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Iโ€™m going to share something. It’s probably going to ruffle a few feathers, but I feel it’s important to say. I’d invite you to leave a comment at the end, because I want to see how many other people have a similar approach (or not). Here goes…

My Lightroom catalog is a mess! My hard drives have photos all over the place (we can call it organized chaos because I do know where things are). I have zero idea how bright my screen is or it’s color profile. My hard drives do this RAID thing but I donโ€™t even know how to spell it, let alone use it. When I save a photo, I have no idea what color space I save it in. I have no idea if I cropped it first or last. I never calibrate my computer screen. When I upsize a photo, I simply open it in Photoshop and go to Image > Image Size.

The metadata panel in Lightroom has never been opened by me except for when I do a tutorial on it. I donโ€™t use import presets. I (often) donโ€™t even import my photos into Lightroom! I only use one (maybe two-ish) plug-ins. I teach about star ratings and flags, but I rarely use them on my photos.  On some photos I use the contrast slider, on others I use Whites and Blacks for contrast – and the only reason I have is because it’s the mood I was in at the time.

I could go onโ€ฆ but Iโ€™m wondering if you see a theme here. The above paragraph says a lot of things that I donโ€™t spend my time on. Why I wrote that will make sense in a moment, but let’s approach it from a different angle. 

A while back when I was noticing a lot of noise in my wildlife photos I wanted to use Noise reduction software, so I asked a friend what they used and immediately went out to get Topaz Denoise – without spending another ounce of brain power (or time) on choosing software. I got a new monitor a while back and all I did was open it, place it on the desk, attached my laptop and immediately started editing. When I edit a photo, I spend A LOT of time on the sky. How bright, how dark, transition, color, etcโ€ฆ

Want more… When I edit a wildlife photo, I open it, almost always press auto, some times crop first, run Topaz Denoise (sometimes first or sometimes last), and save it as a JPG with zero thought to color space, PPI, output sharpening, workflow order, etc… I spend A LOT of time on the subject in my photosโ€ฆ how bright, dark, color, etcโ€ฆ I spend A LOT of time on distracting areas in my photos. Are they too bright, dark, out of place. When I edit many of my photos, I open them in Bridge or Photo Mechanic, find one really good oneโ€ฆ edit it in Camera Raw and save it as a JPG, and Iโ€™m done (having never touched LR – gasp!!!!).ย 

Where Is This Leading?

Okay, so where is this going you ask? Itโ€™s the idea that I think many of you are spending time on the things that donโ€™t make a difference to your photography, and wonโ€™t help your photos resonate more with you or anyone else. I only say this because I see the questions you ask. And questions are a great indicator of where people spend their time, or at least where they think they should be spending it. 

I can 100% guarantee you that the photographers you follow out there (and appreciate their work) have the absolute worst, pieced-together workflows. They could care less what hard drive theyโ€™re using, or color space, or upsizing program, or the order in which they do things. I promise you because I knowโ€ฆ we talk at various events, online, personally, etcโ€ฆ And the really good photographers I speak to all care very little about the things I just mentioned, because they know that thereโ€™s only one thing that matters – how good the photo looks. And theyโ€™ll spend their time making the photo look good – be it in camera or through editing. And you know what they rely on to get it there? Their eyes. Not a color space, or some specific perfectly ordered workflow.

So my hope for you is two thingsโ€ฆ

THING #1 Start asking the right questions of yourself or whoever you follow online. If youโ€™re stuck on a technical detail, go with your eyes first. As Nike saysโ€ฆ just do it. Just freakinโ€™ edit the photo! And spend your time on the creative aspect of how things look. If you donโ€™t trust your eyes, then post to an online group, or send a message to some one you follow or trust. But instead of asking them a technical question, that is pretty easily google-able, or doesnโ€™t really have a right answer, make that post or email count. 

How? Donโ€™t just say โ€œWhat do you think of this photo?โ€. Instead, look at what youโ€™re unsure about in the photo or an area you spent some time on. Post a question that goes something like โ€œI really worked a lot on the sky in this photo since it was very blah, and Iโ€™m wondering if it looks too dark?โ€. Critiquing a photo is a skill that 99% of people donโ€™t have, so DONโ€™T ASK them to do something theyโ€™re not good at (but may think they are). You could end up hurting your workflow more than helping it.

Ask a pointed question. Sure youโ€™ll get various answers but youโ€™ll get much more focussed feedback, which in turn will help keep you focussed.

WHATโ€™S THE SECOND THING I HOPE YOU DO?

Iโ€™m glad you asked. The second thing I hope you do is check out my No Light, No Problem Volume 3 course. Of any course I do, this series shows you exactly how I spend my time. If you like my photos or my editing, this is they key. It’s everything I know and do to a photo all wrapped up in a 90 minute course. Itโ€™s not an encyclopedia course like my Lightroom System where I have to show you the โ€œwhatโ€ of everything – even if I donโ€™t use it. 

Itโ€™s my โ€œWhyโ€ course. It shows you where I spend my time, what Iโ€™m thinking as I look at a photo and why I make the changes I do. It’s the important stuff about photo editing that WILL make a difference. Not the stuff you get caught up in that has zero impact on your photography.

Howโ€™s that for some shameless self promotion! ๐Ÿ˜‰ 

Thanks for reading. And even if you donโ€™t buy my course (or already have), I hope you start asking the questions that really count. Enjoy!

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