How should I cull photos and decide which images to keep?
Asked 2/4/2011
156 views
2 answers
0
As cameras improve, RAW files get larger and it's easy to end up with huge numbers of very similar photos. I have plenty of storage, but reviewing old shoots and deciding what to delete is time-consuming—especially when there are many nearly identical frames with small differences in sharpness, expression, or framing.
What is an effective workflow for culling photos, choosing the best images, and deciding what to delete? Is it better to do this immediately after a shoot or later?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
48
I don't know if this is a great system, but here's what I do:
- After the shoot/session is done I immediately sort through every frame I took looking for the 'keepers.' I do it this way because for me it is easier to choose to keep the great shots than it is to delete the borderline shots... That may just be me. :-)
- Next I sort through every frame I didn't put in the 'keepers' pile and look for anything that is bad enough to just trash immediately- usually there are a few out-of-focus or technically flawed photos that I didn't delete 'on-the-fly' which get taken out back behind the barn and put out of my misery.
- I then look through the 'Keepers' and see if there are any 'holes' in the shoot that I will need to fill with the shots that weren't good enough to make my 'keepers' pile, but weren't bad enough to trash... Call it my 'marginal' pile if you will. If there are holes to be filled I then pick the 'best of the worst' to fill in those holes.
- I post-process all the 'Keepers.' If it's a personal session I post 'em, if it's a professional session I work with the client further from there to close the contract. For client contracts this is it. I keep both the 'keepers' and the 'marginal' shots forever and get ingested into my backup solution (which is an entirely different process).
- After some time has passed (I usually do this every month for any personal work that happened 3 months prior in order to allow myself a bit of perspective) I re-examine the 'marginal' pile to see if time has changed my initial impressions of those photographs... Usually there are a few in the 'marginal' pile that I like enough to keep. The rest are shown no mercy and get to go to the round file from there.
Originally by user2838. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2838
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A practical approach is to cull in passes, preferably soon after the shoot while it’s still fresh.
- First pass: pick obvious keepers. Many photographers find it easier to select the strong images than to decide what to delete.
- Second pass: remove clear rejects—out of focus, badly exposed, accidental shots, or frames with no useful subject.
- Third pass: compare similar images and keep only the best one or two. For burst sequences, choose the frame with the best sharpness, expression, and composition.
- Final pass: give quick ratings based on first impression. Don’t overthink it; your initial reaction is often the right one.
If needed, repeat the process and raise the standard each round.
A good rule is to avoid making final decisions on every borderline image in one sitting. If you’re unsure, leave it for later rather than deleting something you may value. Also remember that technically imperfect photos can still be meaningful or appealing, so don’t judge only by sharpness or histogram.
If you struggle to choose, showing images to another person can help reveal which ones actually stand out.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI15y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Can I speed up Lightroom wedding photo culling with automation or plugins?
How do you decide which digital photos to keep and which to delete?
What’s an efficient workflow for culling thousands of travel photos down to a small keeper set?
Why can duplicate photo files have slightly different file sizes?
Should I keep all my photos or delete unused shots?