Why I Don’t Batch Edit My Photos

There’s a certain appeal to batch editing. It sounds efficient, tidy, professional, like you’re running a sleek, well-oiled creative machine. Load your shots, run them through some AI-based programme to pixel peep and cull, apply a preset, tweak the exposure maybe, export, done. I get it. And for some people, it works. But for me?

Nah. It’s just not how I roll.

Photography isn’t about producing uniformity. It’s about feeling. Mood. Memory. Light. And for that reason, I treat each photo as its own thing, its own conversation. And another reason why I want a day van so I can edit on location while still in the moment.

Every Image Tells a Different Story

I don’t go out into nature or shoot a client job looking for sameness. I’m out there chasing light, movement, emotion, things that change from frame to frame. So why would I edit every image the same way?

One shot might be moody and dramatic, full of heavy skies and deep shadows. The next might be playful, with golden-hour light bouncing off wet rocks. Trying to apply the same treatment to both feels like slapping the same colour grade on a drama and a comedy and hoping it makes sense.

Spoiler: it doesn’t.

Presets Are Tools, Not Shortcuts

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-preset or anti-AI. I’ve built a few of my own presets over the years. But I use them as a starting point, not a destination. They give me a base to work from, a ruff draft. The real art comes in the sculpting.

I’ll happily lift tones, pull shadows, warm the highlights on one image, then shift gears entirely for the next. Why? Because each frame deserves its own attention. It’s not just a file. It’s a fragment of a moment I chose to capture.

Editing Is Part of the Creative Process

For me, editing isn’t a chore, it’s part of the joy. It’s where the vision comes to life. Sometimes I know exactly what the final image will look like when I press the shutter. Other times, the photo surprises me once it hits the screen.

Batch editing would rob me of that process. Of the chance to pause, reflect, and feel my way through an image. When I edit, I want to be present with that photograph, not just ticking it off a to-do list.

But Isn’t That Slower?

Yeah. It is. No getting around that. This method takes more time. But here’s the thing: I’d rather create 10 meaningful images than rush out 100 forgettable ones.

If you're shooting weddings or volume-heavy events, batch editing might make sense to hit deadlines and keep things consistent. But that’s not what I do. I shoot with purpose. I edit with purpose.

And honestly? Slower doesn’t mean worse. It just means I’m being intentional. Thoughtful. And that’s exactly how I want my work to feel.

One Last Thing...

You’ll never hear me shame another photographer for batch editing. We all work differently. What I’m sharing here isn’t ‘the right way’ or ‘the only way’, it’s just what works for me. What fits my rhythm. What keeps me connected to the work.

So if you’re out there editing frame by frame, wondering if it’s “too slow” or “not professional”, you’re not alone. It’s not wrong. In fact, it might just be your superpower.

Thanks for reading.

Keep exploring. Keep creating. And if you see a guy in the hills with a camera and a puppet monkey called Sid, come say hello.
– Gav