photo-management-workflow
Photo Management Workflow for Lana
The Problem with Apple Photos
Apple Photos is great for personal use but terrible for professional photography — no DAM (digital asset management), limited metadata, no client organization, and sync conflicts across machines.
Recommended Stack
| Stage | Tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Import | Lightroom Classic | Folder-based catalog, tethered shooting support ($13/mo) |
| Backup | Backblaze B2 + rclone | ~$5/mo for 1TB, automated offsite backup |
| Cull | Aftershoot AI | AI-powered reject/flag, saves hours per wedding |
| Edit | Lightroom Classic (or Capture One) | Non-destructive RAW editing, presets |
| Deliver | Pic-Time ($21/mo) | Client galleries, print store, album proofing, vendor galleries |
| Archive | External SSD + Backblaze B2 | 3-2-1 backup rule |
The Flow (Per Wedding/Session)
1. Import (Day 0)
- SD Card → Lightroom Classic
- Folder structure:
/Photos/2026/2026-03-15_ClientName/ - Immediately backup RAW files to external SSD
2. Backup (Day 0, automated)
- rclone sync → Backblaze B2 bucket
- Run nightly cron or trigger after each import
3. Cull (Day 1–2)
- Aftershoot AI → auto-reject duds, flag best shots
- Lana reviews AI picks, refines selection
4. Sneak Peeks (Day 2–5)
- Pick 5–10 hero shots → quick edit → export JPEG
- Upload to Pic-Time sneak peek gallery
- CRM triggers automated email to client
5. Full Edit (Week 2–6)
- Apply base preset → hand-adjust selects
- Export: full-res JPEG + web-sized
6. Deliver
- Upload to Pic-Time full gallery
- CRM moves client to “post-wedding” stage
- Pic-Time handles print store, album proofing, vendor galleries
7. Archive (after delivery)
- RAW + selects → external SSD
- Confirm Backblaze B2 copy exists
- Remove from active Lightroom catalog (keep smart previews)
Multi-Computer Sync
Option A: One Primary Machine (Recommended)
- Lightroom Classic catalog lives on one computer (e.g., iMac/desktop)
- Edit only on that machine
- Use Lightroom Cloud (included in Photography plan) for mobile culling/sneak peek edits on iPad or laptop
- Backblaze B2 is the offsite backup
- Best for current volume — simplest, fewest sync issues
Option B: Synced Catalog via NAS
- Catalog on a local NAS (Synology) accessible from both machines on same network
- Photos stored on NAS, not local drive
- Only one machine opens catalog at a time
- Backblaze B2 backs up the NAS
- Better once shooting 20+ weddings/year
Option C: Lightroom Cloud (Adobe Photography 1TB plan)
- Use Lightroom (cloud version) as primary, syncs across devices automatically
- Loses some Classic-only features but gains seamless multi-device
- ~$14/mo for 1TB plan
- Still backup originals to B2
- Trade-off: convenience vs. feature depth
Getting Out of Apple Photos
- Export originals from Apple Photos:
Photos app → Select All → File → Export Unmodified Originals - Organize into
/Photos/YYYY/YYYY-MM-DD_Description/folders - Import folder structure into Lightroom Classic
- Run initial Backblaze B2 sync
- Stop importing new shoots into Apple Photos — go straight to Lightroom
Pic-Time and CRM Connection
The Supabase CRM schema already has gallery status tracking in the client portal. Integration options:
- Zapier/webhooks — Pic-Time can notify your CRM when a gallery is published or a client views/downloads
- Manual updates — simpler to start, update gallery status in CRM by hand
What to Skip for Now
- Don’t buy a NAS until shooting 20+ weddings/year
- Don’t use Apple Photos for anything professional going forward
- Don’t pay for multiple cloud storage services — Backblaze B2 is cheapest per GB
- Don’t build custom gallery software — Pic-Time handles delivery, prints, and marketing better than anything custom