Cull 3,000 wedding photos in 30 minutes: a 4-step workflow
Split by scene, remove bad shots, group duplicates and lock the shortlist before colour editing.
Why cull before you edit
Colour editing is the most labour-intensive part. Every bad frame that slips through culling wastes a few minutes. The rule is simple: cull first, edit later, and edit only what made the final list.
Step 1: split by scene
Group photos by moment of the day: preparation, ceremony, reception, couple portraits. Piklove splits them using the timestamps and location in EXIF data and you only adjust the boundaries.
Step 2: remove bad shots
Motion blur, closed eyes, missed focus, underexposed frames. Machines are good at this; you only skim the rejected folder to rescue frames with great emotion even if the technique isn't perfect.
Step 3: group duplicates
Burst shooting creates dozens of near-identical frames. Keep the best frame in each group, or two if the moment deserves it.
Step 4: lock the shortlist
Send the gallery so the couple can choose their favourites. You receive the marked list and edit exactly what needs to be delivered.