Terry:
That is my workflow, but one clarification:
When I import I use the the "import from disk" dialog, then at the dropdown, I select "Import from Current Location." In addition, my LR Library is stored on its own partition (and is backed up by Time Machine), but since I import form present location, the images stay on my image drive. Thus, all I have in my library are the data tags for the images and it's physical size stays relatively small since it contains no images.
So,
1. Copy *
RAW* files to a hard drive in shoot folders.
2. Use something to decide what you like - perhaps LR *
or C1 or Bridge/ACR*
3. If LR wasn't used in #2 import the files you like to LR and process *
but import from base location*
4. Save LR files as 16bit TIFFs (saved where?)
*
You don't save a LR File as a 16-bit tiff, you EXPORT them as one and save a copy of the adjustments in a stack (or not). So here I export them to CS3 as 16bit tiffs, work on them and then save an actual layered tiff or PSD, or web jpeg back to the original shoot folder, but usually with an identifying name and usually in an identifying sub-folder within the shoot folder, one for web versions and another for print versions.*
5. Open files in CS3 make adjustments
6. Save web adjustments to subfolder in shoot folder
7. Save print files to subfolder in shoot folder
8. Leave processed DNG's in Lightroom. *
To clarify, the DNG's are not stored in LR as processed files --- they are rather stored in LR as the original raw with a "data tag" for the adjustments when you export. In this fashion, LR does not bloat, but simply stores a data tag with the adjustments for the specific RAW file it's associated with. It however does generate a preview with the adjustments, which you can save in a stack with the original or not.*
So, the cluge with LR is that since I am putting a "new" processed file back in the original folder on my original image drive (leaving the raw intact), and since my LR library was not directly involved in that operation, I will need to re-import the images on that drive to the appropriate folder in LR AFTER EVERY CS3 SESSION to browse them in LR as processed with the new name... The next problem is if I just use the "save" command in CS3 and not the "Save As", CS3 assumes I want the revised file saved by LR and LR will save it by default into a folder on the LIBRARY drive and NOT on the original image drive in the shoot folder...
So, this is why I'm asking others what they do, as I have not figured out any other workaround for this... The LR workaround is to let LR library reside with your raw files on your main image drives and let LR manage the CS3 saves, but I'm not comfortable letting LR mess with my original images (You can delete a group of images in LR with a single back-space if the images are selected, and there is no warning that happened!) Some folks keep one drive with only original RAW files, then do an import with copy of all of those to a dedicated LR drive, which then LR will library directly. This gives them a safe "back-up" set of originals on a a separate drive. My problem with that is I don't trust the way LR manages files, so it requires one more complete set of duplicate image drives for all my images, unless I count the original raw file drive as my redundant back-up copy. But then of course it does not have all the LR library info and if the LR drive fails, I need to have a backed-up library database somewhere else. I could probably just back them up to a subfolder on that original image drive, which is probably a reasonable alternative at present even for me... Maybe in another 6 months when I'm more comfortable with it this is what I'll do