Frequently Asked Questions & Selection Protocols

We adhere to a non-colliding numeric-to-chromatic standard across major digital asset managers (such as Capture One and Lightroom Classic):

• Pass 1 (Triage): Binary keeper flag (1 Star or Green label). Everything unflagged remains in the pool or receives a Red rejection tag.
• Pass 2 (Variant Grouping): 2 Stars identify viable burst candidates; Yellow flags designate technical micro-flaws that remain salvageable for contextual sequences.
• Pass 3 (Master Selects): 3 Stars represent client deliverable candidates; 4 Stars indicate signature portfolio leads; 5 Stars denote primary cover and commercial hero anchors.

For specific session mapping configurations, consult our detailed guide on Selection Passes and Variants in Capture One .

Automated artificial intelligence utilities rely strictly on pixel-level mathematical thresholds: open eyes, micro-contrast edges, and facial symmetry scores. While effective for discarding completely unfocused test bursts, automated scores routinely discard subtle narrative nuance, authentic micro-expressions, intentional motion blur, and dramatic contextual chiaroscuro.

Our methodology employs automated filters solely as an optional pre-pass sweep for hard hardware errors, keeping qualitative sequencing, dynamic pacing, and editorial coherence strictly under human systematic control.

Never during initial triage. All evaluation stages are strictly non-destructive and metadata-driven via catalog databases or sidecar XMP manifests. Raw exposures are never removed from primary media drives until the client final delivery window has closed and archive replication is validated.

Rejection tags serve to exclude files from working Smart Collections and editorial export queues without risking irrecoverable loss of unrepeatable documentary context.

Zooming into 100% on every frame is the primary source of operational burnout. In the SelectPass protocol, Pass 1 is conducted entirely at fit-to-screen view to gauge visual energy, framing, and emotional capture.

Synchronized 100% split-view inspection is deployed strictly in Pass 2 and limited solely to closely matched candidate pairs within isolated bursts, reducing 1:1 magnification checks by over 78% across a multi-thousand-image catalog.

Yes. The rules rely on cross-platform core IPTC and EXIF-compatible fields: standardized integer Star ratings (1-5), standard Color Label naming schemas, and structured collection queries. Whether operating inside a portable Capture One Session or an enterprise multi-terabyte Lightroom Master Catalog, the tiered logic remains completely consistent.

Sequential scrolling fails when reviewing micro-variations of a single portrait or high-framerate action sequence. Side-by-side comparison mode should be engaged as soon as a burst is isolated during Pass 2.

To review concrete case studies on burst triage, examine our Variant Comparisons Analysis and our collection of documented Field Selection Cases .