Should you edit your photos? Yes or no? How long is a piece of string… What I’m trying to say is that there really is no single right answer. It all comes down to what you want to achieve with your images.
As someone who hates being in front of a computer, and who, for the most part, dislikes the highly unnatural extent to which many photographers edit their photos these days, I always lean toward minimal editing when it comes to non-professional work.
But as someone who also uses photography in a professional capacity – and wants that work to look professional – I’m willing to slog through hours of touching up in Lightroom.
Article continues belowI don’t particularly enjoy editing; in fact, I’d go as far as to say I truly dislike being in front of a computer, regardless of the task. But I want to ensure my clients see why they paid me instead of taking the photos themselves.
The great thing about taking pictures for yourself is that you set the creative vision and the standard your photos must meet. Don’t feel like burning your eyes out comparing 10 versions of the same frame? Then don’t do it.
I think a lot of photographers forget this, especially as posting on social media puts your images out to the whole world, which can make it feel like a global audience of photography experts is judging them.
In fact, if you truly hate editing – which I’m sure many photographers do – then why not build your identity around “no-edit” photography? You could probably build a following online with other “lazy” photographers who just want to bask in the strength of their compositions without worrying about color theory or fiddling with sliders in post-production.
Who knows, if you stick with it long enough and develop a strong eye for composition, your “straight out of camera” work might even attract clients.
Although, take that with a pinch of salt. 99% of the time, the way to gain traction as a professional photographer is through editing. Making the leap from amateur to professional requires a good eye for composition, regardless, but in the internet age, most viewers probably care more about the final edit than the scene itself.
Going back to my earlier gripe about the flood of overly edited images we now see, these have unfortunately set a kind of new photographic standard. So as much as I hate to say it, you’d better get good at making your photos “pop” if you want to earn a living with your camera today.
But it’s not just about adjusting hues to “harmonize” the color palette and then boosting contrast and saturation. Editing is a skill developed over time, and there’s a big difference between a well-edited image and an overcooked 16:9 mess.
As for avoiding the slog of editing, I’m not sure there’s a shortcut to developing your skills. Like any ability, it requires repetition, which comes with spending time in your post-production software.
However, I’m not against using AI to save time by applying edits in bulk. A lot of people disagree with this and, from an environmental perspective, I understand why. But there’s no denying that the biggest downside to editing is that it involves so much repetitive, admin-like work, which AI can handle with a few clicks.
In my view, as long as you don’t outsource creative control to AI and only use it to apply a vision you’ve developed yourself, there’s no issue with tools that help batch your editing style. If the AI isn’t doing anything you wouldn’t have done manually, then you’re just saving time—and possibly making the process more enjoyable. At least for me it does.
So, should you edit your photos? If it brings you pleasure or you’re aiming to become a professional, then absolutely. But if you don’t enjoy it and no one’s judging your pictures, then why bother? It doesn’t make you any less of a photographer—it just means you might never be seen as a serious one.
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