How I Cull a Full Wedding in 24 HOURS (KJ Education)
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- As wedding photographers we love taking the photos but the bottleneck in our workflow is the culling process. It takes us FOREVER to cull! But in my workflow I've learned how to cull a full wedding day within 24 hours of shooting the wedding. In this video I'm going to share my tips and tricks for making that a reality for your own workflow!
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If you find this video helpful, you'll definitely want to check out the KJ Consistency Course 2.0! katelynjames.com/consistency-course-2-0
Hi Katelyn! When you upload your cards to your hard drive do you upload the files to your computer first and then copy them over to the hard drive? Or do you have a special hard drive/attachment to upload the cards directly to your hard drive? than you!
@@Ceciliamarie16 When I have my HD plugged in, I import directly to the HD from the cards (through the computer!)
@@KatelynJames Thank you for responding, Katelyn! :)
Hi Katelyn.. love your video and I am excited to learn how to break down this work flow.
As a photographer who often overshoots and gets completely stuck on culling, I have been WAITING for a video like this!! Very helpful. I would love to see a more in-depth video about how you decide which pictures to keep!
Thanks for sharing! This is a great idea for another video!
The energy after a wedding is so real! My husband always laughs at me b/c I'm so chatty and hyper after I've shot a wedding. LoL
It is so true!
Culling backwards!! I’ve literally never thought to do this. Makes so much more sense and will help me actually finish culling when I start! 😅🙌🏼
Yes!! Glad it helped!
My goodness, you are so good at helping others! That was the best advice on culling I have ever heard! It was SO incredibly helpful! I have photographed weddings for 10 years, and I really loved the advice about downloading at the wedding, culling backwards to forwards (genius!), and doing the blogpost while the excitement is still hot. I am loving these UA-cam videos and am so thankful for your wisdom! Thank you for sharing! You have such a gift and I appreciate the way you share it.
Glad it was helpful!
The best tip I ve ever heard : cull backwards!
Thank you Katelyn
Its a game changer!
OMG. I photographed and videographed my first wedding in Oct and I still haven't culled photos. It's all new to me. Finally getting to it.
Amazingly and appreciatively thanking you! Katelyn, you must be the editing-process Goddess, who have saved thousands of thousands photographers' life.
haha!! Thanks so much!
The free alternative to Photo Mecanics is called FastStone Image Viewer. It is just as quick with less gadgety features.
804!? I’m 757 😎
I was in colonial heights for a little while too. But been in the 757 my whole life 😌
I’m so excited to have you as inspiration!
So cool!
Great Video - we just purchased the KJ Consistency Course 2.0 and its a lifesaver :)
Thanks so much!!
Can’t stop these videos. I’ve been learning so much!!
Glad you like them!
I really appreciate you taking the time to do this video. I used to shoot weddings years ago and the culling process was the worst. I would get home and immediately start copying/backing up my cards. Once that was done, I would be drained. I love your Tip #2. I would either pull an all-nighter and do my first pass through the photos or I'd get my rest and do it first thing the next morning. FAST FORWARD to now. I have thousands and thousands of bird/wildlife/scenery photos I am trying to go through from the past 18 years. It's pretty hard to get motivated to go through them when some are way in the past. I love the subfolder approach and turning a huge batch into smaller chunks. This has helped me not get overwhelmed with volume. Using your approach of working on what you find the least exciting, starting on the least desirable folder first and saving the most exciting folder to the end would make it feel mentally easier.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video Katelyn!!
You inspires me sooooo much!!!! Thanks for sharing such precious information! ❤
Oh my! Katelyn you really hit the nail on the head. That's EXACTLY what I experienced and your tips are amazingly helpful!!!! Thank you !!!!!
yay! You're welcome!!!
As always so informative! I feel so inspired every time I watch your videos! The way you explain your process is so simple and easy to memorize.
That's so nice to hear! Thanks Kate!
Oh my goodness! Thank you SO MUCH!!! Culling until now has been my worst nightmare but this workflow is so organized😍 I’m so excited to try it on our next wedding.
So glad it was helpful!!!
Within 7 days that would be incredible. This is very helpfull! Thankyou:)
Thank you so much for this video, it has really helped me with my culling process! I have always dreaded it!
So glad it helped!
I loved this video!! i NEVER thought about culling backwards.. Thanks Katelyn!
Glad it was helpful!
All of these tips are so incredibly helpful! Thank you!
You're so welcome! Thanks for watching!!
Thanks for this valuable content, by far the best teacher in this matter
So glad i ve found you! Love this!
Welcome!! Glad you enjoyed it!!
Thank you so much for this video!
Since recently deciding to study towards becoming a second for weddings in the future, I've found your videos super helpful. Learning about that golden hour of engagement was just *chef's kiss*
Glad it was helpful!
Love it I’m excited to watch more of your videos!
Yay! Thank you!
This was so helpful and educational. I don't just do weddings, I do photoshoots of various types, and culling is a hard one for me. But this was so helpful. Thank you so much for the tips!
Glad it was helpful!
Muchas gracias, de verdad, todo es muy valioso, realmente no sabía muchas cosas y llevo años en esto, me alegra que exista gente como tú.
These are some great tips! Thanks for sharing and thanks for the shout out!
Love you guys!!
So helpful!! Thank you Katelyn!!
You're so welcome!
Thank You ! This video really helped and l learned few key points. I'm exactly facing the same challenges after any shoot. it takes time to process. Looks like Photo Mechanic helped with Culling.
You are gold!
You are so sweet!
Katelyn, YOU.ARE.AWESOME. Thank you very much.
You are awesome James!
Hi Katelyn!! I have been binge watching the KJ All Access and your UA-cam videos during this season of COVID! I have learned so much from you, one of which is Photo Mechanic, can’t wait to start using it!! I also can’t wait to enroll in the Consistency Course 2.0. I have been trying to figure out what would be the best class to start with and I am torn between the Lighting & Locations course and the Consistency Course. Thank you for all you do, you keep me inspired both personally and professionally. Thank you, Jodie
We recommend starting with Lighting and Locations! We are excited for the Consistency Course relaunch!
I love this approach. I myself try to get back to clients woth finished photos asap. And as you said culling as soon as shoot is done, I realised, whenever i do that, i end up finishing the work faster. Also last to first works great too!
Awesome!! Thanks for watching!
You are my new bff! I'm learning so many helpful and useful things! Thank you KJ!
Happy to help!
You're content is so good. Thank you!
I appreciate that! Thanks for watching!
Thank you for posting these types of videos! I’m in nursing school so right now I can’t afford the courses.... However the free things you offer have helped tremendously since I’ve started following you!!
you are so welcome! I'm so glad you're growing!!!
Ooook let me just say first off, olive green on you is 🔥🔥!! Also, when I took your consistency course, this was such a simple and game-changing tip!!
Yay! Thank you! You are so sweet!
This video is SO HELPFUL!!! Thank you! I would also love to watch a video of you doing a full video dedicated to Photo Mechanic - I just am starting it thanks to this video, and am looking up other how-to videos. Would enjoy your perspective and personality walking through it! Thanks for all your help!
Great suggestion!
This video was so beyond helpful! Thank you so much for sharing!
You are so welcome! Thanks for watching!
Soooo valuable tips. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
I struggle with this! Thank you so much for making this video!!
Hope it was helpful!!
That was awesome, great tips!
Glad it was helpful!
Wonderful video. Thank you!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you!!
You're welcome!
"it just piles up and piles up, clients dont hear from you for weeks, blog posts never get done"
this was definitely a personal attack on me
haha I am sorry Chris!!! it wasn't aimed at you!! It happens to me too sometimes!
This was very helpful. I just shoot sporting events as an avid amateur so thanks for letting me crash your wedding party (pun intended...). Your tips apply to any type of photography and are really helping me decide whether I want to turn my hobby into a side hustle. Also loved your (Tyler's) cheap and easy backup system and file folder structure videos. Very helpful in doing my due diligence!
Love it Aaron!! Thanks for sharing!
This is SO helpful!
Glad it was helpful!
I love your videos 😍 thanks for all the tips
Do you think you can make a video on how you store all your photos(hard drive.. online)? It's definitely something I've been struggling with. Thanks again 😊
Yes of course! We will add it to the list!
Soo, soo good!
Thanks for watching!
I love the system.
Thank you!
Great tips! Can't wait to try them! I'll check out Photo Mechanic too.
there is free trial!
Thanks for sharing! 🌟
You are so welcome!
I love photo mechanic. It is so blazing fast for culling raw images. I was so shocked how fast it is at loading images. Faster than rendering jpeg images in windows apps. I used to cull in lightroom but it takes forever in lightroom bc it doesn't render fast, you have to make 1:1 and even then it's not fast especially with images like my 45mp Canon r5 images
Culling backwards💕 🤯💕
It makes such a huge difference!!
I just started using photo mechanic this week and I can’t even think of going back! I love it, it’s such a lifesaver!!
it's amazing!
Katelyn James also, I just wanted to thank you. I joined your lighting and location class this week as well and I can already see an improvement in my photography! ❤️
Julie Comer how did you learn it so quickly? I found it complicated to use
Julie Comer It really has such valuable information in there!! I started shortly after Christmas and was immediately able to make subtle adjustments and changes that yielded the results I had been trying for all along.
Amazing!!!
Thanks!!
Hahaha, I’ve been avoiding this vid for so long, because I thought it was a 24 hour uncut video 🤦😂
hahaha
Hello! I love your videos! I'm getting hooked on all of the info you give out! Such good advise! One question, do you use the regular Photo Mechanics or the Plus version?
I guess regular... I didn't know there was a plus version!
This was awesome! I have Photo Mechanic but have some bugs with Windows I need to address. Would love to see how you organize LR beyond the folders for your weddings! Do you make a Catalog for each wedding? Or per year? Do you use Collections? Thanks!
Hi Cheryl! We hope to make a video on this in the future! I do a catalog per wedding season. I do not use collections.
Great content on your channel! Thank you for sharing! Question, how many images do you typically deliver to your clients? Is image delivery based on package purchased or just what you give them?
I generally say 80-100 images per hour of shooting. So we normally do 800-1000 for a wedding day!
This was so good Katelyn and the Consistency Course will be coming into my hands asap! Thank you so much!! One major question I have ... is in your workflow, how do you share with vendors specifically? I feel paralyzed by which images and how to get them to get in their hands quickly/practically.
In our questionnaire we get all the vendor info from the bride and then share the blog and gallery with everyone!
Another fabulous tutorial Ms. Katelyn! Thank you so much. I'm a newbie to the world of weddings and I have an off topic question for you. @ 6:13 you have some church shots, are you using some type of ofc flash set-up? I just wonder if you're bringing all kinds of equipment with you when you travel by air to these various weddings.
Hi Jaymel! Yes we do travel with Flash gear. You can see our travel gear here: www.amazon.com/shop/katelynjames We have lightstands that we pack in our suitcases and a roller bag that other gear goes in!
Do you set up the subfolders in photomechanic and then bring it over into lightroom?
My couples also get a „best of“ (12-20 pictures) within 12 hours after the wedding, so they can use it for social media or send them to friends / family :-) They ALWAYS love it!
Love that!
This is amazing! I just learned about Photo Mechanic and I’m currently trying to figure it all out. Do you have a more detailed video on how the process works for someone who has never used the software before or can link one you’d recommend?
I’ve always copied all my photos onto my hard drive and uploaded everything into Lightroom, then culled. This just isn’t working for me anymore because of how long it takes and how much storage I’m eating up SO quickly!
Thanks so much!
Thanks for watching!
Why haven’t’ any photographer talked about this before? Katelyn this was absolutely genius and so helpful. I have always been excited about shooting a wedding or an event and in my mind I can’t wait to get to uploading the photos and culling the photos when I get home. But then it happens….my body crashes! I end up going to sleep. Every thing you said is accurate. From losing the excitement and having your clients wait for the photos longer than usual has happened to me a lot. I’ve never have shot with a second shooter or brought my laptop to a wedding but I’ve heard a Gnarl Box is a great way to backup your photos during events.
I never used Photo Mechanics before and no other photographer has ever explained as to why it was important the way you just did. This video is so full of information that changed everything about my workflow about culling that it has me very excited. I can’t wait to see more videos about this process. I’m going to check out your Consistency Course 2.0 right now! Thank you Katelyn!! You’re amazing!!! Have a great day!!
Awesome!! Thanks for watching!
good work
Thanks
I don't really agree with the intent behind most of the video - after a super long, hard wedding day (also 8-12 hours), I need a break and I pass out as soon as I get home. I have 1-2 days after where my body and eyes are so tired and it's hard to even keep my eyes open.
I get a preview (5-10 images) to the couple within 48 hours, but to me it feels like, this is one of the biggest days of their lives and it doesn't feel "enough" to edit this quickly. I have to edit, step away for a few days, then come back to it to make sure it looks timeless and I've gone through everything. I feel like I owe it to the clients to do the BEST job, not necessarily the fastest job, and I put this time into my prices to make it worth it for me.
Don't get me wrong - I still get weddings back within two weeks. I came to this video to get culling tips (thank you!!) but the meaning behind this just doesn't connect for me? I don't feel chained to my laptop, and I find that couples are on their honeymoon anyway and often don't even get back to me right away when I send early. This timeline is way too fast imo!
Thanks for watching!
Do you edit them all at the same time with Lightroom? Do you make individual folders in the Collection in Lightroom ahead of time? Thank you! This was so helpful!
I do not edit them at the same time as culling. No I do not make individual folders ahead of time.
A very helpful video. I’m going to try Photo Mechanic as I have a very fast laptop but always found Lightroom too slow to resolve images for culling. How do you transfer your chosen RAW images from Photo Mechanic into LR for preset application?
You will see this is very easy. When you click "import" in Lr, you can just drag your selected photos from Photo Mechanic right in. Very quick, very easy!
remember, Photomechanic is JUST a program for viewing and sorting. You're never really moving images from "inside" that program. You just simply go to your "culled" folder and only import that folder with its' subfolders into LR!
Wow! Nice tips.... You're very efficient and don't waste any time! 😁
Just a little question... How do u manage with the cr3 files off ur Canon eos R6?
They work just like the cr2 files.
Haha I can never sleep right when I get home, I feel ya on the adrenaline! I have been using the 24-1 week workflow since forever and I LOVE IT. Is there a way to get PhotoMechanic to cull backwards with you? To like move to the previous photo vs moving to the next photo?
I'm wondering about PM culling backward too.
I never have PM set to auto move to the next image so for me, nothing changes! Does your PM auto move to the next image?
@@KatelynJames yes! In Preferences > Preview, you can have it set to “automatically advance to next photo when:” tag, colour or rating is changed.
OO I think I just found my own solution to this though! Just went back into PM to find where it was in settings and in Preferences > Contact Sheet you can sort by “Capture time - reverse order” then with the move to next photo setting, you would still be going in reverse order! :D
Hi Katelyn, love watching your All Access. Do you mind sharing which lab you use for prints?
We use White House Custom Color through cloudspot!
@@KatelynJames thank you so much for sharing. Little frustrating with my current pro lab, so would love to give this a try!
Amazing!! So so good! Question for you - my copyist told me that too many photos in a blog is unnecessary because people don't actually look through all of them. The blog posts I've been working on are 60% work heavy for SEO purposes with less than 10 images. Do you find that people like seeing blog posts of 20-50 images or is that way too many? I want to blog more of my sessions, but time is definitely an issue and I feel like I'm working so hard to just get the photos out that I don't have the brain space to blog an entire gallery so I outsource it, but not a full gallery as a blog, just more of the 50/50 words and some photos.
Thanks for watching!
I see on your website that you offer a monthly subscription bts footage, does that also include the other courses you offer(I.e. lighting and location, poses, etc.?
Just the BTS footage, not full scale courses.
How do you create folders 📂 templates for lightroom?
Do you mind me asking what suitcase you use for your equipment?
It’s a think tank!
Hi Katelyn, I have a question. What software are you using. The photo mechanics plus or the photo mechanics 6?
Photo Mechanic 6
I cull in LR as fast as in PM. All depends on your settings. Probably 90% of LR users do not have a clue on which preferences to use, like opening images in low resolution (right click on the app icon, click info, check 'Open in low resolution' box). Wish I had known things like that before wasting my money on Photomechanic.
Beyond culling, I use photomechanic in place of what Adobe Bridge used to be years ago for sorting and organizing images. I like not having to open up lightroom to do all of that. But I am glad you found a method that works for you!
Oh my goodness this video is literally heaven sent!!!
But I do have a question
Im looking into buying a MacBook because right now I’m editing my photography on my phone and even though I have Lightroom it just isn’t the same
And I’m only 13 so I don’t have a lot of money so keep that in mind😂
But what MacBook or laptop would you recommend for a beginner who’s trying to upgrade👍🏻
Oh man!! That is amazing!! Our friend Tyler Herrinton would be the best to ask about that!!
What was the first zoom lens you invested in and why? I am also a prime lens lover and haven’t dipped my toes in any others yet 😜
The 70-200mm for wedding ceremonies.
Katelyn hay, im frome israel. Your videos are so greate! Thank u!
I wantaed to ask u, if ill by the kj, will i have it free my all life? Like i wouldent have to pay after one year for an update or for new sirial nomber? Pleas answer meee
The courses you have lifetime access to
@@KatelynJames i cant understan. Not that good in english. U said that ill have a lifetim accsess to kj? To the program it self?
I’d love to know the specs on your laptop since it’s such a critical part of your initial process. Please and thank you!
16 In. 2019. 2.4 GH. 32 GB Memory 2TB Storage
Editing takes me weeks. I edit and edit in different software like affinity photo or abode Photoshop until I am happy. I do use sub folders.
Thanks for watching!
no link below, thanks for the tips
Hi Angelina! Here is the link to the Consistency Course 2.0! It's also in the description of the video! KJ Consistency Course 2.0: katelynjames.com/consistency-course-2-0
Katelyn, if you don't mind me asking, do you also cull just regular shoots like maternity, engagements, etc?
I do!
I **highly** recommend an Alienware PC or laptop, slowness is not an issue anymore. I cull in lightroom with super lightening speed 👍
Awesome!
So do you not take a day off after the wedding? I usually take Sundays and Mondays off. When do you take days off?
I can take Wednesday-Friday off and Prep before I do it again!
Great video!!!! What hard drive do you use when transferring the all your images during the wedding? What would you recommend?
I feel like it would take a long time. Also, what other hard drives do you use to store your images?
We use a Samsung Solid State drive amzn.to/35ooGuB
I add all images into LR and cull and process at the same time rather than going through to cull then going through to process dead simple
Thanks for watching!!
I use FastRaw Viewer
LOL “...family formals THAT is the worst to cull” but at least it’s usually like 100 images haha
Just gotta get through it haha!
I never knew there was a name for it (culling).
I just call it: the shitty part before you start doing the other shitty part.
hahaha!
11:30 pm, and you are "at home" after wedding? And it's late, than usual? OMG here in Hungary the photographers work usually until 1-2 am :-))) Conventionally at around midnight there is a waltz with ONLY candles - hard work for the camera -, and after the couple leaves, changes their wear to sthing red and coming back as a new married couple and they have a dance with almost everybody, hard to subscribe. We have a lot traditional things on a wedding. Average shooting time 12 hours, often whole day, from 11 a.m. - 02 a.m. :-)
Wow that is amazing!! Thanks for sharing! Your work is beautiful!
@@KatelynJames Thanks, Katelyn! :-)
Who shoots 12k pics on a wedding lul
haha its a bad habit!