tlitody
Well-known
I'm curious as to how many keepers per roll of film you get? By keepers I mean images you consider worthy of printing for long term posterity.
bennett2136
Member
In my last roll I only got about 3. But thats because it was for a project where I only needed 3 photos!
W
wlewisiii
Guest
If I get one out of a roll of 36 that's worth coming back to again, that's a good day.
My personal goal is 12 keepers, as you define them, a year.
My personal goal is 12 keepers, as you define them, a year.
KenD
Film Shooter
Well, one the basis of a so-far ridiculously small sample, the results line up with the opinion of some photography teacher - expert, long forgotten (or never committed to memory) who said that on 35mm, experienced photographers get 3 good shots... and on 120 experienced photographers get... guess what... 3 good shots.
bobby_novatron
Photon Collector
Tough one. Depends on which camera I'm using, the conditions at the time, the subject, the film, etc. Even my mood. Sometimes I feel like I'm only getting a couple keepers out of a roll of 36. Other times, I get a lot more.
That's part of the magic (frustration) of film photography!
That's part of the magic (frustration) of film photography!
Alpacaman
keen bean
That's part of the magic (frustration) of film photography!
What this man said. He is wise.
porktaco
Well-known
my dad told me when i started photography that one really good one per roll was a perfectly fine target.
t.s.k.
Hooked on philm
All my photo instructors in college taught me that good editing is just as important as taking the shot, hence, 1 keeper per roll is a good roll for me. Something akin to getting 3 out of 5 numbers in the lottery. Hitting all five numbers only happens to a select few throughout history.
My experience seems to bear this out. Out of maybe a thousand rolls, I have close to 500 I really like...in silver only. My rate is much lower in color.
But then who's counting and who's judging?
My experience seems to bear this out. Out of maybe a thousand rolls, I have close to 500 I really like...in silver only. My rate is much lower in color.
But then who's counting and who's judging?
ferider
Veteran
It depends.
I was shooting an event a couple of weeks back, shot 3 (36) rolls and used about 20 photos.
When I finish a film for myself, I'm happy to have a single keeper.
When I look back at an entire year, I'm happy to have a handful of photos that I really like and that will get framed.
Roland.
I was shooting an event a couple of weeks back, shot 3 (36) rolls and used about 20 photos.
When I finish a film for myself, I'm happy to have a single keeper.
When I look back at an entire year, I'm happy to have a handful of photos that I really like and that will get framed.
Roland.
bensyverson
Well-known
On 35mm, 1 shot per roll is a keeper, vs 8x10, where 1 out of every 2 shots is a keeper. So it works out that my film and processing costs are actually about the same for 35mm and 8x10! Haha
Alpacaman
keen bean
I never get enough, and I never will do, I will always be improving.
mervynyan
Mervyn Yan
normally in a succession, shots are invariably the same subject, so keep 1-2 shots per subject is ok me, don't mean they are exhibition quality. if for exhibition, from what i heard is less than 1% of all shots.
vfrazz
vincent
...I bracket a lot, and I change angles and f stops a lot, so it's one out of 50-75 frames will be keepers (enlarged)...doesn't matter if it is 35 or 120...since this is my only vice (that I'm willing to admit to), film is cheap, and I develop my own...
http://www.vincentfrazzettaphotography.com
http://www.vincentfrazzettaphotography.com
P. Lynn Miller
Well-known
The definition of keepers determines the count.
In most cases I define 'keeper' as a useable negative, such as in the following scenarios...
If I am shooting a portrait session, then I would expect at least 18 - 20 of 135-36 or 8 -10 of R120 would be 'keepers' in the sense that I would be able to present that number of proofs to the sitter.
If I am shooting an event, then I would expect a keeper rate of of nearly 30 per roll of 135-36 to present to the client.
But then yesterday I shot a project where I would be happy to get 6 useable frames from 36 and hopefully 3 keepers for the project.
If we are defining 'keeper' by those rare, stand-out negatives that make into my life-time portfolio... I am happy with a couple a year.
In most cases I define 'keeper' as a useable negative, such as in the following scenarios...
If I am shooting a portrait session, then I would expect at least 18 - 20 of 135-36 or 8 -10 of R120 would be 'keepers' in the sense that I would be able to present that number of proofs to the sitter.
If I am shooting an event, then I would expect a keeper rate of of nearly 30 per roll of 135-36 to present to the client.
But then yesterday I shot a project where I would be happy to get 6 useable frames from 36 and hopefully 3 keepers for the project.
If we are defining 'keeper' by those rare, stand-out negatives that make into my life-time portfolio... I am happy with a couple a year.
Film dino
David Chong
My "hit rate" is proportionally higher with 120 than with 35mm
bwcolor
Veteran
Jeepers Creepers... I never get no keepers.
Bob Michaels
nobody special
Is "keepers" per hour shooting a better metric than per roll? Certainly film is about the least expensive part of the process while our time is one of the most valuable.
I don't shoot film as often anymore, but when I did there were times where I wouldn't like anything on a roll... and other times where I liked many from a roll. These days, I'm happy if I get one really good one per session regardless if it is film or digital. Some days just don't go your way and others you are in the zone.
250swb
Well-known
Keepers are when you get 36 fantastic photographs, all printable, all worthy of framing, all would sell a million copies maybe, and you choose just the one that has the edge on the others. Thats the keeper. Thats the one that means the other 35 are never going to see the light of day. And its also the one that shows how hard you work and how tough you are with your editing.
I doubt in any major photographers retrospective show or book anthology you would even get near one per roll, maybe one every one hundred rolls. The fact that for every roll they made they could have sold a photo off it doesn't mean its a keeper, it just means it was good enough to pay the rent and then be forgotten.
Steve
I doubt in any major photographers retrospective show or book anthology you would even get near one per roll, maybe one every one hundred rolls. The fact that for every roll they made they could have sold a photo off it doesn't mean its a keeper, it just means it was good enough to pay the rent and then be forgotten.
Steve
karlori
Digital Refugee
As per my last roll... none, really killed my enthusiasm and made me rethink a few ideas and rethink the whole one lens one film camera idea ...