Batch processing is one of the greatest and most powerful tools in all of post processing. It can save you both time and money; and, as I’m about to show you, it’s super easy to do in AfterShot Pro.
Today, I’m going to go over the three main types of batch processing with you: Batch Edits, File Output batches, and Copy Output batches.
Batch Edits allow you to apply all changes to a photo to one or more other photos. File Output batch processing is what you use after you’ve edited your RAW images and you want to export them as a JPEG or a TIFF file. Copy Output is what you use when you want to copy the master files to another location. This is ideal for backing up your photo shoots.
With the power of batch processing, apply settings to one image and copy them to hundreds!
Let’s take a look at each of these batch processes in a little more detail with a few photos of the lovely Mia from one of my recent shoots.
Batch Editing
This shot is straight out of camera and while I love this shot in color, let’s say our model really needs these images in black and white.
To start, I make a series of adjustments to our image until I finally get a result I like.
But with these changes made and a whole set of photos ahead of me that need to get the same look, how can am I now going to apply those same adjustments to each image from the rest of the whole set? With the power of batch processing, you can do it once and apply the same settings to hundreds of photos!
By pressing Cmd + C (or Ctrl + C if you’re on Windows / Linux) or by selecting Edit > Copy Image Settings from the pull down menu, you can copy all of the changes you made.
Next, you can select the images you want to apply those settings to and click Cmd + V (or Ctrl + V) to paste the settings. It’s as simple as that!
This works with any presets you might be using as well. If you’ve made certain changes to one image that you don’t want to be carried over when you copy and paste the settings, simply choose Copy Selected Image Settings, and you can customize which changes will be copied.
This batch editing process can save a ton of time when you’re working on a bunch of photos from a large shoot. You can see in this shot, there are a few photos from Mia’s shoot with the same copied settings applied.
Batch File Output
After you have completed your edits and you want to export the images, you’ll have some choices to make. Do you want full size TIFFs, or much smaller JPEGs more suitable for social media?
To make things simple, AfterShot Pro allows you to choose a fast and convenient Batch Preset.
To batch File Output, simply select your images then click on the Output tab on the far left side of your screen, under the File System tab, to bring up the Batch Output menu.
From here, you have 7 options: 16-bit TIFF, 8-bit TIFF, Download, Gallery, JPEG Full Size, JPEG Proof, and New Batch Preset.
Each of these batch presets are customizable, so you can change them to fit your exact needs. Just right-click to bring up a context menu where you can select your settings, choose a destination folder, run the batch and more.
Having these presets makes it easy to quickly create a gallery to upload to a website, a folder of proof images for a client, another folder of full size JPEGs to send once the client chooses their images, and a folder of TIFFs so that you can get high-quality prints made as well—all in just a few clicks.
Batch Copy Output
As I hope you already know, backing up your work is incredibly important.
I’ve gone through two or three major hard drive crashes in the past decade, and although I’ve always had 90% of it backed up, there’s always something I’m working on that gets lost.
QUICK TIP: Remember to back up! Regular backups help you save time, money… and your files.
As soon as you finish an edit, whether it’s for a job or just for fun, you should copy the images to at least one, but ideally two other locations.
Once again, AfterShot Pro makes this an easy task. All you have to do is select the images in your image browser, and then navigate to File > Export > Make a Copy.
From here, you can choose the folder where you’d like to copy the images to. You can also give your files a new name or overwrite older files.
Ready to Try Batch Processing?
Whether you’re applying edits to a group of images, or exporting the final photos to an external hard drive, hopefully you now see how AfterShot Pro’s batch capabilities can make your life a whole lot easier!
Try AfterShot Pro today! Download the free 30-day trial and discover the faster way of working with your photos.
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