Lightroom Workflow

A consistent, efficient Lightroom workflow is essential for property photography. You'll often be editing 20-40 images per property, and you need to deliver within 48 hours. Speed and consistency are key.

1. Create a folder structure: Year → Month → Property Name

2. Import with a preset applied (your standard property photography settings)

3. Add keywords: property name, location, agent name, room type

4. Rate images during import review (1 star = reject, 3 stars = maybe, 5 stars = select)

1. Lens corrections: Enable profile corrections and remove chromatic aberration (do this first, it affects everything else)

2. Transform: Straighten verticals using "Auto" or manual adjustments. Enable "Constrain Crop."

3. White balance: Set to match the dominant light source. For mixed lighting, aim for a natural middle ground.

4. Exposure: Adjust overall brightness. Property photos should be bright and inviting.

5. Highlights: Pull down to recover window detail (-40 to -80)

6. Shadows: Lift to reveal detail in dark areas (+20 to +50)

7. Whites/Blacks: Fine-tune the tonal range. Set whites to just below clipping, blacks to maintain some depth.

8. Clarity/Texture: Add subtle clarity (+10 to +20) for definition. Avoid overdoing it.

9. Vibrance: A small boost (+10 to +15) adds life without oversaturation.

10. Sharpening: Amount 40-60, Radius 1.0, Detail 25, Masking 60-80

11. Noise reduction: Luminance 10-20 for clean files (higher for high-ISO shots)

1. Edit one image from the shoot to your satisfaction

2. Copy the develop settings (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + C)

3. Select all similar images and paste settings (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + V)

4. Fine-tune individual images as needed (exposure, white balance)

This approach means you're making 80% of your adjustments once and applying them across the entire shoot.