If you’ve read What Happens After a Client Shoot, you know that a Photographer’s job does NOT end after a photoshoot or event.
To speed up post-processing of images, many photographers opt to batch edit. Batch Editing is just as it sounds: you select a batch of photos (usually an entire set from one location or section of an event) and apply the same edits to all of them at once.
It may sound like I’m poopoo-ing (that’s a word, right?!!) batch editing, but I’m not.
Every photographer works differently, like any Artist. One painter may spend weeks prepping and then a few hours painting on a canvas while another painter may spend a few minutes preparing and then months painting his canvas. Both canvases are finished paintings, and they both have a distinct style. Photography is the same way.
With that said, I never ever ever batch edit. It’s just who I am. For the things I am passionate about, I am pretty meticulous about the details. This is true when it comes to my kids’ health and safety, education, finances, and photography.
For my images, I do Custom Editing. That means I look at every image, one at a time, to see what needs to be done to make the photo its absolute best. Every. Single. Image.
In fact, I look at each image numerous times before I edit and after I edit. It may sound tiresome or redundant, but I love it. I admit it’s a long process, but the end result is rewarding.
I am currently editing several hundred images from a wedding and thought I’d give an example of custom editing…
Custom Edited
Original SOOC (straight-out-of-the-camera)
Photography Notes:
The SOOC image is not bad technically. At first I thought the White Balance (WB) was slightly cool, but the table cloth and wall colors show the WB is correct. The only thing is the Flowergirl is standing in the shade and could use a little more light.
Since this is an editorial image (the Flowergirl was sneaking in candy before the ceremony), I didn’t pose her in better light or have time to grab a reflector. I took this shot to capture that look on her face of innocence and “being caught”.
I wanted the final image to reflect the sweetness of the story and highlight the pink theme of the wedding. 🙂
So, in post processing, I brightened up the image a tad, did some “dodging” (spot lightening) in areas, got rid of some of the unattractive marks on the walls, and added a soft pink wash.
If you have an opinion of Batch Editing vs Custom Editing, leave a comment below. If this was helpful to you, you can share it by clicking one of the links below.
Happy shooting!
annie