Mattia Compagnucci photo

Mattia Compagnucci

Designer, photographer, and writer.

On feeling overwhelmed: the hard work of editing

February 25th, 2025

I shot a lot, really, a lot. And when I don’t do a first round of editing the same day it gets messy. Or better yet, overwhelming.

I came back from Thailand after a month with thousands of photos, probably hundreds that are total rubbish, others good, and some keepers I’m really proud of.

But the real number is still unknown because, lately, every time I sit in front of Lightroom I feel overwhelmed. Luckily I remember some situations and some shots from the back of the camera that I posted in my behind the scene Telegram channel. Those act as my bookmarks for photos that I like right away or that I cropped in-camera so I would remember the crop once in Lightroom.

One of my bookmarks from the Telegram Channel

One part of me thinks I should be more selective when framing a scene, but another one wants to take advantage of the digital medium and aim for the unexpected. This unexpectedness, 95% of the time, ends up directly into the trash bin. But the remaining 5% is delightful.

I stumble upon this open air gym on the way back from the beach. The sound of the hits and heavy breathing calls me as I park the scooter on the sidewalk.

The way Muay Thai is perceived more as a cultural phenomenon than solely a sport is fascinating. I’m hypnotized by the way locals interact with visitors sharing this passion and the willingness to improve and learn.

[A recent sequence from the first editing session]

I think the plan now is to go one day at a time with smaller chunks of photos and start cleaning, picking and rating. Slowly posting some here, in the behind the scene channel or Instagram. But most of them will probably end up in a new issue of Wandering Through Life (here you can find the first issue).

What about you? Are you shooting several photos at a time or aiming for the perfect shot right away?

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