Time is one of the rarest resources on earth, and it never seems like we have enough. As photographers, we know just how frustrating it can be to get caught up in all the time-intensive processes. Take culling photos, for example. There’s a good chance you’re left with a thousand pictures after each session, and you simply don’t have the time to go through them all. That’s when you need to work smarter, not harder. Over the years, companies have figured out the art of culling pictures and have created the software necessary to make the process much simpler. So let’s look at two of the top options in this comparison of Aftershoot vs Imagen.
Disclaimer: We are proud affiliates of some of these tools and may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through our links. However, we only promote products we genuinely believe in.
Comparing The Pros And Cons Of Aftershoot vs Imagen
Through using AI, they are able to figure out which pics are duplicates, which ones are the best, and which ones could be left behind. By mainstreaming the process, they have hacked how to save photographers tons of time so you can get back to the work you actually want to be doing! While there are a few options out there, Imagen and Aftershoot really seem to lead the conversation.
As time has passed, the capabilities of Aftershoot and Imagen have only gotten stronger. Today, they are extremely comprehensive, giving you the ability to edit pictures right in the app before exporting them to your software of choice. Photographers have shaved hours–even days!– off their processing time by using either Aftershoot or Imagen, giving them more time to focus on growing their business. It’s all just a matter of getting started!
Some photographers prefer to use the software options together, while others have picked their favorite and work with it exclusively. So, which one is right for you? Well, that’s why we are here. As SEO bloggers for photographers, we are passionate about taking on the work that we know will build up your company for the better. That’s why we’ve put together a comprehensive guide about Aftershoot vs Imagen, dedicated to cutting through all the noise so you’re just left with the information that helps you decide what works best for you. Here’s everything you need to know about using Aftershoot vs Imagen to save you from the pain and suffering otherwise known as culling and editing your photos!
We Personally Love Using Aftershoot vs Imagen
First up, let’s talk all about Aftershoot before getting into Imagen. Widely known as the original culling software, this company has been working since 2020 to save photographers from a whole lot of headaches. They have been here since before the AI bubble, and they are here to outlast any fads. Their team has figured out how to use the abilities of artificial intelligence to their advantage. Look, as photographers ourselves, we understand how the talk around AI can be…well…tricky, especially with creatives.
We want to save time, but we don’t want to outsource our entire jobs. Aftershoot uses AI the way it’s meant to be used. It has an algorithm that figures out how to separate the wheat from the chaff, bringing you the best pictures while still letting you maintain control over the entire process. Trust us, it is a godsend! As a result, you will have those hours back. So you can spend more time on so many other things. With all that time, you can market yourself, build up your base, and maybe even have time left over to finally get around to that show you’ve been meaning to watch since the last Golden Globes.
While both Aftershoot and Imagen are fantastic, we’ve found ourselves turning to Aftershoot. In fact, since we started using it, we’ve saved nearly 200 hours by letting it process over 38,000 pictures (we love how it keeps track!). That leaves us with more time to give back to our clients and, frankly, to ourselves!
If you do decide to try Aftershoot, be sure to use our affiliate link! Through us, you will be able to save 10% on an annual subscription. But before you decide to commit, we’d love to tell you what we like about it.
Pros of Aftershoot
One of the best things about Aftershoot? It’s all-in-one. While it started out as strictly culling the pictures, they’ve moved into editing, and they’ve done a pretty good job, if we do say so ourselves! We’ll lay out all the editing perks in a second, but let’s focus on how fast this software is at the culling process compared to others like Imagen. Many have noticed that the software is some of the fastest at both culling and editing, timing the process as 25 photos in 38 seconds. Seriously, before long, you are going to wonder how the heck you ever managed without it!
Another huge perk with this software is that you don’t need an internet connection to use it, at least not after the initial setup. In the beginning, you will work online to train the engine. You will need an internet connection to create or update the AI profile in the future. From there, you should be good to go, so you can work from wherever you please. Whether you’re navigating outages or just trying to avoid asking the barista to please repeat the wifi password because it’s not working, you’ll be golden! Not only will the offline features work with culling, but they can also be there throughout the entire editing process.
Pricing
When it comes to their pricing, they are pretty straightforward. You can normally score a 30-day free trial, so you can get started playing around and see if it works well for you. They offer monthly prices that you’ll pay by the year (again, we have a referral link to help out with that!) The very basic plan is less than a Spotify account and grants you unlimited AI culling and duplicate detection. This is the ideal option for photographers who know they have way too many photos to navigate but want to handle most of the other work themselves.
There are four plans available with add-ons, so you only have to pay for what you need. Aftershoot is one of the more affordable software options, and their most advanced option is cheaper than that of Imagen. A lot of people prefer the Aftershoot fixed cost as opposed to the pay-as-you-go pricing structure Imagen offers. While the prices might change from year to year, you won’t have to worry about the app suddenly raising prices while keeping you locked in a contract, which is HUGE.
The AI Built Within Aftershoot
Aftershoot is one of the most powerful culling options with the ability to work through thousands of pictures at record speed. Their AI abilities are also some of the best we’ve seen, and they are by far the best at working through large batches of photos. The engine is constantly learning from you and adjusting itself to your preferences. Here are some of the culling capabilities it offers:
Duplicate detection and similar image grouping: Not only is the AI able to get rid of the duplicates, but it’s also smart enough to take into account different shooting styles while grouping together the images. The pictures will be sorted into stacks so you can easily blaze through the shots. These features are going to save you so much time!
Best image selection: The software has an algorithm that lets it determine the best pictures in the bundle. It doesn’t just go by the technical aspects, either. Aftershoot takes into account emotion, context, sharpness, and composition. It will also keep your personal style at the core of its work to ensure you are left with the pictures that perfectly suit your business! Additionally, it will let you know if there are no better images in the group, so you never have to worry about missing a thing.
Customizable sensitivity: You will be able to adjust the settings for culling so you can decide how many images you are left with. It’s very helpful if you want it to get rid of most of the duplicates while still retaining tons of control over the final pictures.
The Culling Process
The culling process gives you two settings so you can take more control. You can choose between AI-automated culling and AI-assisted culling. With the automated option, it will do the majority of the work all on its own. If that’s intimidating (we get it!), then AI-assisted culling might be a better option. With this one, you retain full control over the image selection process while still using a few AI-assisted features. It also lets you group images into smaller or larger stacks for added convenience.
Once it has done its thing, you will be able to look through the options and trim them down even further. This is great because it leaves you with more pictures for your gallery while still freeing up your time to complete other important tasks like edit, answer emails, or play a game of fetch with your pup.
When it comes to experience, it’s pretty hard to beat Aftershoot! It’s been around since 2020, and it’s only improving. Over time, it has gained a pretty loyal following amongst photographers. As a result, you’re simply going to find way more support than you might with other apps. If you experience any issues, there’s a good chance you can turn to the community for a solution.
They have also created internal systems that can help you if you find yourself stuck. You will have constant online support available 24/7, where you can talk with a live rep. Beyond this, they have created videos on their website where you can go to check out tons of how-to tutorials that should resolve any issues. It’s the perfect option for the non-confrontational folks out there!
Beyond Culling
We’ve noticed that Aftershoot is one of the most integrative options. It works seamlessly with other photography software such as Lightroom and Capture One. This is going to save you a lot of headaches while also streamlining your workflow.
If you are looking for software to do mass editing, Aftershoot is a great option for several reasons. It gives you the ability to edit right in the app. So you don’t need to import the pictures from Lightroom first. Also, it is constantly learning. As you apply your editing style, it follows along and can apply your personal profile (sweetly called your “personal muse”) onto your pictures. The editing abilities are pretty comprehensive, giving you the ability to adjust things like exposure, shadows, white balance, highlights, HSL, and tone curves. The editing closely resembles that of Lightroom, offering sliders you’re already used to. The tools are also context-aware, focusing on the subject while allowing you to correct the composition however you need.
The ability to create profiles with different styles is huge! We work with so many photographers who shoot across a variety of styles, and the profiles give you the chance to apply different styles as needed. You will have the ability to build your own profile, or you can start out by first selecting one of their premade options. Over time, this profile will adapt to your preferences, but it gives you a fantastic starting point without all the initial training time.
If you are worried about the security of the pictures, Aftershoot has gone out of its way to ensure you don’t lose raw images. They process all of the edits locally. This can be a lifesaver for wedding photographers who want to ensure they keep all the major moments throughout their session!
Cons of Aftershoot vs Imagen
Okay, so all this sounds pretty great, right? However, there are some downsides to consider before you commit. If you do decide on their lower-tier memberships, you will have way fewer personalization options. With both the Selects and the Essentials plan, you will be stuck with their preset AI profiles. You won’t get to train it in your style, so you’ll be doing most of the heavy lifting yourself. With the Pro plan, you will only get one custom AI profile and will need to pay for each additional option. This can be fine for people who only shoot one style, but many photographers like to tweak and adjust. We’re going to guess you don’t want the same editing applied to your airy family photos as you do to your dramatic boudoir session. The Max plan gives up to 5 profiles with the option to upgrade to more.
Speaking of editing, if we’re honest, Aftershoot simply isn’t your best option. Yes, it is fantastic to be able to take your presets and put them on all your photos. That said, there are other apps that do a better job. The editing capabilities have always been a bit of an afterthought, but they are improving with every update. They are not as beginner-friendly, and you do not have as much control as you might with an app like Imagen.
Because Aftershoot is so highly customizable, it can be extremely overwhelming for photographers just getting started on it. We mentioned earlier that the software has developed a pretty good community over the past five years, and you will likely be relying on this a ton in the very beginning.
The Learning Curve of Aftershoot vs Imagen
We can tell you from experience that, at the beginning, there’s going to be a huge learning curve. Many people have reported that their initial edits were pretty rough. You will need to spend some time being consistent with the engine training, and it can be extremely frustrating. The more you use it, however, the better it’s going to get. You just have to be prepared to devote a lot of your time in the beginning and trust that the return will be worth it (we promise it will be!). If you are trying to get an initial idea of what that will look like, the company estimates that it will require 2,500-5,000 images to nail down the accuracy and give you the best results moving forward. And don’t worry. These can be past pictures from your own catalog.
A lot of users have expressed frustration over the amount of images that are left over once you are done culling. This app wants to make sure you don’t miss any potential keepers, and some people feel as though this can sometimes be a hindrance. While it will get rid of the bulk of unnecessary pictures, you might still be left sorting through a few duplicates once the initial cull is over.
While we do love how this software doesn’t require an internet connection, this might be a bit of an issue for some, especially those with an older computer. The software works entirely with your processing system, and if it’s slow or outdated, it can get a little frustrating. Users with slower CPUs might be better off with a cloud-based option that works entirely online to really see the benefits.
Imagen Offers Another Great Option
While Aftershoot was one of the first companies on the scene, Imagen wasn’t too far behind. The company started out in the same year. However, their initial focus wasn’t on the culling process. The founder was inspired after his own wedding when he found himself eagerly waiting for his pictures. After sending the emails we’ve all received countless times, he learned it takes about 14 hours on average to edit a full wedding. Always a problem solver, he decided he wanted to find a way to make the process a little easier. His goal was to ensure photographers could maintain control over the editing while still cutting down on time. Today, the app uses an algorithm to adjust the parameters in accordance with your editing style. Much like Aftershoot, it gets to know its user and continues to fine-tune its process to perfectly match yours.
If you have been considering Imagen AI, here’s everything you need to consider.
Pros of Imagen vs Aftershoot
First, pricing. Imagen has two options. You can choose to use the unlimited annual plans, or you can pay per picture. While many prefer a flat-rate price for larger batches, many users like the pay-as-you-go option, especially when it comes to starting out. This can be a more flexible option that really lets you try it out before you commit.
While the culling abilities might not be the strongest compared to Aftershoot, they are still extremely helpful. Before you get started, you will be able to head over to the “culling preferences” settings and decide how you want them to sort through your pictures. It will pick out the best images of a group, label all of the duplicates, and show the stand-alone pictures that you will need to decide on yourself. They also give you the option to mark pictures as “low-rated.” With this option, you will quickly be able to determine the pictures that are out-of-focus, improperly exposed, or taken accidentally.
The algorithm with this app is pretty exceptional! Much like Aftershoot, you are going to have the ability to create different profiles that will work with your personal style. This is going to really come in handy when it comes to editing pictures. You will start out by uploading your own edited images to start training the algorithm. This initial training will give it a pretty accurate eye for your style, and as you continue to use the software, it’s going to continue to improve. Before long, you will be able to edit large amounts extremely quickly. At its fastest, Imagen is able to process and edit pictures in less than half a second per photo. With these capabilities, you are about to get days of your life back!
The Editing Power Of Imagen
Speaking of the editing capabilities, Imagen really is some of the best software out there. In fact, a lot of people view this as an editing-first option. There are several things that make this software stand apart from the competition. As we mentioned earlier, this thing works with a really powerful algorithm, and it will waste no time getting to know all about you! It learns your preferences on adjustments like exposure, color balance, contrast, shadows, highlights, and so much more.
From there, it applies that style to all of your pictures. So you don’t have to become bogged down with fixing everything picture to picture. Don’t worry. The resulting images still look natural with none of those weird AI flourishes we’ve all come to recognize. Once you are done with that session, you will be able to apply those changes across future galleries, resulting in high-end edits without the hours and hours of hard work. And remember, the more you do this, the more it fine-tunes your style for later edits!
This app makes it very easy to start editing if you don’t feel like training the algorithm. You will be able to select from a large variety of talent profiles so you can find the one that really nails your style. This will serve as your starting point, adjusting itself as you use it through your sessions.
While Imagen is an AI-forward option, it never takes full control away from you. Once it finishes editing all of your pictures, it sends your gallery to you. You will then be able to go through your pictures and adjust them however you need. As you do so, the algorithm will continue to learn your preferences to ensure the next batch is even better than before!
Ease Of Use of Imagen vs Aftershoot
This app is exceptionally easy to use, making it more accessible to photographers who might still be learning. The interface is very easy to figure out, and if you come across an issue, you should be able to quickly find the solution through the community. They also offer pretty helpful online support!
Imagen is pretty flexible when it comes to its footprint. It only requires 1 GB of free space on your main hard disk drive to work. Your account can also log into more than one computer which prove extremely helpful if you have a larger photography business that operates across multiple computers!
The app works seamlessly with the other software, including Adobe Camera Raw, Bridge, Lightroom, and Photoshop. If you use the Lightroom web version, you cannot upload the Imagen edits directly to the site, but this is a pretty easy thing to work around. You can just head over to your desktop from the Local tab and then sync the cloud. From there, you should be able to work online.
If you are looking toward the future, Imagen shows a lot of promise. The pricing structure as well as the software’s funding means that it will only continue to grow. As AI continues to advance, this app will be able to stay ahead of the curb, embracing both trends as well as long-term technology. If you don’t feel like having to repeat the training process in the future, Imagen will ensure you have an option that is always feasible.
The Imagen website wants to give you the best start possible! While the interface is already pretty user-friendly, the Imagen Help Center offers a number of tools, including video tutorials, expert tips, and easy-to-understand guides.
Cons of Imagen vs Aftershoot
For some photographers, the constant need for an internet connection can really be a pain. Imagen transfers all of their data to and from their servers, so you have to stay connected for it to work. That means that if your internet is fussy one day or you want to edit on the go, you will be much more limited than you would be with Aftershoot. It can also really cause processing times to vary depending on your connection.
At the end of the day, Imagen is still working on its culling technology. It is still in the beta process for this feature, and unfortunately, it’s not yet perfect. So it will do the job, but you might still notice some glitches here and there. It also tends to be a little less organized than Aftershoot. While its competitor offers easy-to-navigate stacks that can be quickly identified through displaying the images on the side, you have to jump around much more with Imagen. This is why many people decide to use it as supplemental software, relying on Aftershoot primarily for the culling and Imagen for the editing.
Pay Per Image?
Paying per picture might be a nice feature for smaller batches of photos, but the price will really start to add up when you start to work across larger batches. The annual price might be a little intimidating to pay at once, but most users end up preferring the flat rate, especially when the app has fine-tuned its algorithm.
Similar to Aftershoot, this software might take a bit of time to really get to know you. It will require 3,000 edited photos to build your personal AI profile right away. From there, you are likely still going to notice it needs some improvements. Just remember, the more you feed it, the better it gets!
We found the support for the app to be a little lacking when it comes to the Aftershoot vs Imagen platforms. While Aftershoot offers a dedicated live rep for constant support, Imagen only offers online options. This can make it pretty frustrating when you find yourself stuck and simply cannot figure out the answer using the website’s support page.
When Looking At Aftershoot vs Imagen, Both Have The Power To Streamline Your Workflow And Make Photography Life Easier
Hopefully, this Aftershoot vs Imagen guide helps you decide which software you want to use to grow your business. Now, what will you do with all that free time? Why not find some more clients? That’s where we come in as SEO bloggers for photographers! At Rokee and Co., we love helping people grow their businesses through the power of SEO. If you want to help your business reach more people, let’s chat about it! Send us a message today so we can start helping your business! And if you aren’t on it already, join our email list below to be the first to hear about our periodic sales and get great tips like these directly to your inbox!
