AfterShoot provides flexibility for almost any workflow

As a wedding and event photographer, I have a workflow that I have stuck with for years. Once the event is over, I download two copies of my images using Lightroom Classic. A backup program starts immediately making a third copy in the cloud. Nothing is left to chance.

Admittedly, I am stuck in my ways.

Culling images

When I learned about AfterShoot, a program that uses AI to automatically cull images from events, I was excited. To me, culling images — sorting the good ones from the not so good — is a time-consuming process that can be boring.

AfterShoot automatically separates the good and not so good images using AI, and way faster than I could have done it manually.

It sorts images where someone’s eyes are closed, out of focus photos, and even batching first look photos for weddings based on what the AI believes will do well on social media.

But I was also worried, as I didn’t want anything to interfere with my workflow. AfterShoot is designed by photographers for photographers. So maybe, just maybe, they understood that I might be a bit resistant to change.

So with that in mind, they added multiple ways to import your photos into AfterShoot. This allows the most flexibility possible to fit almost any workflow.

My workflow

So here’s how I do it.

I start with my standard workflow, using Lightroom Classic to import and make a second copy of the images from my memory cards. Next, I save all the image metadata to a file using Lightroom.

This creates a tiny XMP file for each image that AfterShoot can read and add to. You can do this by selecting all your images from your import in Lightroom, then go to Metadata > Save Metadata to File.

Once you have done this you can now open your image folder in AfterShoot. AfterShoot will use AI that has been trained with over 500,000 images to analyze your images.

Once it has worked its AI magic, your images will be sorted by color and/or star rating. The images will be sorted into groups that contain your best images, images with soft focus, images where the subject’s eyes are closed and first look photos for weddings.

You can then use AfterShoot to quickly sort through the images, re-tag them if needed, or swap duplicates and keepers. AfterShoot never deletes any of your images — it only categorizes them.

Once you are done you return to Lightroom. Then simply read the metadata to sync the color and star ratings to Lightroom Classic by going to Metadata > Read Metadata from File.

Impressive results

As I mentioned, I am stuck in my ways, and I wouldn’t add AfterShoot to my workflow unless it impressed me. And it really has.

Recently, I photographed a basketball team. Having taken the team photo and individual portraits of all the players, I analyzed them in AfterShoot. The program not only sorted the duplicates but flagged every team photo where a player had their eyes closed.

Now likely I would have found them, but imagine the time saved not having to look at every player in every row, trying to find the best frame. In one photo, a player at the very end of the back row had his eyes closed. This was easy to miss, but not by AfterShoot, which flagged it. I must admit, it took me a second look to find that player.

Now as I mentioned, AfterShoot is flexible. So, if you don’t use the same workflow I do, that’s OK.

AfterShoot can import your images directly from your memory card and make a backup copy too. If you already imported the flies to a folder using another program, just import that folder into AfterShoot.

It is the flexibility of this program that really lends itself to almost any workflow. There is a very thoughtful approach that has been given to make this software not only easy but fun too. From the start-up splash screen to the training videos, AfterShoot tries to turn a tedious task into a fun one.

Give it a try and see for yourself. You can download a free 14-day trial from the AfterShoot website, and save 10% with the code PHOTOFOCUS10.