Photos that you keep per session over time?

echoyjeff222

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Just curious to hear about this ... after each session, you many photos on average do you keep? How does this compare to the past?

I think there's two ways that this could go:

1) You get better, so naturally you keep more photos.
2) You get better, so you expect more of yourself and thus keep fewer photos.

It seems like for me, the number initially increased as I improved in the beginning, but since then, I've been dropping back and raising my standards. I usually end up with 2 that I keep per trip. I usually also only focus on 2-3 different subjects during a SINGLE trip. Anyone else feel this way too?
 
3) You get better, so naturally you take fewer photos. If your keeper rate stays the same, then you keep fewer shots as a result.

Answers will vary on the photographer and purpose for shooting of course (pro, enthusiast, wedding, fine art, etc.)
For me, if I take 200 shots, I flag 10-30 as worth possibly spending time on. I usually end up processing between 5-15 of those.
Then there's last night where I shot 30 images and threw them all out, but I was experimenting with something and really wasn't into it.

After all that, those 5-15 may not actually be "keepers" either. So you may need to define keeper as well.
Just because I haven't culled something on import (or even gone as far as to process) doesn't mean it sees the light of day.

If keeper means printed and framed, then we are talking about even fewer.
 
"Keeper rate" is a metric I have no interest in.

It's just a number that means nothing to me. Just like, say, the average speed I've driven a vehicle, over the time since I've obtained my first drivers license. Maybe it's 28.6. Maybe it's 37.2. Maybe it's 41.1. Must I, for some reason, drive faster or slower should I know this number? Will it affect my insurance rate? Whatever it is, why should I care?
 
I've thrown away more photos than I've taken.

I'm that good.
 

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