Copying Camera RAW Settings in Elements 4

[BillGedeon]

Does anyone know how to copy camera RAW settings made from one photo to a group of other RAW photos?

For example, if I have similar white balance or exposure changes I want to copy from one image to a group of other similar photos.

My workflow starts with taking Minolta .MRW files and batch convert them to .DNG files. I then import into the PE4 organizer. Next, I work on a single photo in Camera Raw making the necessary adjustments and update (alt-open) that file. At this point I would like to transfer these RAW setttings to other like photos without opening Camera Raw again for each photo in the batch.

Anybody have any ideas?

[Norm F]

Bill,

Here are some instructions which were provided by Butch in a previous discussion on this topic.

In the organizer select all the photos you want to convert before you start the Raw Converter.
Press ctrl+I to open the first photo. Change as you think necessary. Then Alt+click the Open button to apply the settings from the first photo to the others without actually opening them.
The Open button will change to “Update” as you press this button each selected photo will open in the converter in its turn with the first photos settings..

Butch

[MikeH]

Hi Bill,

Welcome to the forums...:)

Let us know how you get on with this...

Mike

[BillGedeon]

Thanks Butch,

I appreciate the quick response but I'm looking for a more generic solution then revisiting the ACR for each photo.

Let's say that I've imported 300 photos as DNG and I have 225 that are portrait and need to be rotated from their current orientation. I may want to do this so they appear in the correct orientation in the organizer so I can better evalute them or maybe used for slideshow for the family.

I interested in applying the (i.e., orientation) settings in the updated photo to the rest of the photos requiring re-orientation.

I'm trying to streamline the workflow as much as I can given that I'm shooting RAW going forward.

It seems like there was a way to do this with the PE3 Browser but with PE4 it's no longer an option.

[BillGedeon]

Norm,

Sorry for addressing you as Butch. Sometimes I'm a little slow.

The other thing I didn't mention and something I don't want to do is to rotate the images in the organizer since this makes a low resolution jpeg copy and does not solve the general solution to the problem.

[Norm F]

Sorry Bill. I'm not sure on that one, though I read here somplace that rotating in Organizer does not degrade the image quality. My camera has a setting for adjusting orientation so I haven't had to deal with this.

Someone with some experience in this area will likely be along soon.

[BillGedeon]

Norm,

You are correct in that the original is not degraded in any way but apparently the organizer can't deal with its own DNG files effectively. It pops up a dialog basically explaining it can't compete the operation and will create a jpeg. It then creates a version set for that photo and puts the original behind the jpeg copy.

But that really is a side issue. My more general issue is copying the those applied settings made in the ACR for one photo to other photos as a batch.

Thanks again,
Bill

[armani]

Hello,

First post on the forum here :)

I also use PSE 4.0, work with RAW in ACR and use a whibal graycard to set the correct white balance. Didn't find the right way yet to copy the white balance settings from the whibal shot to the photo's taken in the same lighting conditions.

NORM F stated: "Press ctrl+I to open the first photo." But what if the whibal shot is not the first photo of the selection but somewhere in the middle or even the last photo?

And then:"The Open button will change to “Update” as you press this button each selected photo will open in the converter in its turn with the first photos settings..." Ok that works but the photo doesn't open with the white balance settings of the whibal shot. Only if i choose "as previous conversion" from the drop down menu. That i need to do for every photo in the selection, one after the other.

Am i doing something wrong?

Any help would be very appreciated.

Thanks,
Armani

[armani]

No one can help?

[Wendy]

Hi Armani ...

... and welcome to the forum :)

Sorry that no one has picked up on your query but hopefully one of the forum members who does use Raw will pick up on it now :)

Wendy

[armani]

No one can help?

[PaulH]

Hello,

First post on the forum here :)

I also use PSE 4.0, work with RAW in ACR and use a whibal graycard to set the correct white balance. Didn't find the right way yet to copy the white balance settings from the whibal shot to the photo's taken in the same lighting conditions.

NORM F stated: "Press ctrl+I to open the first photo." But what if the whibal shot is not the first photo of the selection but somewhere in the middle or even the last photo?

And then:"The Open button will change to “Update” as you press this button each selected photo will open in the converter in its turn with the first photos settings..." Ok that works but the photo doesn't open with the white balance settings of the whibal shot. Only if i choose "as previous conversion" from the drop down menu. That i need to do for every photo in the selection, one after the other.

Am i doing something wrong?

Any help would be very appreciated.

Thanks,
Armani

There is an option in the dropdown to use previous conversion in the top settings dropdown - that is the only way I know. And it does not seem to work. I had 2 consecutive shots of a red/orange car. I carefully got the 1st one to match another onscreen conversion, went to the 2nd one - applied it and not the same. WB was - but saturation was not.

I can not use ACR when color is critical. (just my opinion)...