Editing photos on location, or simply waiting until you're home

Tuesday 1 July 2025, 23:23 by Nando Harmsen | 2,679 views | 3 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

I am about to go to Iceland. The laptop is coming with me. To back up photos, and for photo review purposes. I won't be editing my photos, though, and I won't edit the ones I want to show anyone very seriously either. I'd rather do that at home.

Because I work as a photographic tour leader, I need to take a laptop with me. Or at least have the opportunity to hold a photo review. The advantage is that I can also make an extra backup straight away.

A photography trip is inspiring. How much time do you want to spend behind your laptop during your trip?
I take photos with a camera that has two memory cards. I always write everything to both cards at the same time, because that is a real-time backup. In principle, that is enough. But if I have a laptop with me, I also copy the cards to it every day. That means my photos are stored in three places.

A laptop or tablet can therefore be useful for backing up your photos. It also gives you something to do when the evenings are free. Or when the weather conditions don't allow you to go out.

You can look at your photos and select them. Maybe quickly edit one for social media. But what I never do is try to edit photos seriously. In my view, a laptop is not, or hardly, suitable for that.

Are you over the moon with your photo? Do you then want to develop it quickly, quickly, quickly and put it online? Or would you rather edit it carefully at home on a good screen, in peace and quiet? (This is an unedited photo, straight out of the camera.)
I prefer working quietly at home, on a large external monitor with a calibrated screen. That way, I don't risk differences in brightness or colour caused by the viewing angle. Or by reflections on the screen. It is also more comfortable to work on a 24-inch or 27-inch monitor than on a 13-inch or 15-inch laptop screen.

Either a small laptop screen or a full-size 27-inch monitor. I know which I prefer to edit my photos on.
When I'm travelling, I'd rather enjoy the places I'm visiting. The photos can wait. And if you think they need to be online as quickly as possible, nobody but you is waiting for these ready-to-go photos.

What do you do when you're travelling? Do you want your photos to be ready straight away, or would you rather take the time at home to make them as perfect as possible? Let us know in a comment below this post.

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About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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3 comments

Mac wrote on Friday 4 July 2025 at 08:13 | reply
When I'm traveling and have a laptop with me. Then I only use it to make an initial selection of which photos I want to keep and which ones I don't. And certainly the ones that aren't sharp go straight in the trash. (and at home there's a second selection on top of that).
Editing I do at home, indeed with a calibrated screen.
Translated from Dutch.

Bram wrote on Friday 4 July 2025 at 16:53 | reply
I only have a laptop…. but one with a QHD 2560x1440 pixel screen, works perfectly fine for me.
Translated from Dutch.

mousquito wrote on Tuesday 8 July 2025 at 11:10 | reply
same here, the laptop for a quick selection and quick editing (also backup), Can you already show results and possibly go back if it didn't work,... Not that I’ve ever had that happen The real in-depth editing, quietly at home behind the desk with a little cup of coffee (cup of comfort) and the dog next to me, nice and quiet.
Translated from Dutch.

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