Feeling overwhelmed when editing

[limr]

I've done that too, found a photo I took many years ago but for some reason kept it even though then I thought it was a throw away shot but actually ended being a gem. Just needed to wait for my editing style to flourish I guess, lol.

I look at it the same way I do reading a book or writing something. There have been times when I started to read a book and I just couldn't get into it, so I end up not finishing it. I might try again in a couple of years, and suddenly I find that I can't put it down. It's happened to me when trying to write as well. An idea floats around for days before I am finally ready to get the words out of my head.

Sometimes you just have to wait for the time when you'll be ready for it.

I say if you are hitting a wall with a particular image, then just leave it. Put it in a folder called "Later" or something like that. Check the folder every once in a while to see what hits you.

Even when you are working on something that you know you want to work on, you need to give yourself regular breaks. Work on a different image or do something completely different - I mean, not even on the computer. Rest your eyes by taking them off the screen for a while.

 

[nerwin]

I look at it the same way I do reading a book or writing something. There have been times when I started to read a book and I just couldn't get into it, so I end up not finishing it. I might try again in a couple of years, and suddenly I find that I can't put it down. It's happened to me when trying to write as well. And idea floats around for days before I am finally ready to get the words out of my head.

I'm pretty sure that is normal behavior for creatives haha.

 

[limr]

I look at it the same way I do reading a book or writing something. There have been times when I started to read a book and I just couldn't get into it, so I end up not finishing it. I might try again in a couple of years, and suddenly I find that I can't put it down. It's happened to me when trying to write as well. And idea floats around for days before I am finally ready to get the words out of my head.

I'm pretty sure that is normal behavior for creatives haha.

Yeah, we're kooky that way We gots to feeeeeeel it, man!

 

[Vtec44]

OMG, I shoot weddings. There are a lot of photos after each wedding! My tip? Charge enough so it's not as painful when you have to go through 2000 photos It's still painful. LOL

 

[nerwin]

OMG, I shoot weddings. There are a lot of photos after each wedding! My tip? Charge enough so it's not as painful when you have to go through 2000 photos It's still painful. LOL

Well not all of us can edit our photos on a yacht.

 

[Vtec44]

OMG, I shoot weddings. There are a lot of photos after each wedding! My tip? Charge enough so it's not as painful when you have to go through 2000 photos It's still painful. LOL

Well not all of us can edit our photos on a yacht.

Hahaha I wish.

 

[nerwin]

OMG, I shoot weddings. There are a lot of photos after each wedding! My tip? Charge enough so it's not as painful when you have to go through 2000 photos It's still painful. LOL

Well not all of us can edit our photos on a yacht.

Hahaha I wish.

Met too...me too.

 

[407370]

I dont make money from photography so Idont give a.............. what anyone else thinks of my processing.

I love HDR / Tone mapping / bracketing / cloning out people or objects / or SOOC as I see fit. I dont follow a doctrine of any kind except what I think is right for that particular image, and IT IS just a digital image that I treat with the exact same reverence as any other digital image.

 

[Light Guru]

In my personal opinion, getting it right in camera is something I don't really care about. Why? Because I choose to get it close as I can in camera but I don't focus too much on it, instead, I focus on other important factors such as composition and lighting. Exposure can be fixed in post, especially with cameras of today. Also, I love having full control of the raw files to process how I please and do crazy editing that is just simply impossible to do in camera. At the end of the day, it's my opinion and you don't have to agree with it. But that's how I do things, that's my workflow and my style. I'm not perfect. Ansel Adams wasn't either. There is not right or wrong way.

Ansel Adams would spend days in the darkroom working on a single image, so he definitely didn't get it right in camera.

Sometimes I use a Large format film camera and one thing it has taught me is to take fewer photos. As funny as it sounds is I actually come away with more keeper shots now then I did before by using this method. And no its not because I'm getting it right in camera, I still do plenty of post processing.

I spend more time before I trip the shutter trying to see the final image in my mind before I take the photo.

Think more, shoot less.

Now you didn't say what type of shooting you are doing. Some types of photography simply require shooting a lot to get what you need. Sports and weddings are an example. I don't do those types of photography so I take my time and pre visualize my images.

 

[Dave442]

When the Dodgers last won the World Series I had a B&W darkroom in LA. Spent way too much time, but it was a lot of fun. Of course at the same time shooting Kodachrome and that was all done in camera, but bracketing was allowed so you didn't always have to nail exposure with one shot. Both ways gave the results desired.

In digital I often have too many images. Like Derrel, I will cull and copy-paste settings.
- I rate 1 star the images to consider editing.
- Batch edit each group that is similar processing.
- A quick fine tune for each image with things you don't do in a batch like some dodging and burning.
- Rate 2 star the images I really like
- Additional editing on the 2 star - if it is going with a look different from the rest a virtual copy is made.
- If it is sent to Photoshop then a virtual copy is also made.

I consider the use of the images and what that value is to me, that gives me an idea of how much time to spend on post processing. If its paid work then that time was already factored in before picking up the camera.

 

[SquarePeg]

If I’ve taken so many photos that I’m feeling overwhelmed, I do a quick cull and choose 4-5 favorites and edit those. I put the rest aside for later. Then the next time I’m bored or feel like editing but haven’t shot anything new, I pull out the later photos and take a closer look and edit some more. I do this over the winter when I don’t shoot as often. Not possible if you’re shooting for someone else but I don’t think you do that do you?

 

[nerwin]

If I’ve taken so many photos that I’m feeling overwhelmed, I do a quick cull and choose 4-5 favorites and edit those. I put the rest aside for later. Then the next time I’m bored or feel like editing but haven’t shot anything new, I pull out the later photos and take a closer look and edit some more. I do this skit over the wineter when I dot shoot as often. Not possible if you’re shooting for someone else but I don’t think you do that do you?

no, I only shoot for myself. Yeah winter is a great time to go through your photos and organize and re-edit. My goal this winter is to focus on doing macro stuff as I'm not much of a outside person during winter as I hate the cold haha. But sometimes I'll venture out when I'm in the mood.

 

[smoke665]

Not to start up the debate over sooc again, but years ago I shot film, after a long hiatus I've jumped back into the digital world. Getting it right in camera was more important in my film days, but I view digital different. To me a digital image is nothing but data, I strive to get as much data in the file sooc, but the final image is dependent on how I choose to process that data. One image file can produce an unlimited number of different looks. My work flow has evolved to start with Bridge. Using the space bar I can scroll through and rapidly view the images full size. This is where I make my first round of permanent cuts. Using the batch tool I rename the files, and move them from SD card to the folder specified on my computer. Then I import those files into LR, specifying collections and common presets for my particular camera. Once in LR, I scroll through the files paying particular attention to the histogram, and make a second round of cuts. Then I use the eye dropper to set WB on the first image, and use the synch button to set all to the same WB. At that point I use "survey" to start comparing all similar images flagging those I want to edit. Then set filter to flagged images and do my final processing on those images. When I'm satisfied with my images I go back and delete the ones I didn't pick. I know I should, and if I were doing it as a professional, I would incorporate a dump file of Raw files prior to any processing, but since they're only for my use, I don't do it anymore.

 

[birdbonkers84]

I would like to make something clear first.

I know this topic may bring upon a debate between post-processing and getting it right in camera. That is NOT what I would like this discussion to entail. This discussion is about post processing.

In my personal opinion, getting it right in camera is something I don't really care about. Why? Because I choose to get it close as I can in camera but I don't focus too much on it, instead, I focus on other important factors such as composition and lighting. Exposure can be fixed in post, especially with cameras of today. Also, I love having full control of the raw files to process how I please and do crazy editing that is just simply impossible to do in camera. At the end of the day, it's my opinion and you don't have to agree with it. But that's how I do things, that's my workflow and my style. I'm not perfect. Ansel Adams wasn't either. There is not right or wrong way.

If this discussion turns into a debate between editing and getting it right in camera, I'll have it closed.

--

Lately I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed when it comes to photo editing. Sometimes I almost dread having to do it after a photoshoot.

After spending hours of processing images and staring at the computer monitor, I swear your eyes start playing tricks on you. Drives me nuts!

I love taking photos into LR and making them come alive and playing around with the sliders but when you gotta do it to 400+ shots...it's not that fun anymore. Especially when you get stuck on one photo where you have no idea which way you wanna take it.

What are some tips and tricks that you have learned that have made your post-processing life more enjoyable?

Best advice I could give is walk away from it a few days then go back, you'll be surprised what a fresh pair of eyes makes. I do this myself and when I'm modelling in my 3d software, many character modellers use this tip aswell, its where I got it from.

 

[kalgra]

I guess my questions is why are you editing 400+ images at a time? I mean for a wedding or something I get it but if you are editing every single picture you take, yeah I can see how you would be overwhelmed. Do you only shoot in raw?

Let me just state that I LOVE editing my photos but I don't edit all of them. I shoot in both raw and jpeg simultaneously. Many of the shots I get right in camera and am happy to just go with the jpeg straight out of camera but sometimes I like to take an image further even if I got it right in camera or especially when I didn't get it right in camera and want to salvage the picture. those are the one I choose to edit in post.

Does your camera allow you to do both at the same time?

I recently did my first (and probably last) family photo shoot. Not really what I would call my cup of tea but anyway I shot 700+ photos over two hours in both jpeg and raw. I removed all the obvious throw aways of children screaming and mom pulling out her hair, etc and was left with a little over 500 images. I let the client choose the 5 they liked most and fully edited just those 5 to make them as perfect as possible. Everything else they got were the out of camera jpgs and they loved them. My point here is do you really feel you need to edit every shot? Why not just pick the 10 or even 20 you like best?

Anyway I know ramble on this is just my take on it.