Consistency Hack

Have you ever edited and delivered a session, and then gone back to look at it and HATED the colors and tones and overall style because it wasn't consistent with the rest of your work?

Do you absolutely dread adjusting your White Balance?

I am pretty ritualistic about my edition conditions — window blinds closed, lamps off, as dark of a room as possible and absolutely no lights or screens in front of me or in my periphery while I’m editing. Well, at least I prefer these perfect editing conditions. Actually I would prefer to only edit in a dark cave in the woods and the smell of rain coming from outside, with Christian EDM blaring and a bottomless bag of M&M’s at my side… but we can’t have everything we want.

Anyway….. If you're anything like me, staring at the same set of pictures for a long time can make my eyes start to play tricks on me, especially regarding color tones… and even in the best editing room conditions.

My hack?

I open up my own Instagram feed on my screen.

I actually have my own Instagram grid open most of the time that I am editing, serving as a kind of 'calibrator' to my own body-of-work that is within glance on the same screen as what I'm working on. This helps me so much with editing consistency!

If you are still refining your own style, or don't have an Instagram feed that you feel totally represents your style yet... open the Instagram feed of another artist whose work you really like (think moods, tones, and SKINTONES) and use their body-of-work — in a convenient little grid — to calibrate your eyes as you process your own session. You aren't copying them, just using their feed as a respite for your tired eyes to glance at and save you from green skin or dull contrast.

Having my grid open on the same screen that I am editing on, removes any variables that would come up if I were referencing photographs on another screen or in print while I edit. It’s fool proof!

I hope this is helpful!

-Julie