The Problem Is “Distraction-First” Editing (and here's how to fix it)

— Lauren Bennett at Lemon Sky Photography.

You know what’s so tempting when editing?

Opening up a RAW file and zooming straight into the skin, or cloning out a background distraction.

It feels productive. Visible progress. Immediate satisfaction.

I do it too. We all do.

But here’s the psychology behind it: our brains are wired to go for the most obvious, “fixable” flaw. It’s the same reason we can’t ignore a spot on a white shirt — we want the quick win.

And in the moment, it does feel good. Smoothing out a blemish, removing a bin in the background… instant dopamine hit.

The Problem With “Distraction-First” Editing? It's that editing progress becomes an illusion.

When you jump straight to skin or distractions (before tackling the foundations), you’re editing on an unstable file. You’re making tone, color, and texture decisions before the image is even balanced.

THE RESULTS?

• Patchy results: some areas look over-processed, others under-done.

• Degraded sections: retouched areas fall apart once you adjust exposure or color later.

• Frustration: you end up re-editing the same spots, burning through time and energy.

• Time Wasting: If you're diving to fix imperfections FIRST, then you're not leaving space to balance.

Worst of all, you might not even notice… until a client does, or until Facebook compression makes it obvious 😱

WHY WE EDIT LIKE THIS:

This is where the psychology comes in.

“Distraction-first” editing isn’t laziness— it’s panic-procrastination.

We reach for the thing that looks wrong and see it as instantly fixable, because it feels like progress. This subconscious way of editing calms the creative panic of “where do I even start?”

But without a clear workflow, that shortcut actually costs you more time and quality in the long run.

HERE'S THE EASY FIX:

Every image needs five crucial steps before even starting on skin or distractions. Skip them, and you’ll always be fighting against your own edits.

That’s exactly why I created the FREE 7-Step Editing Workflow Guide + Video Course. It shows you the order to follow so your edits stay consistent, professional, and frustration-free.

👉 Download your free 7-Step Workflow Guide here (~~$99~~ — FREE right now!)