Re: [Leica] 12 Best

[Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>]

Mike Johnston wrote:
> 
> >>>He is quoted as saying "A dozen good negatives in a year is a good
> year."
><Snip> Point is, 12 great
> photographs a year is quite a high output.
> 
> The odd thing to me--a related point--is that most photographers never
> bother to figure out WHICH of their pictures are their best. Can you put
> your hands on a set of prints which you firmly believe are your twelve
> best pictures from last year? I can't.
> 
> --Mike
> 
> "The difference between a professional and a dilettante is that the
> professional has a portfolio."

The portfolio is one way of thinking that you have weeded out your crème de la crème.
The arduous task of putting together a "new " portfolio does that for me.
I find weeding out my best work grueling and I have real trouble with it.
Another is having a show.
If you're not good enough for Galleries, stick your stuff up in a coffee shop,
more people will see it and spend more time with it anyway.
If the coffee shops don't like your work turn your house/appartment into your gallery.
Your best stuff is on the wall. Of course there are considerations of decor. 
Do your shots of hairy buts look good over your sofa? Maybe better in the hall?
I've been shooting/printing for 35 years. Do I have 420 solid negs? Out of
somewhere betwen 4,200 to 42,000 rolls of film? Maybe.
But I'd like to edit them down to 42 before I showed them to anyone. And that's
a lot of images. And I keep shooting more.
That's why a lot of photographers move to sheet film when they get older.
They've shot enough already. More negs to contact and print!
But this year I did some real catching up.
Mark Rabiner