Workflow advice needed with Capture One and Photos on M2 MBP

[Alpha Centauri]

Hi all

need some advice as have recently updated from a 2009 MBP to a M2 MBP. (huge jump).

Background: Back in the day I had a managed library with iPhoto and Aperture for .cr files. Upon Aperture's demise I consolidated all my RAWS, original Jpegs with numerous duplicate finders and swore I would only use referenced solutions from now on. Jpegs I just kept in folders, have most on my iPhone PhotoApp now. I then used CaptureOne 8, 9, and 11 to import from card and output edited as needed. The hardware no longer kept up and I lost interest, faded screen made things pointless also.

Fast forward to today and with the new MBP I've also got a licensed version of CaptureOne 23.

1. So for the Jpegs/ snapshots on the phone I wouldn't mind using Photos App on the mac (currently empty), have things changed and is the Photos App safe to use as a managed library? Is referenced even an option? I do like some of the functionality of its slideshow creation, memories, face recognition, and I would also have short videos from my phone in there. Do those functions exist if choosing to use Photos App in referenced mode even?

2. For C1P 23 is was thinking of using a referenced library from my date grouped folder structure. Import from card, create new Finder folder for the days shooting, import onto C1P, edit and output final Jpegs into the Photos App. There's .cr2 and .rw2. Or would a managed library be recommended for this scenario?

3. Currently I have various Jpeg snapshots in separate folders also, it was more of a consolidation and backup effort as the old MBP was becoming unstable. There's also a folder of picture scans, but not many.

4. Finder folder of RAWs, I think my dated structure is flawed for efficient Spotlight searches. I have Years, Months within, and Days within that. Trouble is that months are designated as numbers i.e. February= 02. Sounds ok but Spotlight would then pull up not just February but also all 02 days (2nd of the month). How is everyone else dating folders?

5. All photo files will reside on the internal SSD.

I'm unsure if I've communicated my questions understandably so pls ask if it's unclear. This is quite the large move for me setting things up new and fresh, so I'd like to get it right the first time.

Would love some input on best use case with PhotosApp and C1P with, managed or referenced. There's perhaps othe ideas I haven't thought of.

TIA and Happy Easter to all.

 

[r.harris1]

Take this as you will, fellow Capture One user here, v23, M1&M2 laptops in the mix. I use both sessions and catalogs in C1 - but sessions for day-to-day stuff. Those are typically in some date related folder, the structure of which is going to be up to each individual user. I have an exprt recipe that does an Open In "Photos" and the JPEGs I want to store there can go directly in. You can do referenced libraries in Photos but I believe you lose some of the iCloud goodness that goes with a managed library (but I don't use Photos that much so not really qualified). So I leave Photos to do what it does best when I need it.

After a while, I'll import my sessions into C1 catalogs for some of the better search and other capabilities and that's that.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

@r.harris1 thank you for the reply.

Some more basic (but important questions) so appreciate the time.

So you personally use a managed library in C1? It would certainly remove steps of importing my .rw2 from card into folders/ sub-folders, then referencing them to C1. Although I've had iterations of C1 in the past, my hardware was never up to it..until now. So this will be quite the learning curve as an occasional hobbyist. But it's vital I'm off on the right foot from the get go.

Sessions. I only shoot occasionally. Would Sessions then still makes sense? In the past I believed sessions and catalog were mutually exclusive, one or the other. I have a lot to learn.

* I do however have to get started importing 250GB worth RAWs that are currently in my dated folders (spanning two decades), basic key wording and editing.

I wonder if using the catalog makes more sense for this initial 250GB import? In fact, would importing all RAWs at once (ignoring own current dating hierarchy) be a mistake? Assuming the Exif will show dates after import within C1 anyway. Or would I be best off starting with sessions, the day's shooting (5-40 shots) per session? Obviously my workflow will adapt/ change after this initial import is sorted.

Cheers

 

[r.harris1]

@r.harris1 thank you for the reply.

Some more basic (but important questions) so appreciate the time.

So you personally use a managed library in C1? It would certainly remove steps of importing my .rw2 from card into folders/ sub-folders, then referencing them to C1. Although I've had iterations of C1 in the past, my hardware was never up to it..until now. So this will be quite the learning curve as an occasional hobbyist. But it's vital I'm off on the right foot from the get go.

Sessions. I only shoot occasionally. Would Sessions then still makes sense? In the past I believed sessions and catalog were mutually exclusive, one or the other. I have a lot to learn.

* I do however have to get started importing 250GB worth RAWs that are currently in my dated folders (spanning two decades), basic key wording and editing.

I wonder if using the catalog makes more sense for this initial 250GB import? In fact, would importing all RAWs at once (ignoring own current dating hierarchy) be a mistake? Assuming the Exif will show dates after import within C1 anyway. Or would I be best off starting with sessions, the day's shooting (5-40 shots) per session? Obviously my workflow will adapt/ change after this initial import is sorted.

Cheers

I use referenced catalogs (libraries) in C1. Let's say I've got a session (which is entirely file system based) in a YYYY/MM/DD directory structure, when I occasionally import my sessions into a master catalog, those files stay where they are. Some people only use catalogs and never sessions - it's pretty flexible with how you want to set up your workflow. Keeping things as referenced files to me gives you flexibility if you want to change things around in the future.

I do think a referenced catalog (leave files in place) would be a great way to start for your existing raws. I know there are some people who have a massive session but I don't find that to be too scalable, to be honest. Sessions are intended to be a shoot or project that's bounded in duration whereas catalogs represent your life's work. Catalogs have a lot more query capabilities and some other niceties too. I can highly recommend investing some time in watching videos on Capture One's YouTube channel - they're exceptional (to me).

https://www.youtube.com/@CaptureOne

Specific ones I can recommend:

Capture One Livestream | Unlock the Power of Sessions (Session focused)

Capture One Livestream | Solid strategies for better image organization (Catalog focused)