Whats a typical week with your camera?

[leicachamp]

Hello everybody

I have been greatly inspired by the amount of great photos from the forums. I would like to use my M8 more than I do at the moment.

Do yo guys take your camera with you everywhere and everyday? How many frames do you shoot? How many percentage are keepers? What subjects do you shoot

By getting examples on how you guys use your M8 I hope to get further inspiration to really put my M8 through its paces.

Thanks

 

[Spider67]

I don't use Leicas but RF's. I have my camera with me nearly every day. An RF with a 35mm f,8 fits nicely over my shoulder and under my jacket. It's also better to have things you need in a bag you could wear over your shoulder and (an) additional lens/es in your jackets pocket.
The next thing of importance: If you see something stop in your tracks raise your camera and shoot. "I'll do that subject another time" is the beginning of the voluminous book "Great photo opportunities lost". If that sounds patronizing sorry, but I had to learn it just that way.

 

[bsdunek]

I have my camera with me nearly every day.

The next thing of importance: If you see something stop in your tracks raise your camera and shoot. "I'll do that subject another time" is the beginning of the voluminous book "Great photo opportunities lost". If that sounds patronizing sorry, but I had to learn it just that way.

Exactly! I have a GSN kit in an old leather camera bag with me all the time. Even though it's a simple camera, there are many photos I would never have gotten if I held out for one of my better cameras.

 

[giellaleafapmu]

I bring a camera with me (usually a Nikon F with a 35mm f2) most of the time but I take very few pictures I like because of the habit. Probably it is because almost all of what I do and like doing is macro, products and now I am getting a bit into wildlife (yep...that's not exactly _my_ forum but I enjoy reading and if I have time writing).

GLF

 

[nikon_sam]

In my car you should be able to find...
A Mamiya 645 with 55mm, 80mm, 150mm and 210mm
A Yashica Mat 124
Either a Nikon F2a with a 50mm or Olympus 35-S 42mm 1.8
All loaded with Neopan 400
These will travel with me wherever I go but doesn't mean I use them everyday...
Some days things just seem to happen others nothing...

The nice thing about digital is you can shoot & shoot & shoot and not have to worry about developing the film later for results...
You can put that camera through its paces (and you should) and discover what both you and it can do...Plus by using it more you get use to it and it gets easier to use...your hands and fingers know where to go and what to do...

 

[dazedgonebye]

A camera is in my bag at all times. In the past, I've kept a point and shoot in my glove box, but that one broke and I need to replace it.
Unfortunately, since I tend to travel the same bit of uninteresting interstate every day, carrying the camera does not necessarily translate to shooting the camera. I do try to vary my route now and again and look for anything at all interesting.

 

[dof]

I keep a camera with me nearly always. On a typical week, it gets used more days than not, even if for one exposure. Many of the shots I take are diaristic in nature, meaning they will likely have the most relevance to a personal audience. Of course there are days when I happen upon a scene or subject that communicate something broader, with more universal appeal. Such is my deeper goal, but the funny thing I've noticed is, the intention is always similar. Every shot, whether its of my cat taking a nap or of a lanscape I've travelled thousands of miles to witness, has my viewpoint in common.

I think the idea of "how many keepers a week" misses the point to a degree. Even, and perhaps especially, the shots that fail give insight into how each of sees the world, and cues as to what we're aiming for in our work. One of the most important aspects of what I do photographically each week is to study what I've done, edit for the best, and analyze what wasn't as successful to help understand why.

As the the M8 specifically, I found that when I mounted the 40mm Minolta Rokkor on the body, it became the perfect go everywhere companion. Small in size, light in weight, and with a great balance of short-to-long focal length, it just feels right. I don't say this as an attempt to sell another lens to anyone, but rather as a point that finding the right combo can inspire us to want to shoot more.

All the best to you,

 

[Al Kaplan]

I never leave the house without a camera, even when I'm not expecting to see anything worth photographing. Mostly I carry a Bessa L with a 15mm Heliar, sometimes my Leica CL with the 40mm Summicron, but often I'll have some unshot frames in one of my M bodies and I'll take that instead. I mostly make incident readings with a Weston meter that I carry in a small belt pouch. An extra roll or two is in my pocket. Days might pass without making a shot. I don't worry about it. When it happens it happens.

If I head out with the intent to "take pictures" when I have no other reason to do it at best I can come up with a sharp nicely composed well lit photo that says nothing. Zero keepers.

 

[martin s]

I never leave the house without a camera, even when I'm not expecting to see anything worth photographing. Mostly I carry a Bessa L with a 15mm Heliar, sometimes my Leica CL with the 40mm Summicron, but often I'll have some unshot frames in one of my M bodies and I'll take that instead. I mostly make incident readings with a Weston meter that I carry in a small belt pouch. An extra roll or two is in my pocket. Days might pass without making a shot. I don't worry about it. When it happens it happens.

That's how I do it as well, I always carry a camera. Carrying a camera all day increases film use to about a roll a day, and lowers my keeper rate drastically, since most of the shots are a lot like a diary and less proper photography. Well I keep them, but they're not good. I might learn though, so it's all good.

martin

 

[leicachamp]

Seems like the majority of you guys dont specially plan to go out and shoot, but just have a camera handy in case you see anything interesting.

I have been the opposite and thus my problem, I tend to have a couple of days a month where I deliberate go and and shoot. Thus my feeling of guilt having all that nice gear at home not being used. Learning from you guys, i will now carry a camera with me all the time.

How many keepers do you guys get in a week?

That's how I do it as well, I always carry a camera. Carrying a camera all day increases film use to about a roll a day, and lowers my keeper rate drastically, since most of the shots are a lot like a diary and less proper photography. Well I keep them, but they're not good. I might learn though, so it's all good.

martin

 

[Spider67]

Nothing wrong with going out deliberately......simply leave the pressure of having to produce a keeper at home.

Last week I noticed that from several pics of the same subject the last one I took was the keeper.

Having sepent five weeks in a year in Rhodes the last film I shot had 5-6 keepers on it.
I saw that as a result of dof's recommendation that I also follow:
"One of the most important aspects of what I do photographically each week is to study what I've done, edit for the best, and analyze what wasn't as successful to help understand why."
About guilt because of equipment not used: I had a 28mm/3,5 Nikkor at home for 25 years before using it for real the first time.
Best regards Des

 

[Richard G]

I like Spider67's takes on this. I have only recently started taking my M2 and 35 f2 with a 90 in a small bag to work with me, with my junk in another shoulder bag and my 15" laptop in another bag. Seriously. The Leica bag is the lightest. I started this because of one architecturally striking building on the way to work which I wanted to photograph backlit early in the morning. It's autumn in Melbourne and just leaving work at around 5pm this evening there was a lovely soft sunlight in the trees in the courtyard, making a beautiful pattern on the gravel so I whipped out the camera. Two rolls of some of the first of these efforts will be ready to pick up on Saturday morning. I can't afford a roll a day and probably take two or three a day but may not keep this up. I always take a camera out with me at the weekend, espcecially with my children.

 

[kywong]

I got a small lens recently and now I carry my Zeiss Ikon with me almost all the time. Regrettably I don't take anywhere near as many photos as you guys seem to, probably like a roll every month.

 

[Al Kaplan]

kywong, there's nothing wrong with shooting just a roll a month. Even when I'm getting paid to cover some event I tend to shoot less than most other film shooters, a lot less than the typical digital shooter, and that's walking around with the camera in my hand, thumb on the wind lever, index finger on the release button.

 

[35mmdelux]

I carry a RF all the time. I shoot when the light is right mostly. I'm trying to discipline myself to shoot more. Trick is you never know when something interesting comes along and if your camera is at home, then your out of commission.

 

[sepiareverb]

I carry a camera everyday- even if I'm just dashing down to the Post Office. Usually an MP3 w/35 or 50, or a .58MP with a 28. I shoot about three or four rolls a week with these two bodies. Keepers? sometimes five on a roll sometimes none.

 

[JoeV]

Day 1: Morning. We awake, my camera and I, and snuggle for awhile. I get up and shower; the camera gets polished and placed on the shelf. Afternoon. I take camera off the shelf, polish it again; open up the back, dust out the innerds, place back on shelf.

Day 2: I'm having my coffee, the camera is sitting on my Moleskine notebook, looking ready to go. We discuss our day's outing. I place camera in bag, along with several rolls of film. Afternoon. Camera bag goes into car, I run errands. No shooting gets done. Out of guilt, I take camera to coffee shop. I have a latte; the camera sits looking pretty.

Day 3: I take extra long time to snuggle, polish and fondle the camera. I'm having concerns about our long-term relationship. Camera looks disused and out of sorts. I'm starting to think I can hear something grind or rattle inside when I stroke her advance lever.

Day 4: We're not talking. I'm surfing RFF, especially the classifieds. That little-used Electro GSN is starting to look better all the time. I leave the camera on the shelf, no fondling, no love.

Day 5: A relative, whom I haven't seen or spoken with for six years, calls and says he's getting married, would I mind doing a "few quick wedding snaps", you know, out of some mis-spent sense of family obligation. I begrudgingly agree. Out comes the camera. Much fondling, spritzing; I throw a roll of Walgreen's film into her and go shooting in the park. She's starting to sound like the good ole' camera I fell in love with years ago. That's the spirit! Evening. After getting the prints back from the drug store, I can see that she still has that good old glow about her.

Day 6: The wedding. Ten rolls of film, some color and some B/W. She's sitting on the shelf now, watching me doing the semi-stand development. We're back together in that happy place again.

My camera: I think I'll keep her.

~Joe

 

[Bassism]

I've usually got my M2 hanging on my sling strap a couple days a week. It stays more or less out of the way. I might not even use it, or I may go and blow a whole roll, depending on the phase of the moon. If I'm out with a friend, I've usually always got it with me. It's pretty rare for me to go out with the intention of shooting, and when I do, I'm usually disappointed.

I don't have any definition of a 'keeper.' I just enjoy shooting and always seem to end up with at least a few images that I like for whatever reason.

 

[Roger Hicks]

For me, there is no typical week. Last week, I was in Arles and the Massif Central, shooting with the new 21 and 24 Summiluxes on M8.2 and MP. This week, I used the same lenses (on M8.2 and M8) to shoot an illustration for my regular Land Rover column, and at the house of the old friend where I shot it, I also took a lot of pictures of an absolutely beautiful 6-year-old girl. Pay attention because this is complicated: she's the youngest sister of the boyfriend of my 'adopted daughter', who actually belongs to said old friend. For those I used the 24/1.4 and 75/2. Then I took a portrait of my/his daughter and her boyfriend with a 50/2.5 Summarit, which I also used to photograph two paintings by her (real) father, whom I've known for 35 years. Then I took a few pics of the 'adopted daughter'. That's maybe 600 pics in 10 days.

Today, the 'adopted daughter' and I went shopping: I didn't even take a camera. Next week: maybe nothing...

Tashi delek,

Roger