It's hard to explain the feeling I get when I put the "brush" down and call an image finished. It takes time. Sometimes several hours dodging, burning, cropping, and color correcting. Even then, I may decide to scrap it and start again.
Many wedding photographers have a workflow where they upload images to a host and allow their clients to login, review, and purchase images from an event. It's a great concept. For me, it frees up more time to focus on the more creative aspects of my photography work. But, it should not become a repository for all images shot at a particular event, only to be processed after the client chooses the ones they want. Why? You expose your work, good and BAD, to discerning clients looking for nothing but great work. I would be embarrassed to let anything but my best work roam around on the internet.
I believe a true artist takes pride in his/her work, and will take the time necessary to produce only the best work. I would lose more sleep knowing my unedited images were out there being critiqued by a potential client than from staying up late to get an image exactly how I want it.
Stay true to who you are as an artist and people will notice your work. Get lazy, your work will suffer and you just become a person that takes pictures, not the photographer everyone wants to hire.
Check out Flickr to see more of my work.
Bill Miles Photography: Think. Create. Evoke.
