Marination in Photography

Today, I’m reflecting on the marination process in photography. It’s about detaching yourself from your photographs—giving them time to sit, untouched, so you can revisit them with a fresh perspective. Here’s how I’ve been doing it:

For the past two years, I’ve been completely detached from my work.
I’ve let my photos sit on my hard drive and my prints stack up without touching them.
I haven’t analyzed or even thought about what the photos mean yet.

“Marination is about stepping away from the photographs to see them with an objective lens later on.”

The Importance of Detachment

Why do this? Because when we first make photos, we’re often too emotionally attached to them. Maybe it’s the moment we experienced, or the story behind it, that resonates personally. But that doesn’t always translate to the photo being great.

When you step back and let time pass—a year, two years, whatever works—you can view your photos without bias. This detachment is critical when it comes to:

Sequencing your work
Selecting the best standalone “keeper” shots
Presenting your photography to the world

My Hardcore Approach

For the last two years, I’ve gone hardcore with marination. I’ve avoided looking at my photos entirely. But now, as winter approaches, I’m planning to dive in:

Study my own photography.
Understand what it all means.

“Photography is a slow and gradual process—not just in making the work, but in understanding and curating it.”

A Balanced Workflow

Here’s my advice for managing the marination process without creating a mountain of work later:

Cull photos daily.
After a shoot, go through your photos and mark potential keepers. It doesn’t have to be perfect—just make quick selections to reduce future headaches.
Back up favorites.
I’ve been shooting hundreds of thousands of photos over the past two years, but by culling daily, I’ve narrowed them down to around 9,000 photos. That’s way more manageable.

Alternatively, you could let everything stack up and tackle it all at once, but I don’t recommend it. Trust me, it’s a headache.

The Long Game

“Don’t think about the immediate pleasure of picking a keeper photo. Detach, let them sit, and revisit them later.”

Photography isn’t about instant gratification. It’s about playing the long game—letting your work breathe, grow, and mature before you edit and present it.

Closing Thoughts

So, snapshot your way through life, let the photos marinate, and give yourself time to understand the story they tell. Whether it takes months or years, the best work often comes from patience.

Remember, photography is a journey. Stay in production mode while you’re out shooting, but take the time later to curate and sequence your best work. It’s a slow and intentional process, but that’s where the magic happens.