Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/08/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I hadn't planned on responding to the keeper thread, but I had some guests at my home last night and after looking at all of my framed prints, said "they are really nice, but how many do you have to take to get these shots?" I was a bit annoyed by this because it implies that by merely shooting a lot of film, I get great images. I know that with many of my people shots, I have only a couple negatives or slides of that image. And I don't have to take a lot film to get great landscape images. Granted I do shoot a lot of film, most are in camera dupes, but the mistaken assumption by many who don't know better is that shooting lots of film increases your percentage of great shots. It does if you're shooting great subjects in great light and if you've got a good eye for composition and your subjects are cooperating. With uncooperative subjects and lousy light, sometimes you have to keep shooting, hoping you'll get something usable when it's all over with. I find with shooting un-posed people on location that I may only get one or two shots of them that truly capture their emotion at some spontaneous moment. In posed situations I figure I've got 4 or 5 shots before they really get annoyed. The first shot is usually too stiff, so I've got to get them to relax for the 2nd or 3rd, and by the 4th and 5th they are annoyed that I'm taking so many shots. There are subjects that will let you shoot a whole roll of them, but most won't. So... you better get it right early. I've photographed people where I knew it was hopeless from the start but I've lucked into some great shots by going ahead and shooting them anyhow. Sometimes I can spend a whole day at a market and only 1 really great shot. But I'll shoot only a few frames. The pitfall that many fall into when they talk about keeper percentages is that they begin concentrating on great singular images rather than a body of work that fully illustrates the situation or tells the story. I find that I get caught in that trap as well looking for great singular images and have to force myself to take un-great images that tell the complete story. So..... Composition, subject choice, lighting and a bit of luck make for great photos. The rest of the shots are either completing the story or just in some cases, a waste of film. Percentages are worthless, it's your money and you can shoot pictures of whatever you want. But learn how to compose, find good subjects and use light to your advantage and you'll find you are shooting a lot of keepers. With a bit of luck you'll get some truly great shots too. So.. Go have fun! Duane Birkey HCJB World Radio Quito Ecuador ***** Message Was Scanned For Viruses *****