5 Replies Latest reply: Aug 19, 2013 12:17 AM by Marcofoto RSS

    Integrating Bridge & Lightroom?

    MD Optofonik Community Member

      Seems like a simple matter to me and very convenient. I'll be testing this over the weekend but am hoping to hear from others and have the benefit of their insight when I do, The plan is to copy files from an SD card to my HD, into my pre-existing photography folder, use Bridge to browse and choose the images I want to keep, then cut and past the images I want to keep into a Lightroom "watched folder" for "auto import" into my LR catalog. I;m still working through several resources, including Martin Evening's book, the online "help", and online tutorials to research my ideas about such a workflow.

        • 1. Re: Integrating Bridge & Lightroom?
          john beardsworth Community Member

          They work moderately well together, but you'd waste less time if you decided which to use, learnt it properly, and substantially forgot the other one. Do you really need to review in Bridge first and then decide which to move into Lightroom? If you shoot really high volumes, Photo Mechanic can play that before-Lightroom role better and faster than Bridge. But if your volumes aren't so great, just import all the pictures into Lightroom and use its comparison mode to decide which to keep.

           

          Also, AutoImport isn't meant to be used that way instead of Import - it's closer in character to the tethering tools. You can make it do what you want, but it'll still be awkward. You might be better off using Folder Synchronization, if you still think the Bridge-Lightroom route is a good idea.

          • 2. Re: Integrating Bridge & Lightroom?
            CSS Simon Community Member

            I agree with John.  What you describe probably works, but is not really optimal.  Better IMHO to import all into Lightroom and use Lightroom to cull.  It's simpler, and by reducing an extra stage of work removes a possible source of errors and mistakes, I find. 

             

            I find it easier to have everything in LR from the start.  Even at the initial cull stage, it's handy to be able to go into Develop Module to see if an underexposed image can be brought up, for example, when deciding which to cull.  I shot 1500 at a wedding last weekend, and found LR worked pretty well that way. 

             

            Actually, I don't cull much at the start; rather I star-rate in LR.  I find with weddings I get requests like: "have you got a one like 432 but including Aunty May?" only to find there is one that's perhaps not well framed that I might have culled.  Instead I cull only complete no-hopers, and keep the rest until after the final selection.  Again, that's easier if everything's in LR. 

            • 3. Re: Integrating Bridge & Lightroom?
              trshaner Community Member

              I use Both Bridge and LR, but for a different reason. LR is very limited as to the file types that can be imported. I use the Design Standard CS6 suite applications and Bridge to organzie and catalog my project asset files, including ALL image, music, video, document, etc., with full metadata support. The primary files I work on between Bridge and LR are scanner image TIFF files. I do review rating and keywording in both applications with  no metadata issues, so it is possible.

               

              That said I have to agree with johnbeardy and CSS Simon concerning using Bridge for import processing of camera image files. I also agree with CSS Simon concerning deleting only those image files that are clearly unusable (out of focus, grossly over/under-exposed, etc.). Hard drive space is dirt cheap–Rate, keyword and catalog all of them.

              • 4. Re: Integrating Bridge & Lightroom?
                MD Optofonik Community Member

                Thanks everyone. I'm still working my way through Martin Evening's book and such insight is invaluable.

                • 5. Re: Integrating Bridge & Lightroom?
                  Marcofoto Community Member

                  I use only Lightroom for all image process, from import to export to web.

                  I actually use Photoshop CC rarely, because every step of image retouch can be implemented in Lightroom.

                  But I think, every photographer, every people has a different approach with digital workflow, especially with archive management.