[Leica] Shoot less... ?

[Henning Wulff]

It all depends; and again: it all depends.

I've certainly shot a full day of 4x5's and come home with a dozen shots and considered that a lot, and a lot of work. I've easily spent half a day on one shot numerous times.

I've also done an aerial shoot and in 45min of shooting taken 25 rolls of 220 on 645 in addition to 6 rolls of 35mm. That's being really busy in a small Cessna, even when half the 220 was preloaded.

In Cuba this time I took 2500 in two weeks, and there was not pressure to take or not to take. In Kenya a couple of years ago it was 20,000 in 10 days, with 95% of the shooting during a couple of hours after sunrise and a couple more before sunset. If anything, I should have taken more. Almost everyone was taken Single Shot.

In the end, the purpose and the circumstances dictate what and how you shoot. Processing, editing and other stuff doesn't enter into it unless you have to get one shot and IMMEDIATELY send it off somewhere.

Tina is shooting for work. She has to decide how much and what is possible and advantageous for her market. She knows. We don't. She's posting her quick 'proofs' to get a bit of feedback and feed our desires to see Cuba through her eyes. These are not final files for display, and we should be happy for whatever she lets us in on.

Go Tina!

(appreciative, but not commenting much) Henning


On 2015-03-21, at 12:43 PM, John McMaster <john at mcmaster.co.nz> wrote:

> Of course commissioned use is different and is different again from 'on spec', but why take that many and then get bogged down in PP for the rest of the year/life? I shot medium format and sheet film so never got up to those large numbers of film shots ;-)
> 
> john
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+john=mcmaster.co.nz at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Ted Grant
> Sent: Sunday, 22 March 2015 6:24 a.m.
> To: 'Leica Users Group'
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Shoot less... ?
> 
> John McMaster OFFERED:
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Shoot less... ?
> 
>>>> I have wondered that, I cannot imagine taking 16K shots in a few 
>>>> weeks
> without binning the vast majority (no good or repeats). I am a sparse shooter (not sure if I have taken more than 200 shots in a day) but with what I regard as a high success rate.....<<<<<<<<<<<
> 
> JOHN MON AMI,
> Don't become a documentary photographer and have a "WHEAT HARVESTING ASSIGNMENT!" That's everything LIFE to DEATH" OF A MONTH OR TWO on the ground, in the air shooting aerials! The day is usually pre-sunrise until moon is up.............EVERYDAY! Ok so maybe a couple, you sleep in until
> 5.30 a.m.! :-)
> 
> One never ever thinks about how many frames simply because you are recording a "PHOTO ESSAY" covering everything that occurs lives/dies during the month or two!
> 
> That includes the "field mice or gophers to filling the tractor fuel tanks to the farmer's wife making/baking the meals.............. To tell and show "THE HARVESTING FARMERS LIFE CORRECTLY IS TO SHOOT EVERYTHING FROM BIRTH TO DEATH!" Every single moment while you are on the assignment. And the LIFE of the DAY IS IN MOTION!
> 
> The number of frames doesn't matter as long as you completely have your "ASS COVERED" in showing the complete story.  Oh sure once in awhile you may not shoot a frame........... PROVIDING YOU ALREADY HAVE A SMASHING GREAT SIMILAR BEAUTY TAKEN AND BACKED-UP ON ANOTHER DRIVE, WHATEVER? Even then? If you are motivated to "jeeeeesssshhh look at that?" FOR HEAVAN SAKE "SHOOT IT!" A "maybe similar looking image? But what the heck "SO WHAT?" Better to have it in the can than find out later the back-up drive failed! :-(
> 
> If one is on holiday or work there's no such thing as......... "DON'T TAKE TOO MANY!" If you have camera in hand and you are scene motivated? "SHOOT IT!" 
> Don't shoot too many? jeeeeeesh!
> 
> cheers,
> Dr. ted :-) 
> 
> john
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+john=mcmaster.co.nz at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Steve Barbour
> Sent: Saturday, 21 March 2015 4:20 p.m.
> To: Leica LUG
> Subject: [Leica] Shoot less... ?
> 
> Tina, a number of Luggers have suggested somehow showing less, ie being selective....
> 
> Is it not true that this suggestion applies to shooting ?
> 
> 
> steve
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> Steve Barbour
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 


Henning Wulff
henningw at archiphoto.com