10 Step RAW Photo Processing / Where to Start, What To Do Next, Where to Finish

When I first started editing RAW photos, I had no idea where to start. I learned how to use different tools and techniques, but I lacked context. What should I do first? What should I do later? To answer those questions, and to formalize my approach, I developed my own 10 step framework. These are the steps I follow every single time I sit down to edit an image, from start to finish.
10 Step RAW Photo Processing Framework
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0:00 Introduction
1:35 Step 1 - Lens Corrections
2:46 Step 2 - Transform
3:38 Step 3 - Crop
4:10 Step 4 - White Balance
6:10 Step 5 - Exposure
8:10 Step 6 - Contrast
9:46 Step 7 - Color
11:50 Step 8 - Dodging and Burning
13:25 Step 9 - Cleanup
14:35 Step 10 - Sharpening
15:30 Outro
===================================
White Balance Cards (from Step 4)
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[@ramiraouagi]

KZbin algorithm is actually stupid for not giving you more exposure, your videos are GREAT

[@EdmundWang]

Agreed. Todd is awesome!

[@themanwiththeplan9397]

Agreed.

[@D1GItAL_CVTS]

heh exposure

[@glshim13]

Totally agree, not balanced 😏

[@Hubieee]

Perhaps he shouldn't bring his exposure down then.

[@ryanmcbeth3160]

This video is clear, concise, insightful and we'll organized. Top work.

[@noseycomic4992]

Wow! Great process!

[@Erwin_Fit]

Hi Todd, thank you very much for making this video. I'm usually satisfied with my edition but being more organized helps me to understand what part I need to change when things go wrong. I love this process. Also you are an excellent teacher and your videos are great.

[@codylander]

Love this step-by-step! Thank you for your work!

[@jolyoncox]

Excellent Todd, thank you!

[@IvoPavlik]

Honestly, I didn't have very high hopes when clicking this video. Didn't regret it though. I was pleasantly surprised to get a nicely structured lesson, explained clearly, packed with photography wisdom, yet concise. You've just earned a new subscriber, sir.

[@glennotf]

Really great video. So clear and simple. Thank you!

[@DmitryZhkv]

Thank you, great video

[@JavierLopezPR]

Thank you for this video!

[@robsonoliveira8867]

Always perfect!!! Thanks.

[@alexono88]

Genuinely presented! Looking forward for more content from you

[@EdmundWang]

Learning and practicing. Thank you Todd. Keep up the great work!

[@territ7011]

This is fantastic! You are a fantastic teacher and I learned alot!!!😊

[@uzeyourillusion]

Brilliant - thanks !

[@kevindaley9266]

This isn't another advert for the famous Danish beer maker but "this is probably the best editing work flow video in the world". Thanks for your very informative video Todd!

[@andrewd3899]

This is a really great overview, thank you so much for making it! I've been struggling with exactly something like this - staring at a dull grey RAW image and wondering what to do and in what order. Thanks for the tutorial!

Thanks for your insight . Great video.

[@SamuelJamesVideos]

Quality content as usual. The algorithm is gonna take notice. Great stuff

[@martinpettinger]

Thank you Todd ... much appreciated

[@cowheadcow]

Really great video. I did a before and after of my own original edit + your recommended process, and your process wins hands down!

[@open.studio.architecture]

Thanks Todd. A fantastic tutorial!

[@janosberes4401]

Thanks a lot for this video!

[@Henryopendi-uw4ip]

so nice to learn that

[@johnkasza4024]

Thanks Todd. Excellent video for us "structure people". I also find myself just moving sliders around and this work flow will help me get into more of a routine and I am sure it will help my image processing overall.

[@AlbertaBoundRailfanning]

Editing photos has been something I've struggled with since the beginning of my photography hobby... but unfortunately it's a pretty important step haha! Recently I've started playing around with RAW images... but really had no clue what I was doing! I finally had the great idea to do some research, and this video has helped tremendously! I actually managed to create something that doesn't look terrible from a RAW image haha, thanks so much for the video!!

[@melissahall7009]

Thank you for this, Appreciate it

[@edruth2933]

Todd Dominey is an exceptional speaker and educator!

[@michaelathybrid3]

Todd - Very good content here and well thought-out and presented. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with others. Greatly appreciated. I will share your videos.

[@patricksmith3782]

Yea, I really appreciate this video 👍

[@romeovellere2053]

Brilliant, thank you for your commitment. Hoping you would keep on posting contents about photo precessing

[@emu256]

Thank you for all the photo examples you provided.

[@TomKaszuba]

A truly excellent presentation.

[@aliviamurdoch8504]

Extremely helpful video!!

[@tonydugal5275]

Excellent instruction. Bravo!

[@marianwhit]

Great overview, so needed...

[@PeteEdmunds]

Super clear and logical. Thanks !

[@Florian-dg7mi]

Thank you for this video... Huge help

[@percanta1]

Thanks Todd, very useful advices

[@sarajitsil]

Hi Todd, Fantastic video. Loved the way you have explained the entire latitude of post processing in such 10 simple steps. It will definitely help me to build a definite process around how I will process my images in Lightroom going forward!! Excellent video!!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!!

[@3DWHIZZ]

Thanks so much for this Todd...helped me much!

[@petrhakl7131]

Great video!

[@ericpettitpga8328]

Outstanding. Excellent teacher...Thank you Todd!

[@MikeMV]

Thank you, this video is excellent.

[@fredbenjamin7072]

Hello Todd, Thank you for creating this excellent Lightroom editing resource -- and helping me to create order from chaos! This was at just the right level of depth for me to be able to establish the context as well as the flow. In other words, the components together create the whole. Although I've seen many other videos that explain workflow, yours made the most sense to me. I will use your workflow going forward and also try to incorporate my new favorite editing tools Luminar AI and (soon to be released) Luminar NEO. Since this is the first of your videos that I've viewed, I will explore the rest of the library. In the way of self analysis, my current focus is on subtlety, ie not over-correcting. (The available tools are so powerful, that it is difficult to know where and when to stop!) Thanks again!

[@MartinFroland]

Excellent video

[@poojaavyuktha9491]

absolutely loved the way you have explained, it gave so many insight. Thank you so much.

[@RonaldDuverge]

excellent!!

[@magnusjansheden391]

Thank you for exellent teaching Todd! Keep up the good work.

[@jason.morgan]

Great help, thanks

[@avijitmazumder1762]

Thanks. The information was really nice.

[@ammadoux]

thanks. very informative.

[@Windsorsillest]

This was exactly what I was looking for! I appreciate you ❤❤❤

[@jjtaylor6067]

Todd, this video was extremely helpful to me. Thank you so much.

[@MichelleCallahan]

Ok this is my favorite video. Thank you so much.

[@barlowsblog]

This is so helpful!

[@alanweston4913]

Just found your channel.I love the clean and concise information. Loved the exposure and contrast explanations, this is the best version that I've heard. Great Video.

[@tokidokiknitter1293]

EXCELLENT roadmap for editing photos. Very clear and concise. Thank you for sharing your process!!😊

[@candiesestore88]

Thank you Todd, I have watched countless KZbin videos about Photoshop and such. You are, by far, the most pragmatic illustrator, you explained things in such a way that I don't feel rushed and understood more. You did a great job, thank you.

[@straffe69]

Thank you! Your tips are helping me to improve my photo finishing

[@Nosnowyet]

The logic and lucidity of your videos is gratefully appreciated. Keep it up.

[@dolmagumpa]

Thank you. Very helpful

[@absurdistsloth]

absolutely fantastic video, thank you! i took notes to help me up my portrait photography game :)

[@dimev4516]

Great video. Well-spoken and easy to watch all the way through.

[@1garywagner]

Great tips on tripod use! Thanks for sharing.

[@rocha2333]

Excellent explanation and description for each step. Thank you very much!

[@adgsdgasgsgs4378]

Massively useful 👍

[@costelo17]

Well structured. Well explained. Thanks :)

[@likeseasons]

Thanks a lot for this framework! :D

[@vinodken]

You are amazing Todd, thanks for sharing this for many photographers to learn

[@Johnnygoto]

The most of my questions are finally solved, thank you so much for your video, I really appreciate it!!

[@mariolombardi4766]

Outstanding Todd! I wish I had seen this years ago when I was first learning the editing process.

[@sarinsahil]

Thank you! I've been looking for this for a while. Great perspective to technical stuff through an artist's lens :D

[@brdbrntrn]

Thank you SO MUCH!!

[@pajamaman4832]

I like that you include side by side suggestions for both LR and C1.

[@stillhaze]

really well layed out!

[@albertphillips447]

Really good, and it gets better every time I watch it, and practice using it. Thanks!

[@travelrecordmusic8265]

Spot-on methodical approach. Thanks!! Subscribed immediately.

[@andreir.222]

Straight to the point. Best tutorial about photo editing, by far.

[@brokenalgorithms4741]

It's amazing the difference in my edits(and photos) from 10 years ago. Very valuable video for beginners and even valuable for experienced editors.

[@johananGR]

Thank you!

[@lourdeslaparra2080]

I've being looking for this for so long. I'm gladnI finaly found it.

[@parkseok5731]

Thanks! this really pin-pointed what I want to!

[@claudiorizzi907]

Fantastic. Excellent totorial. Thanks, Claudio for Italy

[@seathreepyo]

Your videos have been amazing for a film school graduate that was never taught how to edit. Thank you!

[@andygray7776]

Thanks Todd, that video is super helpful and I am definitely going to use your framework in my editing process. Also, it is very refreshing to hear somebody talk about Capture One as well as light room as nearly every other KZbin video only seems to mention light room as though it’s the only editing suite out there. Thanks again and keep up the great work (and Capture One tips). 👏👏👏

[@AB-fe9jd]

Fantastic video, explained the thought process behind successful and productive image editing superbly, thank you so much. I now have my entire photo library to re edit!

[@caloy4573]

Thank you so much. Hope to be confident using editing tools.

[@EricPost9]

Super helpful! I've definitely struggled with editing since taking up photography as a hobby and feel I spend so much time ending up with something I'm not even happy with. Looking forward to trying out this workflow!

[@tomaszbanbur942]

Hi Todd! I'm into digital photograhy and LR for few years already and always struggled with developing RAWs, doing it in very intuitive way, always different, and frustrated with effects after I finally and accidentaly received at least satisfying effect. This tutorial is so great, I just regret I didn't find it earlier. Many thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience!

[@roykarlagomezgodinez9362]

What a great great video!! Thanks a lot and greetings from Mexico!!

[@bereantrb]

This is absolutely perfect--precisely what I was looking for. I knew there were principles for what order to do things and why but had yet to find a source that pulled it all together in a tidy way. This was so concisely presented. Thank you!

[@vintageequipment3768]

Wow great articulation of the process, and explanation of working contrast. Well done!

[@user-gp5en7ld9b]

This is perfect Bible to photo editing !

[@photographicamateur]

Thank you very much for guiding me through the jungle !

[@ivoryphotographykenya4078]

Well said and done... Such a great teaching skill, be blessed..

[@6bProductions]

Nice job, you popped up out of nowhere, since for months I have been looking at a ton of LR videos. Glad you did.

[@mondujar279]

I am watching many of your videos recently, I really like your thoughtful approach and I am sure my images will benefit!

[@buttonlesspit8893]

Great video mate! made me feel more secure about my editing process

[@Dionne.Photography]

This is great!! First time seeing you on KZbin but I can’t wait to dig into your channel more.