We all suck at photo taking most of the time...

[MacDaddy]

...at least, according to Mike Johnston! See his latest Sunday Morning Photographer column here: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-sept4-05.shtml (Moderators, forgive me if this is a faux paus!)
His premise (and I agree with it) is that MOST of our shots stink, but its not the equipment's fault—it's ours! And he goes on to state that even the legendary ones stank most of the time. Quite an interesting read and— at least for me— an encouraging one!
Comments? Flaming arrows? Cries for my hide to be tarred and feathered and run out of town? Drop in and fire away! i'd like to hear what some of you whose photos fill me with awe and hope someday I can be 1/2 as good think about his observations.

 

[aizan]

i completely agree.

 

[TPPhotog]

If I get one shot on a roll that I like then I'm reasonably happy. If I get one shot on a whole days shoot (10 to 15 rolls) that I would consider putting on my own wall then I'm more than happy.

There again I'm not an expert 😀 LOL

 

[keithslater]

I believe Ansel Adams said that he only had a couple dozen pics that were worth anything.

 

[bmattock]

Yep, I stink on ice! But it is like golf. The good ones keep you going.

 

[pedro.m.reis]

Well ... me too 🙂
10 good shots in a days work is a good day for me 🙂

 

[jdos2]

I notice that my good/bad shot ration improves, the larger the format- when I'm shooting a wedding it's a good percentage- nearly 90 percent good, but that's medium format.

In the land of "uma bica, se faz favor" the odds are only slight worse (sorry, Pedro- I love it there so!), about 50 percent keepers, though eventually boring looking at all the colorful buildings that look... The same. And how many times can I shoot the same landmarks? (Oh! Is it true- "b.i.c.a" is "bebe-se isto com azucar?" That's the rumor I heard last May)

When the camera goes with me daily, about 1/10 are keepers of any manner. It's more fun to shoot a picture than it is to NOT, so I do, and I blow a shot. Ah, well.

 

[Beniliam]

The problem is the shoot that I can considerate good, Salgado can considerate horrible

 

[RObert Budding]

I believe that Ansel Adams claimed that a really good photographer could produce one good image per month. I, myself, am happy with one really good image per year.

Robert

 

[Tim]

Have to agree with Tony. 1 or 2 shots on a roll I am happy with is a good roll. And the really outstanding ones, the ones that I print up and put in an album, the ones that make people go "wow" - they come along very very very rarely 🙁

Also to someone else's point - as I learn more about MF, the hit rate I think will increase. I put soooooooooo much more thought into every shot there. Mind you, at least part of that is 'cause I'm fiddling with movements and it does take a lot longer.

RF related - the single biggest detectable jump in the number of keepers, for me, was when I moved from semi-auto SLR's to a Bessa R. Partially that was lens quality, but mostly it was simply that it forced me to THINK. Amazing thing, the human brain......Pity we don't use it more...... 😉

 

[pedro.m.reis]

I notice that my good/bad shot ration improves, the larger the format- when I'm shooting a wedding it's a good percentage- nearly 90 percent good, but that's medium format.

In the land of "uma bica, se faz favor" the odds are only slight worse (sorry, Pedro- I love it there so!), about 50 percent keepers, though eventually boring looking at all the colorful buildings that look... The same. And how many times can I shoot the same landmarks? (Oh! Is it true- "b.i.c.a" is "bebe-se isto com azucar?" That's the rumor I heard last May)

When the camera goes with me daily, about 1/10 are keepers of any manner. It's more fun to shoot a picture than it is to NOT, so I do, and I blow a shot. Ah, well.

Been in Portugal where? Portugal is full of good photo motives, not only buildings and lanmarks. I wish i had more time to go arroud lisboa downtown and old neigborhoods.... but i dont 🙁. Also small town near lisboa are full of nice motives ...
I think B.I.C.A. (expresso coffe) is, yes, derivated from "Bebe Isto Com Açucar!!" (drink this with sugar!!) because when expresso coffe was introduced in Portugal the people dont liked it.... But this may be urband legend ...
Also, in Oporto, locals call "Cimbalino" to the expresso coffe because the first expresso machines where from the italian brand "La Cimballi" ....

 

[zpuskas]

I agree. If I get 1 really good image per roll of 36 (my average seems better in 6X6, like Tim's) I'm happy. Some rolls, none; other rolls 3-4 good ones. Maybe it's just the subject matter or I'm more in tune with my creative side on different days.

Whatever the success rate, I'm not going to stop shooting.

 

[hoot]

I think the number of keepers depends more on your shooting style than on the medium. If you think as much before taking a shot on a 35mm camera as you do when using a medium or large format camera, you'll probably be just as successful, at far less hassle [blad].

Sometimes I prowl the streets Winogrand-style, pouncing at moving subjects with little discrimination. A few minutes later I might use the same camera to carefully frame a scene that is "just right". When reviewing those photographs later, sometimes that "perfect scene" turns out to be rather boring, while a thoughtless snapshot of passers-by looks like "art". It's those surprises that make photography so exciting. Using a digicam would ruin that experience, as I could determine the results of a shot immediately. Perhaps that medium is the only one that really *could* change our photography - for better or worse.

 

[wlewisiii]

I agree with Robert - both in my memory of the Adams quote and in my happiness factor. Although it is true that with the larger format, the overall ratio of good to bad improves, I think that since there is a much smaller number of shots overall that the number of really good ones stays about the same.

In the past year, I've gotten about a half dozen that I think are really worthwhile and another dozen or so that are pointing the way to what I need to do more of to get that ratio higher. That's not so bad; now about the other thousand or so ... 🙁

William

 

[MacDaddy]

Well, I'm glad to see I'm not alone! 8o) As a relatively new photographer (only 4 years and only three weeks with RF), I went to RF film photography deliberately because the costs of film, processing, printing, etc. helps to force me to THINK before I take a shot. When I was into digital, I was like about 98% of the people using it and shot the whole world without thinking, so the percentage of hits to misses was ridiculous! (Misses, that is!)
I wanted to stop and force myself to go back to the basics of composition and technical skills I learned in photography class (film) and, as a result, I feel I have about 3 "keepers" from my first roll of 36. From over 19,000 shots in digital, I have maybe 50! Ouch! I look forward to improving my skills to where I won't be embarrassed to share my photos with you folks because your photos are so truly awesome! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this subject! Please keep them up!

 

[Sonnar Brian]

If you guys need an ego boost, try this:

Take pictures of your kids and then invite your Mom to take all of the ones that she likes. Maybe she'll leave you one or two per roll.

 

[pedro.m.reis]

If you guys need an ego boost, try this:

Take pictures of your kids and then invite your Mom to take all of the ones that she likes. Maybe she'll leave you one or two per roll.

In Fev. i'll be father for my first time and THEN my rate of goot photos will be very close to 99% 😀 😀

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

In Fev. i'll be father for my first time and THEN my rate of goot photos will be very close to 99% 😀 😀

pedro,

Keep track of your film and developing expenses for the photos of your first child. Then match the total cost as a college fund for your second child. You should be able to pay for about 2 to 3 years of tuition for the second child.

wayne

 

[XAos]

If you guys need an ego boost, try this:

Take pictures of your kids and then invite your Mom to take all of the ones that she likes. Maybe she'll leave you one or two per roll.

Aint it the truth. It's caused me to be more selective in my shooting, because I think she'd take em all. It took me a while but I now throw away really bad (composition and technically bad) shots right away. plunk in the can. If there are enough bad shots together to make an entire cut strip of bad shots I'll even throw the neg away. This gives mom conniption fits (even throwing away prints)

I think though there's a difference in levels of acceptance here. The folks saying one or two good ones per year are talking about the ones you're really proud of and that you'd hang on the wall. One or two good ones per roll is a different criteria. I think most people would just quit shooting altogether if these two groups were talking about the same thing.

 

[pedro.m.reis]

pedro,

Keep track of your film and developing expenses for the photos of your first child. Then match the total cost as a college fund for your second child. You should be able to pay for about 2 to 3 years of tuition for the second child.

wayne

Thats why i bought an DSLR, and thats why i'm learning to develop my films ... 🙂 , but yes i beleive that i'll spend alot of money on her 🙂