And it’s not easy! So, how do you improve the way you go about
sorting, organising and rating your images? The following
tips outline my own approach, developed over 30 years as a
photographer, and photography teacher. I hope you can put it to
work to create compelling portfolios and photo essays of your own.
01
Get Organised
For me, focusing on defining my best work is the
key for organising my ‘hero’ images as quickly as possible. I sort
my images from a day’s shoot each evening, while I have the
excitement of the experience in my mind. Downloading and
sorting usually takes me about 20 to 30 minutes, no more. I don’t
shoot large numbers of images – generally around 50 to 300 in
any full day in the field. However, another photographer beside
me might shoot double that amount, or even triple! It’s a very
personal choice in our exploration of this creative art form.
Importantly, before downloading and sorting, I have
started to define images for quality as I shoot. I memorise the
opportunities that I think could offer a unique result. As an
example, in Morocco last November, halfway through our
tour, we started one day with a sunrise over the Sahara Desert,
then we shot a traditional Bedouin camp and its people, then
we saw some amazing fossils, and we finished that day with
a shoot at an ancient adobe village. It was a diverse series of
subjects in one day, but I can still remember the stand-out
shooting opportunities – the images that stood out for me,
as distinct from being mere snapshots. I’m not hung up on
technicalities. I’m more concerned about whether an image
is eye catching, or if it has a particular use in a project I’m
doing. While technical correctness can be important to helpAUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY + DIGITAL SEPTEMBER 2015 AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 35
China has some of
the most amazing
landscapes on the
planet. This scene was
very hot and humid,
offering us special
atmospheric conditions.
Canon 5D Mk III, 24-
70mm lens @ 50mm,
1/180s @ f/11, ISO 200.
Multi-shot panorama,
hand held. B&W
conversion, contrast,
blacks, sharpened.
Adjusted in Adobe
Lightroom 5, stitched
together in Photoshop.