Look Back: Revisiting Past Images

Text and photos by Heather Cline 

Arch Rock

I was recently comparing notes with some fellow photographers on photo editing workflows and noticed how different we all are about managing our files. Some show no mercy, keeping only their best images while others hang on to every 'maybe'. Despite each photographer's approach, after years of shooting, it's inevitable to amass thousands upon thousands of images. Like many photographers, I have a significant number of images; many that I haven't looked at in years. This got me thinking about going back through past images to see if there are any that warrant a second look. What is the purpose of going back through past photos? For me, it's an opportunity to re-imagine and perhaps improve upon photos in my catalog. 

Below are a few reasons and examples of how this can be a valuable exercise, along with some of my past images.

New Perspective

If you run back through images you took one, three, or even five years ago, you might find that you have some new favorites that you overlooked the first time. Perhaps you captured many shots during a trip and only focused on the most dramatic ones at the time, overlooking more subtle images. Revisiting a set of images with fresh eye can remind you what drew you to the image at the time as well. 

Bryce Canyon

New Tools

No matter which post processing software you use, the software is constantly being updated with new features, so the editing potential today exceeds what you might have been able to do a few years ago. For example, improved High Dynamic Range (HDR) at click of a button allows you to merge multiple images into one with ideal exposure. Improved selection tools for making targeted adjustments have come a long way too. But - my recent favorite might be the denoise feature. I've started looking through older images that I had to shoot in low light or at high ISO that had a bit too much grain and I've found this feature to open up a world of possibilities for me. What might it do for you?

Kanarra Falls Slot Canyon

New Skills

As your tools evolve, your skills have surely have as well. From pulling details out of photos in any light to converting images to black and white. Using those skills to reimagine past images might help you uncover a hidden gem. This might even inspire you to revisit a location or come up with new ideas for future images. 

Black Rocks Panorama

We photographers spend a lot of time thinking about and planning for the next image, but there is value in revisiting the winners we may have forgotten we already captured. Happy hunting.