Off/On location Image workflow management

I have been working at perfecting a process to take all those Images that have been uploaded and Ingested off-location (meaning away from my home base) and how to get them Ingested and Uploaded when on-location (meaning back at home).

This secret is trying to keep things simple, use the simplest software available, and have the simplest hardware. In all cases your software needs to be the same on both your off/on location computer, and your hard drive enclosures can benefit by having multiple connectivity capabilities to use as USB, firewire or Esata.  I will walk you thru the process, software, software settings and hardware

Here is the work Flow:

Off location:

1. Insert CF card (My preference: PhotoFast) into MacBook Pro with either USB, Firewire or Esata Express 34 Card Reader. (My preference Sonnet Esta 34)
2. Use Photo Mechanic software as your Ingest tool. Add field keyname metadata, setfile name to date of shoot,reset sequence to zero, set file location transfer and begin Ingest.
   1. Transfer files to MacBookPro HDD partitioned as ‘FritzImages1′ (My preference: MacBook Pro 17″, 2.8Ghz,6GB,500gb)
   2. Transfer files to External enclosure with HDD partitioned as ‘MBP Achieve’ (My preference: OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro mini, Quad Interface)
   3. This allows me to have two sets of my files for redundancy.
3. Erase & Reformat CF cards (in camera with D3s or Image Rescue 3 SW by Lexar)

On location

1. Use external enclosure (OWC mercury Elite) from step 2.2 above. Connect via Esata to MacPro
2. Use software program BackupList+ to identify files to transfer and upload.
   1. Upload files to 2 separate locations 3.1 & 3.2
3. Upload files to MacPro from external HDD partition “MBP Archive”
   1. Transfer files from external HDD partition MBP Archives to MacPro partitioned ‘FritzImages1′
      1. Note: 86 GB took 20 minutes using Firewire 800
   2. Transfer files from external HDD partition MBP Archives to External HDD 2xT2 Raid 0 partitioned MSTR Data
      1. Note: 86 GB  took 12 minutes using ESATA
4. This allows me to have two sets of files for redundancy
   1. 1 set of ‘working’ files on MP FritzImages
      1. This will be backed up later for redundancy as part of standard backup workflow
   2. 1 set of MSTR Files on External HDD using RAID 1
5. Erase files on external HDD MBP Archive

Okay, so there you have it…it has taken a while to nail down the process, software and hardware.  You should be able to follow this, or make modifications as you see fit.  The off location Ingest workflow is fairly straightforward and routine. The On location Ingest is made possible with the quad Mercury Elite, the FirmTek Card for the MacPro, the Newer Technology Raid-1, and the last piece which came together for me last night was the BackupList+ software.

All of the hardware was recommended by Llyod Chambers and the hardware can all be found at OWC.

And by the way all 3 1/2 HDD in this system are 2.0TB Hitachi Deskstar™ 7K2000