If you’re a photographer, I probably don’t need to explain how exhausting culling can be. After a wedding or a full weekend of sessions, sitting down to go through thousands of images is just one of those tasks that quietly eats up more time than we want to admit.

And for me, it used to take forever. I would open Lightroom, load thousands of images, and start the slow scroll. By the end of it, I was drained.

Photographers on the East Coast will know exactly what I mean when I say October is the wildest month of the year. The light is perfect, the colors are unreal, and everyone wants to schedule their wedding or portrait session before the weather shifts. One October, I shot so much that by the end of the month, I had culled through over 42,000 images. That’s not editing… That’s just choosing the keepers.

It was exciting, yes, but it was also overwhelming. I remember staring at my screen with tired eyes, just trying to move through it all without falling behind on deadlines. That’s when I started using Narrative Select, and honestly, it made an immediate difference.

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What actually changed

Narrative Select doesn’t do the work for me, but it does make it easier. It loads fast, helps me compare similar images, and flags small things like missed focus or blinking so I don’t have to second guess every frame.

It still gives me full control, but now I can move through my galleries with more clarity and confidence. I’m not stuck debating between five identical photos because the strongest one is already easier to spot.

That alone saved me hours. And during months like October, hours matter.

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A note on Narrative Edit

After culling in Select, I’ll often use Narrative Edit to get a clean, consistent base for the gallery. I still bring everything into Lightroom for finishing, but Edit helps me get a big chunk of the work done faster and with less effort.

I don’t use it for every session, but for big wedding days or anything with a tight turnaround, it helps me stay on track.

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Why I’m sharing this

I’m not here to pitch anything. I just remember how overwhelming it felt to be deep in a season of heavy shooting, trying to stay on top of everything without falling behind.

If you’ve been there too, and culling is the part that slows you down the most, this might help.

Here’s my link if you want to check it out: Narrative Select & Edit

I figured if it helped me cut down the culling time during a 42,000-image month, it might be worth passing along!