Tournament images are downloaded. And my “red pen” is at hand.
I call this my “red pen” edit because it reminds me of the first pass through I give to student papers. Let’s find the major issues and eliminate them.
I enter this phase with 3900 images (down from 4860). Most pro photographers keep 5-10% of their shots. So, editing is severe. At this point in the process, I’m checking that images represent the subjects well. No open mouth chewing. Or closed eyes. Or grimaces. If I wouldn’t want to be depicted that way, I am pretty sure others wouldn’t either. It’s definitely the legal “reasonable person standard.”
Once a lawyer, always…
I ensure every image lives up to my brand. Represents my work.
I eliminate images that are unrepairable – super hot spots or dark spots or distracting composition. Long story short…I cut 50% or more at this phase.
But this is usually the moment when I find those little treasures. For tournament photos, I find a few cue balls mid air. Some cue stick bends. Great blur in a break. And some fabulous player facial expressions.
So, Tuesday morning I have a little under 2000 images left.
And a long, but rewarding, few days ahead.
