Lightroon to SmugMug Workflow

dewey134

Good evening. I am entering phase 2 of my plunge into photography. Organizing and post processing my flicks. (and I don't have a clue as to what processes I should use).

Current set-up. (Nikon D40)
1. Import to laptop using Nikon Transfer and review them on Nikon View.
2. Import those I like to my smugmug account where I mostly crop them.
3. email, import into Facebook, or whatever.

Enhanced set-up (guessing)
1. same as step 1 above
2. import into Lightroon 2 and do modest fixes (not sure if you can crop in LR2)
3. import what I like into my smugmug account.

So, can I eliminate step 1 if I use Lightroom. Secondly is it fairly easy to import fotos from LR to my smugmug stuff.

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer.

To sum, I want to get em on my lappie, clean em up a tad (nothing fancy) and then bring to smugmug. I am beginning to get quite a few pics to organize.

colourbox

You could do it all in Lightroom. As long as Lightroom supports your camera, you can import, cull, rate, and crop all in Lightroom. You want to crop in Lightroom because it's non-destructive, meaning if you change your mind later you can un-crop and restore up to the entire original photo.

You can make export presets for your Smugmug and Facebook JPEG uploads, but if you want to streamline it further, you can download direct Smugmug and Facebook upload plug-ins for Lightroom here. (I have not tried the plug-ins myself yet.) Making Lightroom a one-stop shop where you never have to leave the app between camera import and your online uploads.

rsquared

I can vouch for the Lightroom to Smugmug plugin colourbox mentioned. I've been using it for the few weeks I've been here, and I love it. When you use it to export to SM, any caption or keywords you put in LR will be used in your gallery on SM.

As was mentioned, all edits in LR don't affect the original files directly. It's all done as meta data, meaning you can always recover (including undoing cropping, color correction, etc.) back to the original photo.

jasonstone

+1 for the plugin

cmason

So in Lightroom, using the plug-in, you would:

1. From Lightroom, click Import, and pull you images off your camera/card.
2. Apply edits/whitebalance/crop
3. Select favorites, click Export>Smugmug
4. Choose your Smugmug Gallery
5. Go get a coffee

Oh, by the way...Jeffery also has plug ins for Flickr, Facebook etc if you want to use those as well.

f-rider

+ 1 Lightroom, Friedl plug-in, SmugMug
I just started using the Friedl Lightroom plug-in and it is great. Full of features and makes a great addition for the LR, SmugMug user. I've found it easier for me if I set up a new gallery in SM, then go to LR and use the 'flag' tool for selecting. I then use the LR Library Filter to show just the flagged selects. Select all and start the export. As I am flagging selections I am using LR's edit tools to enhance the photos if needed, crop, straighten horizons and verticals. Then I export JPGs from my NEFs (I only shoot NEFs) at a somewhat smaller size than my D80 NEFs. This makes for a very quick workflow, getting your shots onto SM for viewing by family, friends, clients, prospects. Love it.

timk519

Put me down as a satisfied long-time LR plugin user - when I was on my 4-month long motorcycle trip I'd get my shots, import to LR at the end of the day, do the pics & edits, then use the plugin to make a new gallery and upload all at once before going to bed at night.

This plugin is insanely cheap - it's worth a lot more than what the author is charging for it.