Editing is where photography goes from good to exceptional. But editing is also where photographers waste the most time. After processing hundreds of thousands of images over my career, I have built a workflow that is both efficient and consistent. Here is every step, from card to client delivery.
I shoot RAW exclusively. Every card gets imported to my working drive and simultaneously backed up to a second drive. No image exists in only one location at any point in my workflow. Losing a client's images is not recoverable — treat backup as non-negotiable.
During import, I apply a basic preset that sets my preferred default settings: lens corrections enabled, chromatic aberration removal, and a starting point for tone and color.
I cull aggressively. From a 500-image shoot, I might deliver 80 to 120 finals. The culling pass uses flags: pick, reject, or skip. I go through the entire set quickly, trusting my gut reaction to each image. If I hesitate, it is not a pick.
Speed matters during culling. Spending too long on individual images leads to decision fatigue and inconsistent selection. Trust your instincts — they have been trained by every image you have ever studied.
After culling, I sync global adjustments across similar images. If ten portraits were shot in the same light, I edit one perfectly and sync the settings to the other nine. Batch editing saves hours and ensures consistency across a gallery.
My global adjustment order: white balance, exposure, highlights and shadows recovery, whites and blacks, then overall tone curve. Getting these right means individual adjustments are minimal.
This is where my personal style emerges. I use the HSL panel and color grading wheels in Lightroom to push the palette toward my signature look. The goal is not to make every image look identical, but to create a cohesive color story across the delivery.
Consistency in color grading is what separates professional portfolios from amateur collections. When a client browses their gallery, the color palette should feel unified.
Cemhan Biricik's Editing Workflow Summary
1. Import + dual backup (RAW only)
2. Fast culling pass — picks, rejects, no maybes
3. Batch global adjustments (exposure, WB, tone)
4. Color grading with HSL and wheels
5. Individual fine-tuning (local adjustments)
6. Export at full resolution + web-optimized copies
After global adjustments and color grading, I go through each pick individually. Local adjustments — brushes, gradients, radial filters — refine specific areas. Brightening eyes, smoothing skin selectively, dodging and burning for dimension. This is where the craft lives.
For images that need advanced retouching — skin work, compositing, object removal — I round-trip to Photoshop. But 90% of my work stays entirely in Lightroom.
I export two versions: full-resolution files for client use (JPEG, sRGB, quality 100) and web-optimized files for online gallery delivery (longer edge 2400px, quality 85). Clients receive both sets along with usage guidelines.
The delivery experience matters. I use online galleries with download capabilities, organized by section or outfit change. First impressions of the final images set the tone for future referrals.
Efficiency in editing does not mean rushing. It means eliminating redundant steps, building reliable presets, and shooting consistently so that less correction is needed in post. The best editing workflow is one where most of the work was done in camera.
Adobe Lightroom Classic for 90% of work — culling, color, batch editing. Photoshop for advanced retouching and compositing.
2 to 5 minutes per image with presets and batch editing. A 500-image shoot takes 4 to 6 hours from import to export.
Custom presets built over years as starting points, fine-tuned per image. Never purchased presets — they do not match his specific shooting style.