edited files back to main HD on return.

 

[selo]

I think we found a good solution for our workproces... after a photoshoot we just upload all the RAWs to the NAS. The NAS automatically syncs the files to Google Drive, so we will have a backup.

Whenever someone wants to work on a project they can just download the folder with the RAWs and start working on it. When they finish they can upload and sort the processed JPEGs.

Still need to test it a little more, but everything is working great so far. When I delete something from the NAS it remains on the Drive, other way around is true also.

 

[The_Traveler]

I am curious how LR sees the handled folder.
I guess you must have to sync that folder to add the new jpegs and PSDs to the catalog.
Do you have a process for only one person at a time making changes to a specific folder?
How do you alert the other person that you have changed a specific folder so it must be synced to the catalog updated?
This seems like an issue that will require a lot of communication and twice the amount of updating and syncing for each person.

Even if you had all the files on each PC and synced them externally to the NAS (easily done) there is no automatic mechanism for notifying other person.
A working solution would be similar to a code repositiory where folders are checked out and locked until returned.
That would keep two people from working on same images but doesn't solve the syncing and notification issue.

 

[selo]

Once you download the RAWs from the NAS, the files are saved to the computer/laptop locally. So you can import to LR etc.

If a person wants to work on a project they can just download that Folder to their computer. They have to tell the others they will work on that projects. Once the project is finished and we have it in JPEG format the person working on it will reupload (or sync) it to the NAS and tell others it is finished.

The situation you are describing is the ideal situation... We just have forms we fill in (customer name, adress, what kind of photoshoot, dates etc.). The forms are stacked in a tray with a label, needs to be editted. Who ever takes a form is working on that project.

These forms are also saved in an excel database (for accounting/tax and stuff).

 

[The_Traveler]

So if the form isn't available, neither is the folder and when the former is returned, that's the signal to update your own HD and sync files to LR
That seems reasonable and workable and as simple as possible.
The only gap in my understanding is the lack of mention of PSDs or some 'worked file' that has all the edits and yet is flexible so would be stored.
I assume that you somehow track the export and status of customer facing jpegs but there seems to be no need to add them to LR.

 

[selo]

I am not sure if i completely understand your last post..

So this is how it goes:
1- after photoshoot upload RAWs to NAS
2- auto sync to Google Drive
3- take the form of the project you want to work on and download a copy of the RAWs from NAS to your local harddrive (they still remain in the NAS)
4- communicate with co-workers
5- start working on it... with lightroom with photoshop with potraitpro... just w/e you need to be happy with the results..
6- when ready reupload everything to the NAS... so from that project there will be several folders within NAS named "all raw photo's" & "finished JPEGs"
7- present the JPEGs to the customer and try to sell the photo's (we ussually present with an online system where the photos are watermarked, of they can visit the studio for offline preview with full resolution, no watermark)

Just in general that is our workprocess... I never used lightroom to organize my photos. Only to edit.

 

[The_Traveler]

I see.
My blind spot as I assumed that you used LR for organization.
Nice simple way; good for you.
best of luck

 

[dennybeall]

Had to look up "NAS", turns out it's just a new fancy name for a network server. If you make each photo a record in a database then you could have as many people on at the same time as the database software is designed to handle locking records so changes are handled correctly.

 

[The_Traveler]

Had to look up "NAS", turns out it's just a new fancy name for a network server. If you make each photo a record in a database then you could have as many people on at the same time as the database software is designed to handle locking records so changes are handled correctly.

You may not have seen where they don't really manage the jobs per image but maintain images in a folder.
A database that does locking etc is really overkill.