Good photo with a RF camera

[JonathanA]

I would agree that in a portrait session I would expect most everything to be properly exposed but street photography is a COMPLETELY different beast. If I'm stuck shooting journalistic work (which I have to do for our school publications) such as sports I usually have tons of keepers...something around 75/150. On the other hand when I'm shooting street, what I mostly shoot, it is always hit and miss due to the fact that I have no control over the world around me except for where I'm standing and my camera. I deffinetly think if anyone is a control freak they probably shouldn't attempt street photography haha.

 

[MelanieC]

I probably don't take as many shots as most people. A roll of film will usually hang out in one of my cameras for anywhere between a week and a month, unless there's some special occasion that calls for more. I don't usually go out with the intention of shooting that day or make it a project for myself. I carry a camera with me every day and grab photos when they present themselves to me. Of course, I probably miss a lot of photos this way, by not trying harder.

I think I have at least five keepers per roll on average, or at least, that many that surprise me (I am always surprised when something turns out interesting, and have this weird sensation that it was taken by someone else because I never remember things looking that way). This is using rangefinders. I have recently been using SLRs, after having become obsessed with my Olympus OMs as well as determined to use my D70s more often before it becomes obsolete, and find that I am much less successful using SLRs despite the magic of being able to see more specifically what the image will look like before shooting. I think I get too caught up messing with the depth of field and spend less time composing carefully. The way that rangefinders present the world to my eye leads me to take better photos, I think. Of course, I have not been playing with the SLRs very long so this could change.

When I talk about "keepers" and "success" I am speaking entirely in terms of what I like and which images I end up revisiting -- the ones that are pleasant surprises when I look at each roll. I don't really care if other people like them or not. Sometimes people like my favorites, sometimes they don't. Here are a couple of images that surprised me when I got the rolls back because they made the world look more interesting to me than I remembered it being -- for that matter, I didn't really remember taking them in the first place -- but there they were. (I think the "surprise" aspect of it is part of why I like film better than digital. Also, negatives and light boxes are fun.) Technically they have issues (my dog isn't even really in focus in the top one) but I like them anyway.

 

[w3rk5]

In general......when I shoot an event, I'd say most of them are "keepers". Out of the "keepers", maybe 1-2 are in a class of their own. Then again, it's only my opinion.

If I'm out doing some casual shooting, my average sucks. Maybe 1-2 that are okay.

 

[arbib]

Yes, ..... Rather limited around here for RF equipment, may just have to find a site and order the filters I want. I have enjoyed the thread. It gives one a chance to air concerns/disapointments.

Regards,
Tom

Hi, Tom. I also live in the Metro Indy area..Camby.

And I am so frustrated with Roberts and Cords camera stores. They have gone the way of "Whatever Is just Released Techno Stuff" and have basically ignored the Armature Photographer who likes not just the new, but the old too.

If I had the $$$ I would open a Camera store that sells USED Digital/Film, and sell NEW Voigtlander Bessa's and Lens's as my only new camera. I would have a Used: Leica RF Section, Voigtlander RF section, Canon RF Section, and FSU RF Section.
I would cater to the serious hobbyist. But regular folk could find great deals on current used stuff too. And have a great darkroom supply area, with all the trimmings.

Case in Point:
I was thinking of doing some BW developing. So I go to Cords and the Darkroom section was a joke. NO Film Tanks, No Save lights, No enlargers. They had Chemicals for Film and Paper and had paper. So I will Online to get all!

I have been successful here on RFF as far RF Stuff I want to buy. It has a large number of private and commercial ads available. And, personality, I'd rather shop and sell here than EBay

 

[arbib]

So, if we say there are 7000 or so RFF members and divide that number by just the population of the USA of say 300,000,000 we have about .002% of people that are good photographers. (reminds me of the song by a comedian that has been on the Bob & Tom Radio show. He sings about how numbers can be made to say anything by combing unrelated and related facts and making it a percentage to divide by and then subtract that from sum total of all experience )

I do agree that with some thought and effort a photographer can get a number of good photos per roll. If I were doing a portrait session I would expect to get 100% properly exposed photos. If I happen to capture 1 to 2 good expressions on the roll I consider the session a success.

If I am shooting street shots (this is something I am not good at) I would be happy with one good photo in 3 rolls.

Wayne

Yes, in a Studio, The Technical should be 100%. As far keepers in a studio, I am looking for ONE. But I may not get it either. For each pose I would take 3-8 pops or until I feel I have captured it. I would use my DSLR anyway..Instant result., and I always let the person see them, and let me know that "This Is The One". Then I move on.

What is a keeper:
As far as daily keepers... Well, What I say is a Keeper may not be museum quality. But I like it. I wander how may RF/SLR users are only looking for "Museum Quality" and discount may great captures that are "Just South" of that? A little PS can change it all, I mean, Dodge/Burn tools, Contrast tools, You know...Darkroom tools to fix the image..


Plus a keeper is NOT always a technically perfect picture....the expression may say it all, but not be cropped "Just Right". As long as the expression SHINES THROUGH the bad crop..A Keeper ? Why not...It was "The Expression" THAT caused us to capture the moment in the first place.

 

[RML]

What is a keeper:
As far as daily keepers... Well, What I say is a Keeper may not be museum quality. But I like it. I wander how may RF/SLR users are only looking for "Museum Quality" and discount may great captures that are "Just South" of that? A little PS can change it all, I mean, Dodge/Burn tools, Contrast tools, You know...Darkroom tools to fix the image..


Plus a keeper is NOT always a technically perfect picture....the expression may say it all, but not be cropped "Just Right". As long as the expression SHINES THROUGH the bad crop..A Keeper ? Why not...It was "The Expression" THAT caused us to capture the moment in the first place.

Great explanation, Arbib. I agree with it to the letter.

 

[petebown]

Before taking a shot, I always ask myself the question "Why am I taking this shot?". I find this increases the number of keepers.

The more difficult the camera is to use, the more strict I become about the answer to the question. When I used a medium format camera, virtually all of my shots were keepers as the camera didn't even get set up unless there was a shot to take.

I do get less keepers with the RF camera, simply because its small, light-weight and ready to use at a moments notice. Therefore, I think less about why I'm taking the shot... I tend to shoot first then ask questions

 

[Rob Skeoch]

I've shot alot this past year.... I'm hoping I got five good shots through the course of the year.
Most years I get a couple really nice ones, the rest are just scraps. It all depends on how tight you're willing to edit.
-Rob

 

[amateriat]

depends on what mood I am in at the time I look at the negs, there could be nothing worth keeping at the initial review but months down the line the same roll could have a keeper on it or vice versa...never say never

Without starting a food fight about it (and I'm jumping the queue rather late here, without reading further in the thread), this is one of the things that keeps me (mostly) shooting film: it's there on the roll, and if I don't think too much of some of the frames there now, I might have a different take on it a week, month, year, decade from now. With digital, it's a bit hard to fight the temptation to instantly pitch something that doesn't offer the "instant wow" factor on that itty-bitty screen, especially if you find yourself running a bit short on card storage space at a critical moment.

As far a "percentages" go (didn't we go through this before, quite recently at that?), for me it truly depends on the day. Sometimes I can comes back with several rolls of largely decent stuff, with a handful of truly standout material; other times I come up craps, with just a few faintly interesting takes on a roll. But my shooting is a good deal more concentrated these days, and the "ratio" has steadily improved. Part of this, for me has been a result of running around with less "stuff" on my shoulder, and this is direct result of my sea-change in equipment choice, from a pair of SLRs and five-lens kit to a two-rangefinder, three-lens kit that weighs a fraction as much and fits in a bag half the size. There's less to fuss with, and the gear on hand does the job.

But, IMO, the most important aspect of any camera-and-lens combination that you use is your comfort level with it: could you load a roll of film in it, and make your basic exposure adjustments to it, wearing a blindfold? (A seaoned pro, many years ago, challenged me to what he called the "Jedi test"...yes, this was some months after the first Star Wars movie had hit the big screen; I failed miserably, but remembred that excercise well). Understanding the viewfinder well is part of the deal, particularly when moving from one camera type to another (as in SLR to RF). I've found the rangefinder to be liberating in a number of ways, but there's also a discipline involved when looking through that viewfinder – understanding framelines, understanding your lens' characteristics as much as possible (which would seem much easier with SLRs, but not necessarily), which brings us down to seeing as well as looking. I'm not trying to do a slap-dash Photo 101 here, but it really is about getting the fundamentals down. And it needn't be pure drudgery, but it does take work.


- Barrett

 

[amateriat]

What we ought to do is scan and post a page of sleeved negatives of a roll of film, and then present the "keeper(s)".

American Photographer (neé American Photo) used to have a series where a famous photograph - usually 35mm – was analyzed within the context of the roll it was shot on, by way of showing the original contact sheet. I found this fascinating...getting a sense of time and location through that contact sheet, how "the" image came about. A contact sheet is a story about process, and this series truly highlighted that, where even the "misses" are a necessary part of process, not just an annoying reminder of what one might have missed. My "failures" can often tell me a lot more than my "successes".

David Vestal, of course, puts it a lot better than I can, highlighting three reasons for making good-quality contact sheets: They show you your pictures; They record your progress; They're a reference source. The contact sheet becomes something of a map, and a good map helps you understand where you've been, as well as where you're going.


- Barrett

 

[FrankS]

American Photographer (neé American Photo) used to have a series where a famous photograph - usually 35mm, was analyzed within the context of the roll it was shot on, by way of showing the original contact sheet. I found this fascinating...getting a sense of time and location through that contact sheet, how "the" image came about. A contact sheet is a story about process, and this series truly highlighted that, where even the "misses" are a necessary part of process, not just an annoying reminder of what one might have missed. My "failures" can often tell me a lot more than my "successes".
David Vestal, of course, puts it a lot better than I can, highlighting three reasons for making good-quality contact sheets: They show you your pictures; They record your progress; They're a reference source. The contact sheet becomes something of a map, and a good map helps you understand where you've been, as well as where you're going.
- Barrett

I agree. If you aren't getting any "failures" on a roll of film, instead of thinking that you are really good, it may jsut mean that you aren't trying anything new, and aren't learning/growing. Failure is a necessary part of the learning process.

My wife once commented, after looking through a pack of 4x6 prints and picking out a few that she liked: "Why don't you just take good pictures like these, and not all those?"

Another relevent story I read once was of a reasturant patron who, upon noticing a famous artist (I tink it may have been Picaso) asked him to draw a sketch on a napkin for her. He did, and then told her it would cost her $10,000. She replied, "But it only took you 2 minutes to do!" and he responded, "No madam. It has taken me a lifetime."

Anyway, my point is: Mistakes/failures are good. That's how we learn.