could just be me,

[Buckster]

For me, a "shoot" includes the import, cull and backup process. If I have a shoot today, I import, cull and backup when I'm done shooting as a part of it. It's a few minutes spent per shoot.

That you spent 30 hours culling says to me that you're just filling up cards and then trying to go through them all after weeks or months of shooting. If that's the case, I'd advise finding a better work flow to break it down into more bite-sized chunks, as I have.

pretty much. I do a "light" culling usually when I import the images into pp software from the card. Hard core culling I have done three times this year I think. some of it I look back on and decided I don't need them anymore. Parade photos, peoples kids portraits. wedding. stuff I just don't want to hold onto anymore. delete delete delete. 20 pics of a waterfall, figure I will just keep 4. delete the other 16. 10 pics of my wifes nephew, some of the stupidest stuff. delete delete delete. Just lots of unnecessary images to hang on to. I have more trouble with my own kids images. Do I need a hundred photos of my son playing by the river by our house or all those Halloween photos? no. I have trouble making myself delete my own childrens photos though . lol.

But why spend the time and effort? What's the benefit to you?

picking up my mess? Not sure what you mean. One benefit is when I look through them or think about them all sitting there I don't have to ponder "why do I have all these photos I don't need? just wasting space?" I could be o.c.d.

I guess it just really comes down to whether you think it's worth your time and effort or not.

If it is, then just continue to do it and accept it without frustration, worry or complaint, having justified the time and effort you spend on it. On the other hand, if you think it's not worth your time and effort because there's no substantial benefit to you, then simply stop doing it.

 

[bribrius]

For me, a "shoot" includes the import, cull and backup process. If I have a shoot today, I import, cull and backup when I'm done shooting as a part of it. It's a few minutes spent per shoot.

That you spent 30 hours culling says to me that you're just filling up cards and then trying to go through them all after weeks or months of shooting. If that's the case, I'd advise finding a better work flow to break it down into more bite-sized chunks, as I have.

pretty much. I do a "light" culling usually when I import the images into pp software from the card. Hard core culling I have done three times this year I think. some of it I look back on and decided I don't need them anymore. Parade photos, peoples kids portraits. wedding. stuff I just don't want to hold onto anymore. delete delete delete. 20 pics of a waterfall, figure I will just keep 4. delete the other 16. 10 pics of my wifes nephew, some of the stupidest stuff. delete delete delete. Just lots of unnecessary images to hang on to. I have more trouble with my own kids images. Do I need a hundred photos of my son playing by the river by our house or all those Halloween photos? no. I have trouble making myself delete my own childrens photos though . lol.

But why spend the time and effort? What's the benefit to you?

picking up my mess? Not sure what you mean. One benefit is when I look through them or think about them all sitting there I don't have to ponder "why do I have all these photos I don't need? just wasting space?" I could be o.c.d.

I guess it just really comes down to whether you think it's worth your time and effort or not.

If it is, then just continue to do it and accept it without frustration, worry or complaint, having justified the time and effort you spend on it. On the other hand, if you think it's not worth your time and effort because there's no substantial benefit to you, then simply stop doing it.

take less photo, cull harder up front maybe. could probably help my cause a lot. As already mentioned it is good advice i should take it.

 

[imagemaker46]

I go through and edit after every shoot, I dump all the junk that wasn't deleted in camera. If I download 500 images from a shoot, I may dump 150-200, depending on the shoot, if they are similar I keep the best 1-2 Once that is done, I run them all through photoshop, crop, light/dark, colour correct any that need it, and delete the ones that I think should be deleted, be ruthless. Once all that is done, I go through photo mechanic, batch rename them and ID them all. Then they go to a portable HD.

There is no reason to keep anything that isn't good enough to use. If you edit after every single shoot, you won't be spending days in front of the computer.

 

[bribrius]

I go through and edit after every shoot, I dump all the junk that wasn't deleted in camera. If I download 500 images from a shoot, I may dump 150-200, depending on the shoot, if they are similar I keep the best 1-2 Once that is done, I run them all through photoshop, crop, light/dark, colour correct any that need it, and delete the ones that I think should be deleted, be ruthless. Once all that is done, I go through photo mechanic, batch rename them and ID them all. Then they go to a portable HD.

There is no reason to keep anything that isn't good enough to use. If you edit after every single shoot, you won't be spending days in front of the computer.

ruthless.... that is what i need. to be ruthless about them.

 

[bratkinson]

ruthless.... that is what i need. to be ruthless about them.

That's my first rule of culling...if it's not up to expectations, it's gone. However, there IS an exception...one of a kind (or two of) non-repeatable event or particular person. Then I loosen up a bit as it's a foregone conclusion that I'll have at least one of xxxxx.

I always make my 'first cull' after I've copied the JPGs and RAWs to my SSD drive. I don't delete the images on the card as they're my backup for now. Hopefully, same day, or at least within 12 hours, I slog through the JPGs using Windows Photo Viewer deleting the obvious losers, exposure issues, duplicated, boring, whatever. Then I make the corresponding deletions in the RAWs prior to importing the RAW images into Lightroom. I find that to be the easiest for me as I have fewer decisions to make while in Lightroom.

As for backups, I don't have an automatic anything. I only make backups when I want to, not when some piece of software decided 'it was time'. (As an aside, I don't do automatic updates to Windows or my security software either. I've had Windows updates cause problems, so I want to be fully backed up before I update Windows.) So, end result, I only have backed up what I need/want to have backed up...and multiple backups as well. I've had people ask for shots I took of them over 10 years ago. Having it readily available makes it easy to find them.

 

[photoguy99]

Shoot less.

Far too many amateurs just run around pointing the camera at everything and smashing the shutter button, because it's free now.

It's not free. It's crazily expensive, just not in monetary terms.

Shoot with intent, with purpose.

 

[Ilovemycam]

OP...

A big help will be to stop shooting garbage. I keep my cards as I would film. I only take pix off the cards that hold promise for books or museum placements. If it is not a promising project I wont shoot it any more. no time for garbage.

Bresson sums up my culling...

Yes...Yes...Yes...photography is like that and there's no maybes. All the maybes go to the trash. There is a tremendous enjoyment in saying yes, even if it is for something you hate. It is an affirmation...Yes!