Smart Object RAW workflow

[teddillard]

I posted this a long time ago when I was starting work on my Smart Object RAW book to the resounding sound of crickets...    

I'd be really interested to revisit it, and hear if this workflow is catching on, or just one more primrose path I led myself down...  heh.  

I've been using Smart Object RAW processing pretty much exclusively for years now- since Smart Objects first appeared- mostly because it fit into a workflow I'd already been trying to use.  It was a perfect fit.  You don't see much, or at least I don't see much conversation about it, and until I was talking with a group of students I'd taught it to years ago and they said they'd all been "converted" ("... come to the Smart Object side, Luke"?) and had used the workflow since they had the class, I'd thought it just wasn't catching on...

By far, what seems to be mainstream now, and certainly what Adobe is pushing is more around Lightroom, which, although can export files as Smart Objects, isn't what I'd describe as particularly elegant in that respect.  

So.  Is anyone using RAW files in Photoshop as Smart Objects?  Anyone?  

[jmwscot]

I posted this a long time ago when I was starting work on my Smart Object RAW book to the resounding sound of crickets...    

I'd be really interested to revisit it, and hear if this workflow is catching on, or just one more primrose path I led myself down...  heh.  

I've been using Smart Object RAW processing pretty much exclusively for years now- since Smart Objects first appeared- mostly because it fit into a workflow I'd already been trying to use.  It was a perfect fit.  You don't see much, or at least I don't see much conversation about it, and until I was talking with a group of students I'd taught it to years ago and they said they'd all been "converted" ("... come to the Smart Object side, Luke"?) and had used the workflow since they had the class, I'd thought it just wasn't catching on...

By far, what seems to be mainstream now, and certainly what Adobe is pushing is more around Lightroom, which, although can export files as Smart Objects, isn't what I'd describe as particularly elegant in that respect.  

So.  Is anyone using RAW files in Photoshop as Smart Objects?  Anyone?

I use files exported from Lr as smart objects on a regular basis. My use is primarily for resizing in Ps so that I can have flexibility in doing layouts and know that if I repeat the resizing the image will not deteriorate. I then save the layered file with the smart object back into Lr so that further work can be done on another day. I don't have any issues with the workflow.

Regards, John

[PeterAit]

I posted this a long time ago when I was starting work on my Smart Object RAW book to the resounding sound of crickets...    

I'd be really interested to revisit it, and hear if this workflow is catching on, or just one more primrose path I led myself down...  heh.  

I've been using Smart Object RAW processing pretty much exclusively for years now- since Smart Objects first appeared- mostly because it fit into a workflow I'd already been trying to use.  It was a perfect fit.  You don't see much, or at least I don't see much conversation about it, and until I was talking with a group of students I'd taught it to years ago and they said they'd all been "converted" ("... come to the Smart Object side, Luke"?) and had used the workflow since they had the class, I'd thought it just wasn't catching on...

By far, what seems to be mainstream now, and certainly what Adobe is pushing is more around Lightroom, which, although can export files as Smart Objects, isn't what I'd describe as particularly elegant in that respect.  

So.  Is anyone using RAW files in Photoshop as Smart Objects?  Anyone?

I started out using SOs but pretty much abandoned them when I discovered that some of the things I want to do in Photoshop, including using many plugins, can't be done with SOs. Also, I think the benefits of SOs are overblown. Unless I am missing something, the only real benefit is the ability to easily undo your changes and return to the original image. This is at best a convenience because the same thing can be accomplished other ways.

[Mark D Segal]

Actually, the main benefit of using an SO of the raw file is that it allows you to revert to the raw file after rendition to make further edits in ACR if you so wish, while still being in Photoshop. This adds flexibility to maintain a non-destructive workflow in the linear gamma of the non-rendered image, and have those edits immediately reflected in the layered rendered file in Photoshop. That's the up-side. The downside is that you can't make pixel edits directly onto the Smart Object. So it's a trade-off. Because I seldom feel the need to revert to LR/ACR once I've rendered an image, having the SO in the layer stack just adds other editing constraints which I generally prefer to avoid.

[lightstand]

I use Smart Objects all the time and find it to be a great way to deal when sandwitching RAW images.  Normally I have three to five different layers of SObjs and this allows me to jump back and forth with ACR to make sure each piece of the composition can be fine tuned.  Will be interested to see your book on the subject. thanks  Jeff

[teddillard]

I use Smart Objects all the time and find it to be a great way to deal when sandwitching RAW images.  Normally I have three to five different layers of SObjs and this allows me to jump back and forth with ACR to make sure each piece of the composition can be fine tuned.  Will be interested to see your book on the subject. thanks  Jeff

I was just going to ask that...  if anyone is layering them.  I go completely off the deep end with that, I had a file where I had over 10 SO layers, it was nuts. Here's a screen shot...



On the plugins- what do you use that is not supported now?  Almost everything I have any interest at all is supported as a Smart Filter- another major plus- everything from NIK is, I believe...

[JeffKohn]

I use Smart Objects all the time and find it to be a great way to deal when sandwitching RAW images.  Normally I have three to five different layers of SObjs and this allows me to jump back and forth with ACR to make sure each piece of the composition can be fine tuned.  Will be interested to see your book on the subject. thanks  Jeff

This is pretty much the only thing I use SO's for, but it can be really handy.