This week I’d like to assist you to spend less time editing your Photographs. Many of my students “complain” of the time necessary to edit their work. I understand. This is kinda “normal”…
However! The Master Photographers of the past did not really complain about the time they spent in the Darkroom. As a matter of fact far from it. They could not wait to get into the darkroom to complete their visions.
A comment I get all the time is “you do this to all your Photographs?” My answer? Nope! Just the ones that matter.
Today many of us are very time constrained compared to those days… it’s the nature of our current climate. The Digital Darkroom can actually save us a lot of time if we simply use it correctly. Read on I’ll try and give you some hints…
8 Ways To Spend A Lot Less EditingTime In Your Computer
#1. Set time aside!
You’re editing! And that is all! Make sure you are not disturbed. Turn off the notifications on your computer. Set your phone on silent… your family too if that’s a problem. I’m really serious here! I can not tell you how many private lessons I’ve taught where we were interrupted every five minutes…
#2. Enhance your calm…
Use the same technique every time you edit. Classical music? A cup of coffee? Just not alcohol, because alcohol affects judgement. Your mood greatly affects your work! While shooting AND while editing. If you enjoy your photography to the fullest, you will enjoy the entire process! From capture, to edit, and then the final print!
#3. When shooting your images… shoot less!
Compose your image for your edit while you are shooting. Remove distractions in your images now… not later in PS. In our current day many Photographers are shooting thousands of images, in order to capture the few they want. Culling through all of those images takes time. Lots of it!
#4. Set up your PhotoShop workspace for how you edit.
Have all your specific tools and interfaces readily accessible! This is big my friends! Back in the day the wet darkroom was very organized for specific tasks. Nothing has changed except the tools. Organize your Photographs, your LightRoom Catalog, and the PhotoShop interface. Do not waste valuable time!
#5. Create PS actions for processes you do all the time.
Now this one requires some experience. Many Photographers like LightRoom because it’s “quicker.” But if you asked me to go down to one program I would get rid of LightRoom. Do NOT get me wrong here! LightRoom is an awesome program! But I already have all of my images organized. There are many things I can do in PhotoShop that are impossible to do in LightRoom. One really nice feature about LightRoom is that it allows me to save all of my edits in a smaller data base than I would have saving them on my hard drives though.
#6. You can’t polish a turd…
Learn that polishing images that don’t deserve the work is a total waste of time! Once again experience is your teacher in this respect. In every single class I’ve taught, students invariably ask me how to fix mistakes in PhotoShop. The best way to fix mistakes in PhotoShop, is to not make the mistakes composing the image in the first place. This one hint alone will save you tons of time! So practice my friends! Practice a LOT!
#7. People that do things quickly… actually move slower than you might think…
Those people simply do not make mistakes that mean “start over,” and they do not waste movements or time in any way… they build up their work methodically while not wasting any moves.
#8. Knowing when to stop!
Experience is the teacher here as well! The subject of coming back to images you edited a few years ago, does not enter this hint. Software changes, also you should have learned more. But you can really overthink your edits sometime! When ever possible I leave my edits on the computer for 24 hours. Then I look at them the next day with fresh eyes…
Closing Thoughts…
The key differences between a professional and an amateur in anything is commitment. The amateur will study the pros, and then not commit to the entire process in some way, shape or form. They will not commit entirely.
The pro will commit to the entire process,…do anything possible to increase his or her expertise,…and constantly study looking for new ways to manipulate the “grey areas”… or develop entirely new ways to accomplish more.
The big difference between a professional photographer and the amateur is taking the time in the darkroom. Back in the day it was the wet darkroom. Currently it’s the digital darkroom with infinitely more possibilities to accomplish our art. Tomorrow? It can be something entirely different!
Now one other thing… spending time “playing” or “experimenting” in PhotoShop is a whole ‘nuther subject! This is not wasting time if you have set aside that time to do so! This is education time!
So currently the edit of your final artistic vision is what will actually set you apart. If you are not prepared to actually learn to edit? Simply ditch all of your expensive photo equipment and use your smart phone. However! Even with a smart phone, people are developing ways to produce some pretty amazing images!
It’s not the camera my friends. It’s the six inches behind it willing to commit. To practice. To study the tools and their limitations. To not get enough or ever be totally satisfied. To be constantly striving for more.
Now quit reading my feldercarb, and pick up your Camera!
