# Feeling overwhelmed when editing



## nerwin (Oct 24, 2017)

*I would like to make something clear first.
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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.

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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?


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## jcdeboever (Oct 24, 2017)

nerwin said:


> 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!
> 
> ...


Getting them right in camera


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## JustJazzie (Oct 24, 2017)

I am right there with you. I really need to give it a week or so between the shoot and my editing so I can have a more objective view of the shots, but I also loose the momentum and excitement from the shoot. 

In my last shoot, I edited through them all, rushed into getting them printed and then had a random epiphany that I could have EASILY fixed the hair (to some extent) using liquify. But I had been staring at them for so long and just wanted to be done I didn't even think of it. 

Looking forward to hearing others tips!


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## jcdeboever (Oct 24, 2017)

nerwin said:


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Try to do it in camera. It can be done.


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## smoke665 (Oct 24, 2017)

@jcdeboever but what if you have a dozen of the same image "almost" identical, and you can't decide which one to keep, so you end up keeping all of them on the outside chance that you might come back later and want one of them, but then you never do, so your files just keep growing and growing??


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## jcdeboever (Oct 24, 2017)

smoke665 said:


> @jcdeboever but what if you have a dozen of the same image "almost" identical, and you can't decide which one to keep, so you end up keeping all of them on the outside chance that you might come back later and want one of them, but then you never do, so your files just keep growing and growing??


I only do that when bracketing or troublesome light conditions. Other than that, I shoot one image.


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## jcdeboever (Oct 24, 2017)

I despise editing.


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## Derrel (Oct 24, 2017)

nerwin said:
			
		

> 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!
> 
> ...



Waiting a bit, like at least a few days, or even a week, between the shoot, and the editing.

Doing a thorough cull-through, to avoid editing second- and third-rate or even fourth-rate shots.

Using* Settings>Copy>Paste *on the shots that had the same exposure and which need the same processing steps or treatment.

NOT allowing myself to get bogged down on one, single file!


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## jcdeboever (Oct 24, 2017)

nerwin said:


> jcdeboever said:
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Perfect? What does that have to do with what I said? Do you think that, based on what I said? Getting it right in camera is not perfection, it is a method learned from shooting film. People could spend more time in software than in camera. I am simply saying get it the way you want in camera or put the effort in. You don't like sooc jpegs for a reason. Not that I'm perfect, I just spend more time in camera as opposed to software. I am a horrible photographer but I don't waste my time trying to fix crappy images.


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## limr (Oct 24, 2017)

Okay, I think things are getting a little lost in translation.

I think everyone understands that we try to do as much as we can with the camera, but even with a clear 'keeper', we often feel like it could be a bit better and that's what post-processing is for. 

Let's keep the discussion focused on what happens after the camera work.


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## nerwin (Oct 24, 2017)

jcdeboever said:


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And so post-processing your photos means your work is crappy? So you're basically saying everyone on this forum post processes their photos because their work is crappy?


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## jcdeboever (Oct 24, 2017)

nerwin said:


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No. I just don't edit my crappy photos, which is majority. Your reading between imaginary lines. I simply answered your original post. You are taking it somewhere else.


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## nerwin (Oct 24, 2017)

jcdeboever said:


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Well maybe I have misread. I apologize. But we obviously have very different opinions on this matter and so we won't get anywhere. Let's just forget about it and move on.


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## limr (Oct 24, 2017)

Moving on...

I'll admit that I really dislike post-processing and don't do a lot of it. Perhaps some of that is due to the simple fact that there is less that can be reasonably done to a scanned jpeg of a film negative than to a raw file. A lot of it is also surely due to what I like about photography in general.

But still, I do recognize that sometimes photos just need a little something. I can tolerate it to a point, but then have to let it go.

Some things I do to help the work along is to categorize photos into ones I definitely want to edit, ones I definitely do not want to edit, and the "maybe" photos. I'll work on the handful that I'm excited about first. I never look at the "maybe" file right away. I find that giving it some time and getting distance from the creation of the image helps me be more objective about it. Sometimes that's a few days, and sometimes it's a few months. Only then do I decide if I am going to carry on with trying to edit, or if it's just not worth it to me.

Still, I don't delete (though technically it doesn't matter because I still have the negatives). Because you never know what you ultimately might want to edit. If I may, this is a photo that I ignored literally for years. One day I was going through old files and I found it and realized that I actually had learned how to edit it to look the way I wanted to. I didn't originally have the skills I needed, so I just left it, but years later, I knew more and so editing it was a non-issue for me.




rs Poinsettia by limrodrigues, on Flickr

So I would say prioritize, set limits, and if you're not sure, just leave it alone. It might just not be the right time for that image.


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## nerwin (Oct 24, 2017)

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.

The best thing to probably do is when I start to get frustrated with post-processing is to just take a break from it and come back later, usually the next day or week..or a month instead of trying to get it all done in one day.

I'm not going to lie, I love editing my photos. I love having the ability to adjust every color of a photo and making it be visually different. That is my style and who I am. I mean every photo I have shared on this forum that have been liked by many and nominated have been processed and I've probably spent hours on them.


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## limr (Oct 24, 2017)

nerwin said:


> 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.


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## nerwin (Oct 24, 2017)

limr said:


> 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.


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## limr (Oct 24, 2017)

nerwin said:


> limr said:
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> > 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.
> ...



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


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## Vtec44 (Oct 24, 2017)

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


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## nerwin (Oct 24, 2017)

Vtec44 said:


> 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.


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## Vtec44 (Oct 24, 2017)

nerwin said:


> Vtec44 said:
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> > 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
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Hahaha I wish.


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## nerwin (Oct 24, 2017)

Vtec44 said:


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Met too...me too.


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## 407370 (Oct 24, 2017)

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.


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## Light Guru (Oct 24, 2017)

nerwin said:


> 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.


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## Dave442 (Oct 25, 2017)

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.


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## SquarePeg (Oct 25, 2017)

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?


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## nerwin (Oct 25, 2017)

SquarePeg said:


> 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.


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## smoke665 (Oct 25, 2017)

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.


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## birdbonkers84 (Oct 26, 2017)

nerwin said:


> *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.
> 
> ...



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.


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## kalgra (Oct 26, 2017)

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.


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## DanOstergren (Oct 26, 2017)

nerwin said:


> "In my _personal _opinion, getting it right in camera is something I don't really care about."
> 
> "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."


The topic you don't want to discuss is ironically the answer to your problem. Shoot to not have to edit. Sorry I know you said you don't want to discuss it, but this is such a major contradiction and ignorant cop-out that I could not ignore it. Please don't mistake my honesty for meanness.

You already said you focus on lighting and composition; that's good. Getting the lighting right means you avoid a lot of retouching, and can potentially avoid it altogether. Part of composition is grooming the photo set to make sure everything is in place and nothing exists in the frame that would have to be edited out later, eliminating another aspect of photo editing. If you set your white balance correctly, often times you wont even have to do color editing either. I have mine set to "Shade" 100% of the time, and rarely have to do any color adjustments.

I understand that you don't want to discuss getting it right in camera, but in this case that's your exact problem and exactly what you need to be doing especially if photo editing is becoming an overwhelming task.


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## nerwin (Oct 26, 2017)

Thanks everyone for tips and suggestions.

But I'm just going to continue to do what I feel is best. I like to edit photos and add my personal touch to them. That's just how I do things. We all do things differently and I believe there is no correct way when it comes to creating art.

My issue is over thinking and that's something I do a lot. In this case, I just simply put way too much thought into something so simple and subjective.


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## DanOstergren (Oct 26, 2017)

jcdeboever said:


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Completely agreed. My signature look is due to lighting and vision, definitely not in the editing, which I try to keep very minimal. If a photographer doesn't care for their images SOOC, that means they need to work on their photo making skills, not editing.


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## DanOstergren (Oct 26, 2017)

jcdeboever said:


> I despise editing.


I'm right there with you. I can't stand it, so I always think of ways I can avoid doing so during the actual photographic process. It's still "editing", it's just done before the photo is taken instead of after. I even see lighting in itself as a retouching tool.


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## jcdeboever (Oct 26, 2017)

DanOstergren said:


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Exactly. It's not easy but the effort of in camera photography is way more interesting and gratifying than trying to figure out software. Film has taught me this, hence the reason I bought the Fujifilm, it works like my film cameras.


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## DanOstergren (Oct 26, 2017)

Ok @nerwin, what part about light being a retouching tool or "editing" still being a process that takes place before the photo is taken do you disagree with?



nerwin said:


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


I don't understand what your issue is, asking a question but threatening to have your topic removed if you don't like someone's answer. If you don't like mine or someone else's opinions, you might as well block us so you don't have to see them, because I wont stop saying what I think just because someone doesn't want to hear it. That's pure ignorance.


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## Overread (Oct 27, 2017)

I wasn't around when this situation occurred and will leave the moderator who was dealing with this to reply if they so choose with regard to the lock. 

However I want to remind users that:
1) Even if you don't agree/like an answer to your question we expect users to remain polite toward each other at all times. You don't have to agree, but you do have to remain respectful. 

2) Users do not have the "right/power" to "demand" their threads to be closed. We have never practised that form of moderation and do not intend to. We lock threads typically based upon continued hostile/argumentative behaviour by users where its clear that the thread is not going to go back on the rails or where there's already a fight happening and the thread is just a continuation of egos bashing against each other. 

There are rare occasions where a request to lock will be performed; but its on a case by case basis and not something we typically do outside of unique situations.


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