How many photos per roll are you happy with?

How many shots per roll are you happy with?

  • 1

    Votes: 125 23.6%

  • 2

    Votes: 64 12.1%

  • 3

    Votes: 81 15.3%

  • 4

    Votes: 62 11.7%

  • 5

    Votes: 43 8.1%

  • 6+

    Votes: 154 29.1%
  • Total voters
    529
Though I shoot very little 35, my satisfaction level standard is the same 100% safisfactory shoots. However, if I get 1-2 excellent and good enough to printg and hang and the balance are decent to very good, then I am a happy camper. Of course this does not count when shooting new film, a new camera or testing something else. Then if by the end of the roll if I've dialed it in, I'm satisfied.
 
I guess it depends on one's definition of "good frames". If "good" means correctly exposed and in focus, then I strive for 100% and maybe one or two frames should be cut from the strip and tossed.

But that's not how I define "good". For me, "good" is a photo that just works visually, irrespective of the technical aspects. If I get one "good" photo from a roll of film, then I consider that success. Anything above that is a bonus.
 
I am surprised to see that over 50% of responders have 3 or LESS shots per roll that they think are good.
This makes me think of guys complaining about digital post processing. If you get one good shot per day / week then your digital post production should be minimal since you wouldn't do the non-keepers.
It also gets me thinking of archiving... do they throw out the 'bad' ones or have an archive of over 90% bad shots?
And it gets me thinking of the people who say digital users over shoot. If you have 1 or 2 keepers, aren't you doing the same.
I think this poll tell us that we have to think more of composition and exposure.

What do you think? What does the poll tell you?

Steve
 
I don't use all 36, maybe 30x, but I will photograph 2-5 frames of the same thing in a few different angles and or f/stops, and see which one works best. (I generally know ahead of time, But I like options later when I re-visit the photographs later, I might see a different variant as the better photograph).

So I voted 6+, Because that would indicate that a few photographs in a small series where good to go, instead of 1 photo, in that series.

Edit:
Let me be clear, these 6+ are good photographs, I may not have any "outstanding" photographs in that 6+, I may have 1, maybe.
So, as far as keepers, 6+, as far as "outstanding", 1 maybe
 
Last edited:
sjw617 said:
I am surprised to see that over 50% of responders have 3 or LESS shots per roll that they think are good.
This makes me think of guys complaining about digital post processing. If you get one good shot per day / week then your digital post production should be minimal since you wouldn't do the non-keepers.
It also gets me thinking of archiving... do they throw out the 'bad' ones or have an archive of over 90% bad shots?
And it gets me thinking of the people who say digital users over shoot. If you have 1 or 2 keepers, aren't you doing the same.
I think this poll tell us that we have to think more of composition and exposure.

What do you think? What does the poll tell you?

Steve
Click to expand...

I don't delete "bad" photographs, unless it just OOF. I may find, down the road that one of those photographs works for different reasons. Or I may find my Post skills can "make" it a better photograph.
So, yes, I do archive the whole roll. You never know what the future brings.
 
Looking back in my archive, so far it's been about one frame per ten rolls that I've been really happy with.
 
If good means "winner", those few photos I (would) print and put it on a wall, show it to other... I would be around 0.1 per roll.
Looking at the discussion here I suppose the OP equals "good" to "normal personal keeper". Than an average of 3 out of 36 images is my personal feeling.
 
Too many variables. What defines "happy with"? There are lots of different criterea...

Good enough to upload to flickr.
Good enough to E-mail to your mother.
Good enough to print.
Good enough to hang on your wall.
Good enough that a friend will hang it on his wall if you give him/her a framed copy.
Good enough that someone would buy at an art fair.
Good enough that a gallery would represent.
Good enough that a museum would buy.

or maybe...

Good enough that your client will pay your invoice.
Good enough that your client will use it more than once.
Good enough that your client will use it more than once, and pay for the additional use.
Good enough that your client will hire you again. (maybe these last two are the same!)
 
"happy with" to me means good enough to show to my friends and good enough to have an enlargement for the wall done.
I figure one per roll whether 35mm or 6x6 more is nice but one image that exceeds my expectations is a great feeling.
With digital my success rate is higher ... but only when i shoot B&W
 
I never had my "perfect" shot that I would blow up the size of my wall if I could, but normally I have 3 or 4 pictures that I like enough to post on Flickr and print 5x7... maybe 1 for a 8x10 blow up...
 
I would be happy with one per roll.

I am beginning to throw away the negs that didn't cut it due to space limitations and ease of cataloging. However people I know prefer to have the entire roll intact in a Printfile even though they are rejects. With mounted slides I just toss the rejects but seems people don't do that with negs.
 
SimonSawSunlight said:
somewhere in between 20 and zero (on a 36 exp roll). hardly ever more than twenty. but even in the rare event of 20 satisfying shots (happens more in 'reportage' rather than 'street'), I'd still edit them down to a selection 4-8 frames, usually.
Click to expand...

I don't think I ever had a roll full of craps but I largely agree with your range. For me it's roughly this:

Happy: 3-20
Proud: 1-6
Lifetime keeper + large print: 1 every 2-3 rolls
 
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