If, like me, you don’t like to sit over group photos and choose that one perfect photo where everyone (or most) has their eyes open, then you need to check out Narrative Select. This is another AI revolution, which may in some time replace photographers, in the selection of material, but knock what, we can use it in our own business.
How does Narrative Select – an application for automatic selection of photos work?
Narrative Select analyzes each photo in terms of 3 criteria:
- photo sharpness
- open eyes
- Smile
If we have several similar photos in the series, the program does groups them into a pair and marks the most advantageous of them. Of course, we also have full control over the selection, because the program allows us to independently select and mark photos, while giving a close-up of each detected face.
As many as 6 free projects per month
Workflow with Narrative Select
Narrative Select should be implemented at the very beginning of photo processing to make a preliminary or accurate selection and mark the photos with ratings, which can then be imported into Adobe Lightroom Classic. As a result, we can already work on previously selected photos.
Uploading a project to the program takes very little time, so we do not have to waste it on creating thumbnails for all photos in Adobe Lightroom, and at the same time importing them into the catalog.
Speed of operation with RAW files
The program is a bit like Photo mechanic, because it speeds up the selection process, even omitting its AI functions. This is because within 2-3 minutes from several thousand RAW files it creates illustrative files, which are quite enough for selection. In this way, we do not wait long to import photos as Lightroom has a habit, and we view hundreds or thousands of photos without delay.
What is required for Narrative Select to work
At the moment, the program works only on macOS and works with Adobe Lightroom CC, Lightroom Classic and Capture One (C1).
At the same time, it supports all popular RAW file formats:
CR2, CRW, CR3, NEF, NRW, RAF, DNG, RAW, RWL, ARW, RW2, ORF, FFF, 3FR, JPGS
How much does Narrative Select cost?
The Select Free version of the application offers up to 6 free projects every month, so if you are just starting out, you do not have to buy another subscription and wonder if it will pay you back. You can spend the saved time on photos or searching for new customers, and then switch to the paid Narrative Select Pro plan, which differs only in the lack of limits and currently costs $ 150 per year. If you do 50 sessions / reports a year, it is only 3% (about PLN 10 per project). Is it worth it?
Is it worth it?
As for free, it’s sweet vinegar! So it’s worth checking, because, although I think that the program will not perform the full selection for us (frames without people, without visible faces), it will certainly save us time by filtering the worst photos in the series and giving suggestions for the best ones. This is a great starting point for further selection. It is also a nice alternative to Photo Mechanic, which is only in the trial version.
