Fotohuis Media

Several photographers work on new properties every day. They deliver raw CR3 files in Dropbox. These files then need to be converted into HDR photos, so FotoHuisMedia can process the images further and deliver them to clients.

This used to be done by hand. For each property, employees had to download the raw files, import them into Adobe Lightroom Classic, stack the photos, merge them into HDR, export them and then upload them back to Dropbox.

VionA developed a robot that runs this entire process automatically. Every workday at 11:00 PM, the robot retrieves the daily folder of properties, processes the raw photos in Lightroom Classic and places the HDR output back in the right export folder in Dropbox.

Since December, the automation has processed 3,200 properties.

The problem: lots of manual work outside the creative process

In real estate photography, several photos with different exposures are taken for each property. Those raw CR3 files have to be merged into HDR photos in Lightroom Classic.

Each property quickly involves a large number of files. A property contains at least 30 HDR photos, which require about 90 raw CR3 files. For larger properties, this can go up to 100 HDR photos.

For FotoHuis Media, this meant employees spent a lot of time every day on a repetitive processing routine:

• Opening the right property folder in Dropbox.
• Downloading CR3 files.
• Importing the photos into Lightroom Classic.
• Setting the right stacking time.
• Stacking photos based on exposure sequences.
• Merging stacked photos into HDR.
• Exporting HDR files.
• Uploading the output to the right export folder in Dropbox.

This process took not only time, but also attention. The stacking time could differ per property, for example because of different shutter speeds or because photographers delivered files in different ways.

On top of that, processing in Lightroom Classic itself takes relatively long. A property with 30 HDR photos easily takes 10 to 15 minutes of processing time, while larger properties take even longer.

As a result, valuable capacity was tied up in a technical, repetitive process that adds little to the creative quality of the end product.

The solution: overnight image processing with a Lightroom robot

VionA developed an automation that takes over the entire process from raw CR3 files to HDR output.

The robot runs every workday at 11:00 PM. At that point, it retrieves the daily folder of properties via the Dropbox API. Each property has its own folder in which photographers place the raw files.

The robot then processes the properties automatically in Adobe Lightroom Classic.

The flow works as follows:

• Retrieve daily folder: Every workday at 11:00 PM, the robot checks which properties are ready in Dropbox.
• Process properties per folder: Each property is handled as a separate folder, so files stay separate and organized.
• Download CR3 files: The robot downloads the raw photo files via the Dropbox API.
• Import into Lightroom Classic: The files are imported into Adobe Lightroom Classic automatically.
• Stack photos: The robot sets the stacking time and groups the exposure sequences into stacks.
• Merge into HDR: The stacked images are merged into HDR photos.
• Export: The robot exports the HDR files from Lightroom Classic.
• Upload to Dropbox: The output is placed back in the right export folder in Dropbox.
• Catch exceptions: When an import folder is empty or processing stalls, it’s logged as an exception.

Because the process requires a lot of computing time, the robot runs on two servers at once. This allows several properties to be processed in parallel. The automation keeps running overnight until the properties have been processed.

The result: FotoHuis Media no longer has to run the raw files through Lightroom by hand. The HDR output is ready in the morning, so the team can move straight on to the next step in the production process.

The results

• 3,200 properties processed since December: The robot has now taken thousands of properties through the HDR process.
• Up to 10 minutes of manual work saved per property: Where employees used to spend up to 10 minutes per property downloading, importing, configuring, exporting and uploading, this now happens automatically.
• More than 490 hours of manual work saved: With about 2,950 successfully processed properties and up to 10 minutes of manual work per property, more than 490 hours of manual processing have been saved.
• Overnight processing without waiting time for employees: The robot runs from 11:00 PM and processes the properties during the night. As a result, the HDR output is often ready before the workday starts.
• Scalable thanks to processing on two servers: Because the robot runs on two servers at once, FotoHuis Media can handle higher volumes without employees spending more time on Lightroom processing.
• Less dependent on manual capacity: Photographers can place files in Dropbox, after which the robot picks up the processing. The team at FotoHuis Media can focus on quality control, post-processing and client delivery.

Who is this relevant for?

This automation is relevant for organizations that process large volumes of visual material and perform repetitive steps in software such as Adobe Lightroom Classic.

Think of real estate photography, product photography, e-commerce image processing, media and content production, or other processes in which raw files have to be imported, processed, exported and stored following a fixed workflow.

Especially when files come in daily, processing takes a long time and employees spend a lot of time on technical tasks, automation can free up a lot of capacity.

Want to automate image processing?

Does your organization process photos, videos or other media files every day through fixed steps in software such as Lightroom, Photoshop, Premiere Pro or other tools?

Then VionA can look into which parts of this process can be automated.

Schedule a call and find out how we make repetitive media processes faster, more scalable and less dependent on manual capacity.