An Interview With Jerry Palmerino About Building a Clean and Efficient Photo Editing Workflow
When photographers talk about workflow, they often describe complicated systems with many moving parts. Jerry Palmerino prefers clarity. His process is simple, repeatable, and built for speed. In this interview, he explains how he handles high volume shoots with consistency and purpose.
Starting Fresh With Every Shoot
Interviewer: Many photographers debate whether to use one large catalogue or many smaller ones. How do you approach it?
Jerry: I create a brand new catalogue for every shoot. It keeps everything clean and fast. I never want a catalogue to get bloated or sluggish. When each job lives in its own catalogue, I can archive it, move it, or delete it without affecting anything else. I also create an import folder and an export folder inside the catalogue folder on my drive. That way everything related to the shoot lives in one place. If I ever need to move the entire shoot to another drive, I can move that single folder and Lightroom will not lose track of anything because the catalogue file and the photos stay together in the same structure.
Interviewer: And this method really works without breaking links?
Jerry: Yes. Lightroom can resolve the paths because the catalogue and the images stay inside the same parent folder. As long as I move that parent folder as one unit, Lightroom opens the catalogue and automatically finds the photos. It is the same principle Lightroom uses when exporting a catalogue with the option to include negatives. It creates a self contained folder that can be moved anywhere without needing to relink anything.
Importing With a Consistent Baseline
Interviewer: Once the catalogue is created, what is your next step?
Jerry: I import everything and apply my base preset during import. That preset sets the tone for the entire shoot. It includes my color preferences, lens corrections, sharpening, and the general look I want. Starting with a consistent baseline saves a lot of time because I am not rebuilding anything from scratch.
I also embed metadata during import. Copyright, creator information, and contact details are added automatically. I like knowing that every file is tagged correctly from the moment it enters the system.
Building Presets for Specific Locations
Interviewer: You shoot in a lot of repeat venues. Do you adjust your workflow for that?
Jerry: Yes. If I have been to a location more than once, it becomes a preset. For example, if I shoot in a fire hall and I return there later in the year, I want every photo from that location to have the same look. The lighting, the wall colors, the ceiling height, the ring placement, and even the tint of the bulbs are usually consistent. Once I dial in a look that works for that venue, I save it as a preset. The next time I shoot there, I apply that preset at import and everything matches. It keeps my work consistent across the entire year and it saves a lot of time because I am not reinventing the look every time I walk into the same building.
Letting the Computer Work Overnight
Interviewer: You shoot in challenging lighting conditions. How do you handle noise?
Jerry: I denoise overnight while I sleep. It is the easiest way to let the computer work when I am not. By morning, everything is clean and ready for culling. I only denoise RAW files. JPEGs stay untouched. That keeps the process efficient and avoids unnecessary processing.
A Minimalist Rating System
Interviewer: Many photographers use detailed rating systems. What does yours look like?
Jerry: I use only one number. Three. A three means the image is a keeper. A two means it is gone. A four means it is better than average. A five means it is portfolio worthy. I like the simplicity. I do not want to debate between too many levels of quality. The image is either good enough or it is not. This keeps me moving quickly.
Cropping and Straightening With Precision
Interviewer: After culling, what comes next?
Jerry: Cropping and straightening. Always. Especially in wrestling photography. Horizon lines must be straight. Vertical lines must be straight. Ring ropes must be straight. Even a slight tilt can ruin the feel of an otherwise strong image. I check every frame for clean geometry and I use the grid overlays to make sure everything lines up. Straight lines show discipline and attention to detail, and clients notice the difference even if they cannot explain why.
Exporting at Maximum Quality
Interviewer: Your export settings are very specific. Walk us through them.
Jerry: I export at one hundred percent JPEG quality, three hundred dpi, and I limit the file size to nineteen megabytes. Yes, the files are large. I do not care. I want the best possible version of every image. I want the files to hold up in print, on social media, and anywhere else they may be used.
I keep two export presets. One with a watermark and one without. This makes it easy to switch between client delivery and portfolio use.
Final Thoughts
Jerry’s workflow is built on clarity and consistency. A fresh catalogue for every shoot. A preset applied at import. Location based presets for repeat venues. Overnight denoising. A simple rating system. Straight lines. Maximum quality exports. A folder structure that keeps every shoot portable and self contained. Nothing bloated. Nothing confusing. Just a clean, repeatable system that keeps him fast and focused.