Street Photography Editing Workflow: iPad Pro Culling, Ricoh GR JPEGs & Daily Shooting Philosophy

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Street Photography Editing Workflow: iPad Pro Culling, Ricoh GR JPEGs & Daily Shooting Philosophy

This morning we’re gonna be doing some editing on my iPad Pro, just culling through some photographs that I made throughout December and January — 2025 / 2026, going through the work and making the final selections from the months that I’ve got so far.

Ever since I came back from Tokyo, I actually didn’t make final selections of my work yet. I let the catalog sort of back up — all of the days of the month — and now I’m calling through them tediously.

I went through all the different days from December. I went through everything from January up until now. And so I’m just going through the work, making the final selections from the month, and trying to basically catch up on work that I neglected.

Immediate Selections vs Backlog

With my process particularly, I do enjoy looking at photographs immediately upon returning home from the day of shooting — simply due to the fact that I make lots of pictures.

I make too many pictures to allow them to back up for an entire month and then go back and look at them.

If I shoot for an entire month and don’t look at the pictures each day and don’t make selections, that means I’m gonna have an entire week of just tedious culling later down the line.

I photograph rigorously — lots of clicks of the shutter.

My normal process is:

  • Make photos
  • Come home
  • Make quick selections
  • Back up the same day

But this backlog built up since returning from Tokyo. I got lazy with my practice this new year, and now I’m paying for it.

iPad Pro + Photos App Workflow

I use the iPad Pro and the built-in Photos app.

I like looking at photos in small thumbnails immediately.

What I do:

  • Go through a single day
  • Quickly favorite images just by looking at thumbnails
  • Go through the favorites
  • Drag them into a monthly selections folder
  • Move monthly folders into a yearly folder

That yearly folder is not a portfolio or final keeper folder.
It’s just a place for images that I find interesting enough to revisit later.

I now have three years of photographs sitting on my desk — printed as 4×6 prints — roughly 13,000 photos in black and white.

Maybe that’s bad practice. Maybe I should’ve been more on top of things earlier. But I’m shooting more than I ever have in my entire life.

Shooting More Than Ever → New Workflows

Because I’m making more pictures than ever, I’m trying to adopt workflows that allow me to:

  • Move quickly
  • Back things up fast
  • Not overthink

I don’t take selections too seriously. I’m honestly not attached to the photos.

Photography isn’t that serious to me. I do this for fun.

Making selections should be quick, then you move on.

That’s why I love the iPad Pro — dragging images is effortless.

Small JPEG Files & Speed

I shoot high-contrast black-and-white JPEGs.

Small files. Fast imports.

This file is 3.5 MB.

My iPad Pro is 2 TB, almost full — and I’ve been shooting every single day, hundreds of thousands of frames, for three years straight.

Small JPEGs make this possible.

If you’re shooting with the Ricoh, I highly suggest giving it a try.

Macro, Flash & Isolating Plants

I work in a greenhouse and have access to a lot of plants.

I’ve been making macro photographs using flash to isolate plants from the background — crushing the blacks and illuminating the highlights.

Using flash allows me to separate the subject from the background cleanly, something I struggled with before.

Macro + flash has been fascinating.

Philadelphia: Christmas Village & Street Energy

The Christmas Village in Philadelphia is one of the best times of the year for street photography.

From Thanksgiving through New Year’s:

  • Tons of people
  • Vendors
  • Energy
  • Families
  • Atmosphere

If you’re a street photographer, it’s an incredible time to visit.

Crop Mode Experiments (50mm / 71mm)

I’ve been experimenting heavily with crop mode:

  • 50mm on the Ricoh GR III
  • 71mm on the Ricoh GR IIIx

I started this accidentally in Tokyo and carried it back with me to Philadelphia.

Being able to get this close with a small camera in a crowded city is unprecedented.

This is something that only exists right now.

Automation & Not Thinking

I shoot mostly in:

  • AV mode
  • Program mode

I don’t want to think about settings.

I want automation so I can focus on being present.

I embrace crop mode, flash, automation — whatever helps me stay out of my head.

On Discipline, Rest & Obsession

I don’t like stopping.

Photography, training, yoga — I struggle to rest.

I recently injured my shoulder doing Bujangasana in Ashtanga yoga and had to force myself to slow down.

Maybe that’s a blessing and a curse.

But I know one thing:
Being out there making photos is what gives my life meaning.

Books, galleries, final selections — they don’t interest me.

Flow does. Flux does.

Photography as Becoming

My philosophy is simple:

My next photo is my best photo.

I never want to feel like I’ve mastered photography.

I want infinite potential.

I want to change every day.

That’s why I photograph daily.

Style Comes From the Subconscious

Style is not:

  • Black and white
  • Grit
  • Grain

Style comes from your subconscious.

From who you are.

It can’t be forced.

It arrives when you stop trying.

Street Photography as Dialogue With Life

I don’t hunt.
I don’t plan.
I don’t chase projects.

I live my life and bring my camera with me.

Photography teaches me who I am.

That’s the art of street photography.

Mummers Parade & Embracing the Obvious

The Mummers Parade on January 1st is a Philadelphia tradition.

People say:

“Don’t photograph the parade, photograph the crowd.”

Fuck it. Photograph the parade — your way.

Crop mode, abstraction, proximity.

Make something new.

The Long Game

This editing process is tedious.

I don’t love it.

But I know that catching up now allows me to keep moving forward.

I don’t care what happens to the work.

What matters is doing the thing.

Final Thoughts

Photography allows me to live adventurously.

Every day is new.

Every day is interesting.

I wander aimlessly, follow light, follow instinct.

Photography is just the excuse.

Learn My Full Workflow

If you want to see how I work more deeply:

http://dantesisofo.com

Click Guides → Ultimate Ricoh GR Street Photography Guide

  • Full workflow video
  • Camera settings
  • JPEG recipe
  • iPad setup
  • Philosophy

Thanks for watching.
I’ll see you in the next one.

Peace.

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