CD Burning Question

[mcoons]

Kirk,

I love the CD burning ability in PM but I'm having a problem. Can I add files to a cd already burned in PM? If so, how? I am unable to use the same CD right now, it just spits it out when trying to burn. What I would like to do is, burn images from a portrait session onto a cd then when I have retouched the image(s) that the client wants, burn the retouched images to the original CD too. Is this possible? I am on a Windows XP SP2 computer running PM 4.4.3.1.



Michael Coons

[Kirk Baker]

Michael,

I love the CD burning ability in PM but I'm having a problem. Can I add files to a cd already burned in PM? If so, how? I am unable to use the same CD right now, it just spits it out when trying to burn. What I would like to do is, burn images from a portrait session onto a cd then when I have retouched the image(s) that the client wants, burn the retouched images to the original CD too. Is this possible? I am on a Windows XP SP2 computer running PM 4.4.3.1.

The disc burning in Photo Mechanic on Windows does not support multi-session CDs.

If you have the originals and the untouched images ready at the time of the disc burning, just open both folders into a single contact sheet and then burn them to disc, preserving one (or two) folder levels.  To do this, double-click on the first folder to open it as a contact sheet.  Then right-click on the second (retouched) folder and choose "Open in current Contact Sheet" from the contextual menu.  Both folders will now be in the same contact sheet.  Select your images and burn them to disc.  You will now have a single session disc that is more compatible and has both folders worth of photos on the disc(s).

HTH,

-Kirk

[mcoons]

Kirk,

Will PM support multi-session CDs in the future? Without multi-session support I'm stuck using Roxio's program.

[Kirk Baker]

Will PM support multi-session CDs in the future? Without multi-session support I'm stuck using Roxio's program.

Why?  With what I explained to you, you can get a single session disc that has all of your data on it at once.

Did you try what I suggested?

-Kirk

[mcoons]

When I shoot a portrait, I burn a CD right away for backup but the customer doesn't order right away, It may be a few weeks later when I retouch the image. After I'm done retouching, I go back to the original CD and burn the one or two retouched images so they are all together. I rather not burn a new CD with all of them together because that would add more work and I would waste hundreds of CDs.

[Kirk Baker]

When I shoot a portrait, I burn a CD right away for backup but the customer doesn't order right away, It may be a few weeks later when I retouch the image. After I'm done retouching, I go back to the original CD and burn the one or two retouched images so they are all together. I rather not burn a new CD with all of them together because that would add more work and I would waste hundreds of CDs.

OK, so do you get rid of the photos from your hard drives on your computer?  Is it not possible to wait until you have processed your images before backing up the originals and the processed versions?  I mean to say that the usual workflow is to download, caption, develop and then backup.  Don't you develop your RAW photos almost immediately?

I would think that using something like Nero or Toast would be very painful compared to how Photo Mechanic will automatically span your photos across multiple discs, regardless of multi-session support.

-Kirk

[mcoons]

The problem is quantity. We can photograph dozens of people in a day and waiting to back up is not an option. We shoot in jpeg and use Express Digital to send to the lab.

[Kirk Baker]

The problem is quantity. We can photograph dozens of people in a day and waiting to back up is not an option. We shoot in jpeg and use Express Digital to send to the lab.

OK, well I'll see what I can do.  But discs are cheap nowadays.  Why not have one disc that has the originals on it and another disc that represents what you deliver to the customer?

On the Mac, you can do multi-session discs.  The API that I use supports it quite transparently.  The API on Windows leaves something to be desired.

-Kirk

[Kirk Baker]

When I shoot a portrait, I burn a CD right away for backup but the customer doesn't order right away, It may be a few weeks later when I retouch the image. After I'm done retouching, I go back to the original CD and burn the one or two retouched images so they are all together. I rather not burn a new CD with all of them together because that would add more work and I would waste hundreds of CDs.

I also want to ask: are you burning these disc for delivery to the customer?  If so, I would think that you wouldn't want to have them confused by a multisession CD where they might end up using the unprocessed images instead of the processed images.

-Kirk

[mcoons]

No, these are not for the customers. We keep them in the studio and also move them off-site for storage.

[Kirk Baker]

No, these are not for the customers. We keep them in the studio and also move them off-site for storage.

OK.  Well then I can see why you would want a multi-session CD.  I'll see what I can do.

-Kirk

[mcoons]

You're right, disks are cheap but labor isn't.


--Thanks for your help.--



Michael