Here’s part II of the workflow:
CAMERA SETTINGS
Send the RAW file to the fast card slot (Slot 1) and the JPEG to the slow slot (Slot 2). When you lock the image, you will be locking the JPEG in Slot 2 as well as viewing playback of the JPEG.
• RED 1/13 -
File Format RAW & JPEG
JPEG Quality Fine
JPEG Image Size L:24M
• RED 3/13 - Select Media Slot 2
• YELLOW 6/7 - Rec Media Settings
Prioritize Rec Media Slot 2
Recording Mode Sort (JPEG / RAW) - Slot 1: RAW. Slot 2: JPEG
• PURPLE 9/11 - Custom Key Playback, C3 assigned to Protect
• PURPLE 9/11 - Custom Key Playback, Fn assigned to Send to Smartphone
• BLUE 3/3 - Image Jump Setting: Front Dial, Protect Only. This is key as it lets you scroll through only the locked images when selecting multiple images to send vs having to find them amongst everything.
• Another key point in this is why shooting RAW to one card and JPEG to another card… with the Sony a9, the embedded JPEG in the RAW file is very small 1600x1080 which is a 2Mp image. The proper JPEG is a 6000x4000 24Mp image. The smaller image is just not going to cut it even for social media if there is any cropping because it’s so small to start with.
CAMERA SENDING
• Select an image you want to send.
• Hit the Fn button
• Select either THIS IMAGE or MULTIPLE IMAGES
If MULTIPLE IMAGES, use the front wheel to scroll through locked images or the back wheel to scroll through all images. To select, press the button inside the wheel
• Press MENU to send your selections
iPHONE RECEIVING
• Wi-Fi must be on
• Sony Imaging Edge App Settings
- Copy Image Size: Original
- Connect w/camera via access point: OFF
SMUGMUG
We have a permanent hidden link we use for the entire season to upload images during a game which is cleaned out each time before the next match. I can upload either within the SmugMug app or by using a link in an iPhone browser. The later works great for a free-lance photographer uploading which lets them upload directly without having to setup any sort of custom login for them.
In that gallery be sure to set the sorting order to SORT BY DATE UPLOADED, 9-1. This way, the newest images will always appear at the top of the gallery for the creative team working in the press box.
PREPARE
Before I leave the house, I set all the information in Photo Mechanic as well as log into the USL Photoshelter server which is the league method for uploading.
Additionally, I also have a TEMP folder which I use for each game with a series of several empty folders: RENAME ME (for selects), JPEG, RAW, RAW for HT-FT (halftime JPEG imports), Tw2k (for social media exports), USL1 HT, USL2 FT. In Lightroom, I have presets for Halftime and Full-time which automatically renames images with the naming method the league requires.
When importing the cards to my MBPro, in Photo Mechanic I select Import Locked JPEGs only and I send them to the RAW for HT-FT folder as mentioned above. Once they are in PM, I make the selections and then open them in Lightroom to make quick crops and correct exposure and white balance if necessary. In Lr, I select ADD rather than COPY or MOVE and the league exports go to the USL1 HT folder. From there, I upload them to their Photoshelter server.
HALFTIME IS (NO LONGER) STRESSFUL!
Once halftime hits, I set an alarm on my phone for 11 minutes as halftime is 15 minutes and it takes about a minute in and out each way. Our content team already has the images Sierra and I have sent during the first half, but I need to send 10-15 images to the league during the break.
For the first few games in our 2018 inaugural USL season, this was a VERY stressful time for me because it felt like I was trying to cram an hours worth of work into 10 minutes. Once I got the workflow down a few games into the season last year, I get finished in under the allotted time and the alarm doesn't sound until well after I’m back out on the field.
MAKE IT WORK FOR ME
While I understand most people shooting sports don’t work for a professional team in a top tier league like the USL Championship or Major League Soccer, the same principles we use at Nashville Soccer Club can be just as easily applied to sports at the college or even high school level.
If you’re shooting for your son or daughters high school team, get with the coach or athletic director prior to the start of the season have them set up social media accounts for the team and/or athletic department and see if there is a student manager who could help out in posting images and updates.