Okay, let’s be real for a second.
Shooting is the fun part. Editing? That’s creative. But culling?
Sitting there staring at 4,000 almost identical photos on a Windows PC? That is actual torture.
My eyes burn. My brain turns to mush. And I always end up keeping the blurry ones anyway.
But I found something recently. And honestly? It’s been a total game-changer for my workflow.
I’m talking about Aftershoot.
Specifically, running it right here on Windows.
If you’re shooting weddings, portraits, or just snaps of your cat, listen up.
This AI thing is not just hype.
【 What is Aftershoot Anyway? 】
Think of it as a super smart assistant.
One that actually knows your taste.
It’s not just a random filter. It’s an AI that learns how you pick photos.
You upload your pics. It goes through them.
It picks the best ones.
And it gets rid of the junk.
Sounds simple, right?
But the tech behind it is actually kind of crazy.
【 How the AI Brain Works 】
So, how does it know what you like?
It doesn’t just guess.
It learns.
The AI is trained by watching decisions.
Real decisions made by real photographers.
When you use it, you aren’t just clicking buttons.
You are teaching it.
· You show it what you like.
· You show it what you hate.
· It builds a pattern based on that.
Let’s say you love emotional shots.
You know, the ones where the focus is slightly soft but the vibe is immaculate.
Most software would delete that.
Not Aftershoot.
It adjusts its priority.
It sees that you value emotion over sharpness.
Next time it scans a folder?
It knows exactly what to look for.
It’s like having a mini-me inside my computer.
One that doesn’t need sleep or coffee.
【 The Nitty Gritty: Culling Logic 】
This is where it gets cool.
The AI doesn’t just look at a photo and say “pretty” or “ugly.”
It breaks it down.
It looks at two main things.
Objective issues.
And subjective vibes.
First, the objective stuff.
The no-brainers.
✅ Did someone blink?
✅ Is the image a blurry mess?
✅ Is the exposure totally blown out?
It catches these instantly.
These are the “hard errors.”
The photos you’d never show a client anyway.
It deletes them without you even seeing them.
Thank goodness.
But then it goes deeper.
It judges the subjective stuff too.
This is the hard part for computers.
But Aftershoot handles it surprisingly well.
It looks at the lighting.
Is it moody and dramatic?
Or flat and boring?
It checks the background.
Is it clean?
Or is there a trash can right behind the subject’s head?
It analyzes the composition.
Is the rule of thirds working here?
Is the horizon straight?
It’s judging the “artistic” merit.
Which is wild for a piece of software.
【 The 100-Point System 】
So, how does it show you the results?
It uses a scoring system.
Every single photo gets a grade.
From 1 to 100.
1 is basically trash.
100 is the cover shot.
This makes it so easy to scan.
You can filter by score.
“Show me only the 90s and above.”
Boom.
Your selects are right there.
But it doesn’t stop there.
It also groups the images.
This is huge.
You know how you take 50 bursts of the same pose?
The AI clusters those together.
It picks the best one from the group.
So you don’t have to compare photo 34 to photo 35.
It does that for you.
It says, “Hey, these are the same. This one is the winner.”
【 My Windows Experience 】
Now, let’s talk about running this on a PC.
I know a lot of creative tools are Mac-first.
We Windows users get used to waiting.
But Aftershoot works great on Windows.
I’m running Windows 11.
And it runs smooth.
No lagging.
No crashing.
It feels native.
The interface is clean.
It’s not cluttered like some old-school editing tools.
It’s modern.
Dark mode by default (thank you).
And it handles big folders well.
I threw a 3,000 photo wedding folder at it.
It chewed through them in minutes.
If I did that manually?
That would be a whole evening gone.
【 How to Get It on Windows 】
Getting it set up is super easy.
You don’t need to be a tech wizard.
I promise.
Here is the simple breakdown.
1️⃣ Go to the official Aftershoot website.
Just search for it.
You’ll see the homepage.
2️⃣ Look for the “Get Aftershoot” button.
It’s usually right there.
Big and obvious.
3️⃣ Click it.
You’ll need to make an account.
Just an email and password.
Standard stuff.
4️⃣ Download the Windows installer.
It’s a standard .exe file.
Run it.
Install it like any other app.
And you’re ready to roll.
【 Is It Actually Worth It? 】
Let’s talk pros and cons.
I promised to be real with you guys.
It’s not magic fairy dust.
It has a learning curve.
At the very start, it might not know your style perfectly.
You have to train it.
You have to correct it sometimes.
“No, AI, I actually like this high-contrast look.”
But the more you use it?
The better it gets.
It adapts to you.
And the time you save?
Insane.
I used to dread culling.
Now I kind of don’t mind it.
It’s almost satisfying to see the scores go up.
【 The Bottom Line 】
If you are a Windows user.
And you shoot a lot of photos.
You need this.
It’s not just about speed.
It’s about saving your sanity.
Less time at the computer.
More time shooting.
Or just, you know, living your life.
Give it a try.
See if it vibes with your workflow.
I have a question for you guys though.
What is the part of editing you hate the most?
Is it the culling?
Or the color grading?
Let me know in the comments!
👇👇👇