ON1 Pro Blog

In the fast-paced world of portrait and wedding photography, every second counts. Capturing stunning images is only half the battle—the actual marathon begins in post-production.

If you’re a high-volume photographer managing thousands of images each week, you’re likely all too familiar with the painstaking culling process. But what if you could cut that time in half? Enter Lightpanel, your AI-powered assistant designed to revolutionize how photographers cull and edit.

What is Culling in Photography?

Culling is the essential first step in post-production. It involves reviewing, evaluating, and selecting the best photos from a large batch of images, after a shoot. For professionals, especially wedding and portrait photographers, culling ensures only the top-quality images make it into the product for your clients. The culling process ensures your clients see only your best work: the perfectly framed shot, the candid moment, or the expression that tells the story.

Culling is a cornerstone of the workflow for professional photographers using Lightroom Classic, especially those shooting weddings or high-volume portrait sessions. It’s also one of the most time-consuming tasks, requiring a meticulous eye for detail and hours spent scrutinizing images for sharpness, lighting, and composition.

Why Culling is Important

• Saves Time Later: Editing fewer, better photos streamlines your workflow.
• Boosts Client Satisfaction: Clients receive only your best, most intentional work.
• Improves Storytelling: Culling helps you curate a visual story that flows naturally.

Traditional Culling Workflow: The Manual Grind

Photographers using tools like Lightroom Classic typically go through these steps:

1. Import your files
2. Organize into folders/events (e.g., prep, ceremony, reception)
3. Zoom into each image to check for sharpness
4. Flag, star, or label favorites
5. Eliminate images with closed eyes, poor composition, or technical flaws

Imagine shooting four weddings a week, each producing 3,000–5,000 images. That’s 12,000–20,000 photos to cull. While a single wedding shoot might take five hours, post-production—including culling—can take up to 4-6 hours per shoot. When your livelihood revolves around producing stellar images and running your business, this level of workload can quickly become overwhelming.

The Culling Process: Where AI Shines

Traditional culling involves downloading and backing up files, cataloging them in software like Lightroom Classic, and painstakingly reviewing each image. High-volume photographers often break this into smaller events (e.g., ceremony, reception). However, evaluating sharpness requires zooming in on individual shots, and sorting similar photos is a repetitive, manual process.

With Lightpanel’s cutting-edge AI photo culling working directly inside the Lightroom Classic workflow, you can eliminate all of the tedious steps and reduce the time it takes to cull your photos.

How AI Photo Culling is Changing the Game

That’s where Lightpanel comes in. Designed for high-volume photographers who use Lightroom Classic, Lightpanel integrates directly into your existing workflow and dramatically speeds up photo culling.

How Lightpanel Works:

• Automatic Grouping: Lightpanel uses AI to group similar photos, letting you review similar scenes at a glance.
• Sharpness Scoring: Instead of manually zooming in, Lightpanel analyzes focus and provides a sharpness score for each image.
• Error Detection: From detecting blinks to spotting motion blur, Lightpanel flags potential issues so you can focus on creative decision-making.
• Customizable Ratings and Flags: You can tailor the settings in to your preferences, whether you use star ratings, color labels, or flags.

Why Lightpanel is the Best Culling Software for Photos

Lightpanel is more than just a tool—it’s a lifeline for photographers drowning in post-production work. By working directly inside Lightroom Classic and by running directly on your computer eliminates the need for slow and costly cloud uploads. You remain in control, with faster, smarter culling at your fingertips. Lightpanel isn’t cloud-based, meaning there are no slow uploads and no need to export images. Everything happens locally, securely, and lightning-fast inside Lightroom Classic.

With Lightpanel, you can:

• Cut culling time up to 50%
• Focus more on creative work and client relationships
• Take back precious hours for yourself, your family, and your business

Don’t let post-production hold you back. Try Lightpanel free for 30 days or order Lightpanel today and see how effortless culling your photos can be. Your time is priceless—spend it on what truly matters.

FAQs About What is Culling in Photography

What is photo culling?

Photo culling is the process of going through all your photos after a shoot and selecting the best ones to keep, edit, and deliver to clients.

Why is culling important in photography?

Culling helps you eliminate poor-quality images, maintain consistency, and showcase your best work. It’s essential for saving time and improving client satisfaction.

How do professional photographers cull photos?

Most pros use software like Lightroom Classic or AI tools like Lightpanel to quickly scan, rate, and organize photos based on sharpness, emotion, or composition.

How many photos should you cull?

It depends on the event. For a wedding with 4,000 photos, you might cull it down to 500–800 final selects.

Is there software that helps with photo culling?

Yes! Tools like Lightpanel use AI to speed up the culling process by analyzing focus, grouping similar images, and detecting errors.