While there are numerous aspects to developing skills as a photographer, rarely, if ever, is the subject of photo editing discussed. I mean editing in the sense of selecting the right frame from potentially dozens or hundreds of outtakes. YouTube is replete with ‘editing’ content on retouching, color grading, and every kind of post-production voodoo you can imagine. Though what comes before is a process more critical in ensuring your best work is what you invest time developing in post. (Assuming you believe in post-production—it’s become chic to claim purity from editing software. Of course.)

I approach this topic from the perspective of years as a magazine art director. Depending on the publication, the art director’s role can slot above or below the Photography Director in influence and authority. I’ve experienced it every which way in my former career, toiling away in magazines and newspapers. What I can tell you with certainty is that the image selection process is paramount. 

Clever editing (read: selecting) can save a disastrous shoot that has gone sideways. To spot a frame capturing an unexpected moment made more dramatic by bold cropping often elevated a shoot from zero to hero. It often happened in the pre-digital days when photographers were mindful of the amount of film they could afford to shoot. Flagrantly spraying and praying was usually not an option except in sports where fast motor drives were essential to capture the moment. Photo and art directors had to deal with what they had.

In past decades it was common to see large images in magazine layouts that displayed pronounced graininess due to being over-enlarged, with the resulting sacrifice of sharpness. Consequently, it was a more expressive, painterly image—and a dead giveaway that the original frame was lacking. Tight framing can make an average image great if you’re willing to accept the compromise in resolution. In the past, art directors had no compunction about exploiting this technique since they prized dynamic layouts over sharpness and were not averse to enlarged film grain.

It takes a talented eye to spot the potential in such frames that could easily be overlooked. That potential exists in editing any session. It’s finding the outtakes that best encapsulate your sitter’s priorities and demonstrate your skill at capturing their best moment. For me, it’s a case of holding two conflicting views simultaneously. While I trust my ability to quickly scan a session on-set with a client to reveal the prominent keepers, I’ve often discovered overlooked gems by returning after some time has passed, allowing me to see the edit with fresh eyes.

Many photographers of historical importance believed in distancing themselves from the moment to avoid being influenced by emotions linked to the shoot. Two photographers that exemplify this are street shooters Vivian Maier and Garry Winogrand, who between them left behind thousands of rolls of undeveloped film following their passing. While an extreme example, the point is that it’s worth revisiting old files for things you may have missed because one’s eye develops over time. You will be surprised at what you can rediscover, and it’s never too late to add or replace shots to strengthen a portfolio.

That’s cool, though we normally need to decide on outtakes in real time. My process is to winnow down in stages, starting with a quick, broad edit relying on initial intuition. Don’t think, just respond. And forget all the ranking levels available in programs like Lightroom or you will tie yourself in knots. Instead, just vote in or out, as you conitnue winnowing. 

Editing by intuition is a skill worth cultivating because it will not only speed up your post-processing but hone your eye to recognize what’s essential in a shot without laboring over each frame. Nor will you typically have the time for anything more. But for personal purposes, you can always review again later to discover what you may have overlooked.

While different types of photography will emphasize various things, let’s drill down on portraits and headshots. Are the eyes alive? Eye contact is always desirable unless there’s a captured emotion too good to pass up, like eyes clenched shut in laughter or wide-open responding to something off-camera. What does the body language communicate? Are there unexpected spontaneous moments? There may be if you don’t dismiss them out of hand. And speaking of hands, if they are in the frame, how do they read? Well-positioned hands are a gift and can make the shot when fingers are relaxed, elegantly extended, and expressive. Clenched hands resulting from nervous subjects can kill a shot as quickly as a tense smile.

If you remember nothing else, takeaway this: Even the worst, most catastrophic photoshoot (not that I would know) can yield at least one or two worthy outtakes that can save the day if you edit creatively. No one ever sees what lands on the cutting room floor. They remember only the final result. Legendary Condé Nast editorial director Alexander Liberman’s simple rule was that when the pictures are disappointing, make them bigger. It then looks deliberate and saves the day. In even the worst outings, there are always a few pearls to harvest if you know where to look. And over time, enough pearls make a beautiful necklace. —J Heroun