Sorting through a mountain of unprocessed photos can feel overwhelming. You may find yourself with hundreds, even thousands, of images sitting on your hard drive, each one waiting for your attention. The challenge of finding the best shots in that mess is real.
Coming to you from Adrian Vila with aows, this practical video walks you through a methodical process for sorting and selecting your best photos. It’s an essential skill, especially after a productive shoot where you might return with hundreds of images. Vila illustrates his approach using a recent photography trip where he captured 800 photos in under three hours. The conditions were perfect—low fog, a rapidly changing landscape, and a golden opportunity to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge’s towers peeking through a sea of clouds. This is the kind of situation where you can’t help but take a ton of shots, but it also means a lot of work when it’s time to sift through them.
The process starts in the field. When you know you’ve captured a good shot, tag or rate it in your camera. This small step can save you significant time later because Lightroom, and other similar software, can read these tags. You’ll quickly locate these standout images once you begin the editing process. However, don’t delete photos in-camera. Mistakes happen, especially when you’re in a hurry, and you don’t want to accidentally erase something valuable. Save the deleting for when you’re back at your computer, where you can take your time.
Vila recommends working through your photos in multiple passes. On the first pass, rely on instinct—if an image grabs you, tag it. Don’t overthink it at this stage. Each subsequent pass should narrow down your selection further. The goal is to go from a large, unwieldy batch of photos to a tight collection of your best work. Take breaks between these passes to keep your eyes fresh and your mind sharp. By the time you’re done, you should have a manageable number of images ready for post-processing.
Post-processing is where you might notice things you missed initially—small flaws, out-of-focus areas, or objects in the frame that distract from the subject. It’s here that you’ll be glad you took multiple shots. Sometimes, a slight variation in composition or timing can make all the difference. If you’re stuck choosing between similar images, just pick one. You’re not deleting the others yet, but you do need to make a decision so you can move forward.
After this process, Vila had narrowed down his 800 photos to just six that he loved. These were the shots that captured what he envisioned when he set out that morning. The final step involves a second major pass after some time has passed. This helps you look at your work with fresh eyes, less influenced by the emotions of the shoot itself. If a photo didn’t impress you then and still doesn’t, it might be time to let it go. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Vila.
