Keywording Workflow: best practices?

[reidthaler]

As much as I espouse keywording at the time of downloading, I'm finding that I'm bit behind and thought it would be a good time to re-visit my keywording workflow.

Currently, I import and then move them all to a quick collection. After I assign all the keywords each photo needs, I hit 'B' to remove them from quick collection.

But my question is, what is the best way to keyword? I know that there are 9 ways to keword. but what have people found that works best?

Open to all ideas.

Thanks,

Reid

 

[clee01l]

I try to give every significant photo a keyword for 'Where' and 'What'. Most of my photos are of nature (Plant or animal). I find at import I can usually assign the 'Where' in the import dialog Keywords field. This "Where' can usually be applied to all or almost all photos in the import. All that remains afterward is to give each individual photo a 'What' and handle any exceptions I usually do this while culling the import batch in a quick collection.

 

[reidthaler]

[quote author=clee'1l link=topic=7774.msg53'93#msg53'93 date=125251''97]
I try to give every significant photo a keyword for 'Where' and 'What'. Most of my photos are of nature (Plant or animal). I find at import I can usually assign the 'Where' in the import dialog Keywords field. This "Where' can usually be applied to all or almost all photos in the import. All that remains afterward is to give each individual photo a 'What' and handle any exceptions I usually do this while culling the import batch in a quick collection.
[/quote]

Thanks! This is useful as I usually add the what but less consistent on adding the where.

But which method do you use to add keywords, there are so many in LR? Painter? Keyword sets? Dragging? Adding new and then dragging that keyword to the appropriate sub category?

I have a keyword set for family members, and that seems to work reasonably. I also hold control and select all that I want to add a keyword to. As I said, I'm open. Maybe keywording is just a pain and there is no easier way.

Reid

 

[clee01l]

[quote author=reidthaler link=topic=7774.msg53'94#msg53'94 date=1252513117]
[quote author=clee'1l link=topic=7774.msg53'93#msg53'93 date=125251''97]
I try to give every significant photo a keyword for 'Where' and 'What'. Most of my photos are of nature (Plant or animal). I find at import I can usually assign the 'Where' in the import dialog Keywords field. ...[/quote]

Thanks! This is useful as I usually add the what but less consistent on adding the where.

But which method do you use to add keywords, there are so many in LR? ...[/quote]I have a KeywordList that is heirarchial. It is complete except for new "Whats" I add these new "What" to the list on the fly. Sometimes if I don't have a common name I will use the parent. (If I encounter a new species of dragonfly It might get keyworded as Nature>Animal>Insect>Odonata>Dragonfly instead of Nature>Animal>Insect>Odonata>Dragonfly>SwampDarner). I find it easiest to select similar photos from the grid and check the box beside the Keyword in the Keyword list. I've tried some of the other methods, but these are not as efficient for me. If I come across a new species of Dragonfly, I can right click on 'Dragonfly' in the keyword list and choose "Create Keyword inside 'Dragonfly'". This permits me to create the new keyword and assign it to the images selected in the grid at the same time. The painter works fine if the keyword already exists in the heirarchy or if you do not use a heirarchial keyword list It falls down when the need to add a new keyword is necessary and the new word needs to be a child of another keyword. Keyword sets are not useful for me because no more that a few photos can work with a particular set and switching sets requires too many keystrokes/mouseclicks

 

[Brad Snyder]

Reid, like you, I tend to use the Quick Collection, or a 'Needs Keywording' target collection. During import, I try to apply the broad spectrum keywords pertinent to the whole shoot. I then make a develop pass thru the photos, tagging those that need additional keywords on the way, rather than interrupting my train of thought and switching to Library and back, repeatedly. I'll then switch to the QC and finish up keywording, using any/several of the methods cited here, depending on my mood and the situation. I do find that in a fairly tightly related import, that the combination of Recent and Suggested keywords is usually quite effective.

Unlike the apparent majority of LR users , I very much dislike the disconnect between Develop and metadata workflow, and would prefer to do both together in one pass, touching each image only once. I believe it will be quite a while and at least a couple of Lr major versions before that's possible.

I keep whining in the darkness, but to little effect ( <--- facetious mode)

OT, 'facetiously' is one of two words in English with all of the vowels, once, in alphabetical order.

 

[clee01l]

[quote author=Brad Snyder link=topic=7774.msg53132#msg53132 date=1252534121]OT, 'facetiously' is one of two words in English with all of the vowels, once, in alphabetical order.
[/quote]Not wanting to drift farther off topic than necessary , but how about:
Aerious, Absteinous, Abstemious, Abstenious, Abstentious, Abstentiously, Aceriflorum, Aceriflorus, Acheilous, Acheirous, Acleistous, Adecticous, Adventious, Affectious, Aleikoum, Alpestrious, Anemious, Annelidous, Arsenious, Arteriosum, Arteriosus, Arterious, Avenious, Bacterious, Caesious, Camelious, Carnelious, Facetious, Fracedinous, Gareisoun, Gravedinous, Haeriously, Majestious, Marveillous, Marveillously, Materious, Parecious, Phragelliorynchus, Placentious, Raeticodactylus, Tragedious For reverse alphabetical order for vowels, there is duoliteral, juloidea, leeuwenhoekiella, muroidea, muscoidea, pulmonifera, punctoschmidtella, quodlibetal, quodlibetary, rudoiera, subcontinental, subhyoidean, subpopliteal, subvoiceband, suoidea, tutoiera, uncomplimentary, unconsiderably, uncontinental, unconvinceably, unnoticeably, unobliterably, unoccidental, unoriental, unpolicemanly, unproprietary

And you have my vote on integrating the Develop and metadata workflow.

 

[sizzlingbadger]

[quote author=Brad Snyder link=topic=7774.msg53132#msg53132 date=1252534121]
Unlike the apparent majority of LR users , I very much dislike the disconnect between Develop and metadata workflow, and would prefer to do both together in one pass, touching each image only once.
[/quote]

I'm with you on that one, it's my biggest gripe with LR over Aperture in the workflow stakes.

Cletus, I hope you will not object if I offer you my most enthusiastic contrafibularities at your grasp on the English language :icon_mrgreen:

 

[MarkNicholas]

[quote author=Brad Snyder link=topic=7774.msg53132#msg53132 date=1252534121]

Unlike the apparent majority of LR users , I very much dislike the disconnect between Develop and metadata workflow, and would prefer to do both together in one pass, touching each image only once. I believe it will be quite a while and at least a couple of Lr major versions before that's possible.

I keep whining in the darkness, but to little effect ( <--- facetious mode)

[/quote]

Like many things in LR we get used to it and then don't want to change it. However, I do sometimes go looking for my collections while in Develop mode.

 

[dj_paige]

Cletus: "Aerious" is not a word!

 

[ernie]

Cletus, since you obviously have plenty of time on your hands, I'll send you some of my editing I stay behind on.