Lightroom classic collaborative workflow: sharing in DNG, and return with XMP (for lightness)

[aureliel]

Hi there,

I need to set up the lightest possible workflow, to give my images (Sony A7III) to my collaborator who retouches my images, through the internet, and get them back as quickly as possible.

I was thinking of giving it in DNG, which is lighter than the RAW of the A7III, then repatriating the XMP containing the editing information. But Lightroom does not allow this. 😞 And fetching the DNG itself is way too long on a small internet connection.

Do you have an idea ?

🙂

[TheDigitalDog]

You want them to have raw data or you want rendered data? 

If raw, then yes DNG is the way to go here as all their edits in the form of metadata can be embedded into the container. Make sure you first embed the .dcp camera profile you wish. 

[Rob_Cullen]

For "Lightness" in a collaborative workflow sharing an 'Exported' Catalog is the easiest.

When you [Export as a Catalog] you get a Catalog to share accompanied by Proxy 'Smart Previews' (which are actually small DNG files 2560px long edge). You do not have to supply DNGs (either full-size or compressed) or Original files, or XMPs.

You do not need to create the Smart Previews separately- the [Export as a Catalog] does that automatically!

There are limitations- The Editor cannot create derivatives (eg. in Photoshop). Sharpening and Noise Reduction do not work well with the Smart Previews.

My notes in an attached .doc file.

[aureliel]

Thanks for this workflow. I've just tried about it.

Allmost everything works, but the onloy problem is that the .lrcat generated is so big (1.3Go) ! It's bigger than the Smart Previews.lrdata (8,1Mo in my test with only 10 pictures) !

Any idea why that?

[aureliel]

Oh good news: update to LR v11 fixed the issue!