That Feeling When You Have WAY Too Many Photos? Let's Talk Culling...

You know the feeling. You’ve just wrapped an epic shoot. The light was perfect, your clients were naturals, and you’re pretty sure you’ve got some absolute gold on your memory card.

You get home, buzzing with creative energy, and dump your cards. And then it hits you. The sheer volume of photos. Hundreds, maybe thousands of them, all staring back at you from your screen...

Somewhere in that digital mountain are the masterpieces ... But finding them? ... That’s a whole other story.

Welcome to the world of culling, my friend. It’s the not-so-secret step that every pro photographer swears by, and it’s about to become your new best friend.

So, What on Earth is Culling?

Think of yourself as a sculptor. You start with a giant block of marble (your massive folder of RAW files) and you chip away at it, revealing the beautiful statue hidden inside.

That’s culling.

It’s the process of sifting through all your photos and picking out the absolute keepers. The blurry shots, the ones where someone’s blinking, the 50 near-identical photos of the same pose – they all get lovingly (or ruthlessly) tossed aside, leaving you with only the best of the best.

"But I'm a Busy Person!" - We know, this is why You Need to Cull

I get it, your time is precious. But trust me, a little time spent culling saves you a lot of time down the road. Here’s why it’s a total game-changer:

• Get Your Life Back: Seriously. By culling first, you’re not wasting time editing photos that will never see the light of day. That means a faster turnaround for your clients and more time for, you know, things that aren't sitting in front of a computer.

• Become a Better Photographer: Culling is like a personal feedback session. You’ll start to see what’s working and what’s not, and you’ll develop a sharper eye for what makes a truly incredible photo.

• Deliver a "Wow" Gallery: A gallery of 50 amazing photos is so much more powerful than a gallery of 200 ‘meh’ ones. Culling ensures that every single photo you deliver is a showstopper.

• Tame Your Hard Drives: Those RAW files are beefy. Culling is like a spring clean for your hard drives, freeing up space and keeping your digital life organised.

The Old Way vs. The New Way: Manual vs. AI Culling

Back in the day, culling meant hours of scrolling, squinting at your screen, and probably a fair bit of indecisive hair-pulling.

While some folks still like to do things the old-fashioned way, there’s a new kid on the block that’s changing the game: Narrative's AI-powered culling.

Instead of you having to manually check every single photo for focus and blinks, AI can do the heavy lifting for you. It’s like having a super-fast, super-smart assistant who can instantly spot the duds and leave you with a pre-sorted selection of potential winners.

Let’s Be Real, You Need Narrative Select in Your Life

When it comes to AI culling, Narrative Select is in a league of its own. It’s not about taking away your creative control; it’s about giving you back your time. Narrative’s AI is designed by photographers, for photographers, and it’s all about making your life easier.

Here's why you'll love it:

• So. Damn. Fast: We’re talking thousands of RAW files imported in seconds. No more waiting for previews to load. Just pure, unadulterated speed.

• No More Guesswork: Narrative’s face and eye assessments are like having superhuman vision. Instantly see who’s in focus and who’s blinking, even in group shots. The Close-Ups Panel is a godsend for spotting that perfect, fleeting expression.

• Hide the Uglies: With a single click, Narrative’s Image Assessments will find and hide the worst photos from your shoot. You'll be looking at 20-30% fewer images right off the bat.

• Plays Nice with Your Workflow: Once you’ve picked your faves, send them straight to Lightroom, Capture One, or Photoshop with a single click. It’s so seamless, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Your New Culling Workflow (the Easy Version)

1. Import: Drag your folder of photos into Narrative. Go make a coffee. Just kidding, you won’t even have time for that with how fast this is - just saying. 

2. Cull: Let Narrative's AI work its magic. Use the smart features to quickly filter out the no-gos and focus on the images that tell the story. Star, colour, or tag your favourites.

3. Ship: With a click of a button your chosen images will magically appear in your favourite editing software, ready for you to work your creative magic.

Follow these steps for success - or watch our video below!

So there you have it. Culling doesn’t have to be a chore. With the right tools and a little bit of know-how, it can be a quick, easy, and even enjoyable part of your creative process. Now go forth and conquer that mountain of photos! You’ve got this.

Try Narrative Free if you want to speed up your worflow!