How do you cull/thin out old images

Overread · Apr 24, 2019

Katomi personally if I'm editing a photo my approach when saving in Photoshop is to never edit the base layer. Instead copy the base layer and edit the copy. That way each photo always retains an un-touched version within the file. The only thing you can't save that way is the crop of the photo, but since cropping is normally a final or near final stage its easy to save two versions then - one without and one with the crop (the latter also likely with your typical resizing and final sharpening and the like for output).

Considering that each layer in Photoshop is already distinct I'd consider that a far more efficient way to work than saving each photo a halfdozen times or more. Just pausing to save that often is going to eat up time, esp on larger projects. I'd honestly saves the time and just copy the base layer.

smoke665 · Apr 24, 2019

Storage might be off topic but I guess really it's not, as the amount you cull is somewhat dependent on your ability to store. You can get roughly 3500 moderately edited psd files, on a 1 TB drive, easily over 10k if you just save the raw. Granted storage is getting cheaper, but for what purpose are you saving? Will future generations somehow be better off because you stored a gazillion images of non descript subjects which they have no understanding of why and likely little interest in knowing. My father left me with box, after box, after box, of slides. Being the dutiful son I 've gone through less then a third. Outside of the spattering of family members here and there, most are of things I have no clue why he kept them. Maybe because he paid to have them developed and storage (cardboard boxes) were cheap. At my age I've come to the conclusion that I would rather leave something that my children can relate to, better quality images of their childhood (they don't need a 1000 shots, many duplicates of a birthday) my life in general, and a few of the very best of my artistic images.

I can see the need to maintain client files for a period of time, but even then how long? If a client hasn't contacted you in the last 10 years for a reprint, do you really believe they're going to in the future,

Dean_Gretsch · Apr 24, 2019

Wow. I am definitely odd man out here. I view all photos in a picture viewer and edit them in Photoshop Raw if I feel they deserve the time. If they speak to me and I like the quality, I save them to an external hard drive. Otherwise they are deleted almost immediately. I keep few pics. I am probably my own worst critic and judge them very harshly.

Original katomi · Apr 25, 2019

Why do I keep so many pics, Def not for the next gen, as I am disabled and getting worse, I suppose I try and capture the moment. I know when I am gone no one will be really interested in my pics, maybe an odd family shot will get a Oh I rem that
But I suspect it will be more of why on earth photograph that.
But who cares, This what I do as a hobby, I don’t ask others to like what I photograph if they do great thanks for the tip on base layer, I will have a play with that

smoke665 · Apr 25, 2019

Original katomi said:
This what I do as a hobby, I don’t ask others to like what I photograph if they do great tha

That's a valid reason no doubt, but let me ask another question. Of those 1,000's of images you saved how often do you actually look at everyone of them? Not being disrespectful of your reasoning, but I'm struggling with this myself in determining where to draw the line. My reasoning is that a more critical eye on the cull would result in a database that I'm more apt to actually enjoy. Fyi: I'm also looking at wifi enabled digital displays that would work off my WiFi enabled NAS. The wifi enabled digital displays have really dropped in price.

Original katomi · Apr 25, 2019

Hi smoke, my deciding factor on when to cull is when an image does not bring back a memory or a feeling. I have a trip through past images every now and then, sometimes to recall an event or to see how somewhere has changed I have no idea what WiFi NAS is
The other thing I saw in the above posts is how long do you keep shots for a client, that’s hard but the 10 years suggested seems reasonable. If if have done family/friends photos I hand everything over on a mem stickLet them worry about storage

Derrel · Apr 25, 2019

Some interesting points of view here.

JBPhotog · Apr 25, 2019

Overread said:
The only thing you can't save that way is the crop of the photo, but since cropping is normally a final or near final stage its easy to save two versions then - one without and one with the crop (the latter also likely with your typical resizing and final sharpening and the like for output).

That is not entirely correct. In PS when the crop tool is selected note there is a checkbox next to 'Delete Cropped Pixels' in the tool menubar. If checked, then yes cropped pixels are deleted from the file, never to be seen again. But, if you uncheck it and make a crop the pixels outside the crop are still concurrent in the file even after a save in PSD or Tiff format. However, if saved as a JPEG then your crop takes precedence and all pixels outside the crop are gone.

Storage has all sorts of predicaments as the march of technology and media stability develop over time. FWIW, hard drives are the most stable and easily accessible medium for my workflow. I have stored client files on DVD but the final Tiff files are on HD's just in case the DVD's become unstable, which they typically will over a decade or two. By then the client likely won't want me to process a Raw file they didn't choose in the proofing stage so not much of a worry.

I will echo that there is no need to save several versions of the same file with multiple edits in PS since the layers are essentially unique edits one can turn on or off at any point. The caveat is, don't work on a 16 bit file with multiple layers and then save it out in a different colour profile or as an 8 bit tiff, this WILL merge all layers into one and going back once the file is closed can not restore it to your layered file.

Derrel · Apr 25, 2019

Original katomi said:
It’s interesting that you use cd/dvd I used to but all mine suffered failure within five years.>SNIP>

Some drives had difficulty reading 'blue" discs. Strange that "all" would suffer failure. A good percentage of the earlier CD-ROM discs were blue, such as those marketed under the iMation brans, but also by other good brands.

My experience with "bad CD-ROM media" was that the drive was important.

smoke665 · Apr 25, 2019

Original katomi said:
Hi smoke, my deciding factor on when to cull is when an image does not bring back a memory or a feeling. I have a trip through past images every now and then, sometimes to recall an event or to see how somewhere has changed I have no idea what WiFi NAS is
The other thing I saw in the above posts is how long do you keep shots for a client, that’s hard but the 10 years suggested seems reasonable. If if have done family/friends photos I hand everything over on a mem stickLet them worry about storage

At least you do revisit the images, I have a fear that many (like my Dad), simply keep them.

I have no idea what WiFi NAS is Paring a wifi enabled digital frame with a wifi enabled Network Attached Storage drive will allow you to feed your digital frame images from your drive, without having to upload them. The technology and the price has really come down on both. This one from Best Buy is sort of high, but gives you and idea. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/alurat...VlInICh1TZAYqEAQYBSABEgKRovD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds For about the price of a good frame and print you can buy a descent digital frame that the pictures never get stale.