advice needed re Workflow

[Calxoddity]

Hi Jeelan
Yes Aperture does store all your images in one large compressed file but you can export the original file or the modified file (called a version) if you really want to. You can also print directly from aperture as well but for me I'm using a 15" MBP with a Cinema screen which interferes with the image brightness so I dial up the image brightness in CS3 for my Epson printer so that it looks like I see it.
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Sigh..... this is ONE of the two options - it's called "managed". The other method of using Aperture, called "referenced" DOES NOT store all of your images in one compressed file.

This means you can access the images directly with other applications if you choose to do so (e.g. I created a whacking great panorama with PSE6 the other day using files catalogued in Aperture). It makes the limitation of one external editor to call from Aperture less of a hassle, as you can "open with.." from Finder, or any other application as well.

I suppose I should explain my workflow:

(1) Import using Aperture in referenced mode, nominating the destination folder on the disk, and the new project name that Aperture will manage them in. I apply a default copyright and attribution field to all imported images at this point

(2) Rate the images on completion of import (1-5 stars), or Reject
(3) Apply keywords - some combos of keywords for all images in a session, other images might get additional specific keywords
(4) Usually don't find myself applying the same set of adjustments to groups of photos, but if necessary change white balance etc and replicate for all the affected images
(5) Now review the images individually - crop, heal, clone, straighten, sharpen, saturate, desaturate, devignette, fix highlights and shadows, contrast etc etc within Aperture.
(6) Next step is variable - print, export to psd, tiff, jpeg or whatever with a range of options.
Sometimes I may work on it further in Photoshop (not often). Sometimes it's just close Aperture and do some other work....

Just for a party trick, I can show you the same NEF appearing open simultaneously in viewNX and Aperture and PSE6, if you like!

Regards,
Calx

[MarkW]

Calx
In your setup where does the sidecar files reside?

I chose my managed setup as I believed that the side car files would be retained with the actual images in the Aperture Library. All of my images are retained in a seperate drive which will be filed off as it fills up - I never store image data on my MBP.

[Calxoddity]

The Aperture library file containing the thumbnail and adjustments history for the images resides on the internal HDD and I keep a copy of it on the external. The referenced images themselves also live on the internal HDD with a mirrored copy on another external. Just for fun I've relocate some of the master images using Aperture and it finds them in the new location no problems - including external.

So, I'm set up as follows:

Internal - working Aperture library and the photos in referenced mode
Ext 1 - Time Machine backup 500GB for all data
Ext 2 - copy of the Aperture library file maintained via The Vault in Aperture plus a duplicate copy of all photos

I end up with 3 copies of all images. Ext 2 is effectively my insurance policy plus overflow. As my iMac isn't going anywhere, I'm not worried about keeping images there.

PS - there aren't individual sidecar files as such in Aperture, just in case that part wasn't clear....