In photography, “workflow” usually means the overall process you follow from capture to final output, not a fixed set of identical edits for every image.

It can refer narrowly to post-processing steps, but more often it covers the whole chain: shooting, importing, organizing, editing, backing up, exporting, sharing, printing, or archiving. The exact steps vary depending on how you shoot and what you deliver.

A simple example workflow might be:

1. Capture images in RAW
2. Import and organize them in software like Lightroom
3. Add metadata/keywords and cull selects
4. Make basic adjustments
5. Send some files to Photoshop for heavier edits if needed
6. Export for web or print
7. Back up the originals and edited files, ideally including offsite storage

So your instinct is right: workflow does not mean every photo gets the exact same treatment. It means you have a repeatable process for handling images efficiently and consistently, even though the actual edits may differ from photo to photo.