When out on a shoot, how many pictures should one take?

[DennyCrane]

Yeah, Hitchhikers references got boring in the 80s.

 

[Natural_Disaster]

For me it depends on what im doing. If i go out by myself and im looking for some good shots to get, i don't take that many, maybe 3 or 4 per image just to see which turns out best...But if its a birthday party, baby shower, something like that....I can easily take 2,000 pictures......Especially if there are a lot of kids around. I'm constantly looking for a shot!! Of course those are just for keepsakes..point and shoots.

 

[IgsEMT]

Ok, here's my take on it...
Back in film, especially medium format film, we estimated that from time a it is purchased, shot and developed, each frame is about $1. So the way many of us, at least in my area, were taught is make your frames count otherwise it is a waste of $.
Granted pixels are free but if you try to think in terms of $ and each frame that is deleted (180/200) you just wasted $180 image what you can by for that and that is only in one day.
Good Luck

 

[chammer]

IgsEMT: interesting way to look at it. great to know that in the past few months i've then wasted enough money to then buy a new car lol

i think what sucks more is that im actually poking around craigslist at the moment...looking for a film camera to play with. maybe i should keep digital for a little longer first.

 

[mrmacedonian]

I am the world leading photo deleter :er:, and would like to loose that designation some day.

Yeah I've found myself getting very tired going through all the photos on any given day. I can tell you that what I read somewhere and have started practicing is that before I'm about to transfer the files to the computer, i look through all the photos on the Camera's LCD screen and review/delete them there.

I look at a lot of photos on the LCD that I think are great and then i don't like them when opened on my monitor. So, to this end, I've found that a bad picture on the LCD wont really translate to anything better on the computer, so deleting them on the camera before transfer saves me a good deal of time

Also when I'm anywhere taking the photos, if its a limited-time event I take as many as i feel i should then immediately review/delete.. it keeps the tedious review process later from becoming overbearing.

 

[kami]

Yeah I've found myself getting very tired going through all the photos on any given day. I can tell you that what I read somewhere and have started practicing is that before I'm about to transfer the files to the computer, i look through all the photos on the Camera's LCD screen and review/delete them there.

I look at a lot of photos on the LCD that I think are great and then i don't like them when opened on my monitor. So, to this end, I've found that a bad picture on the LCD wont really translate to anything better on the computer, so deleting them on the camera before transfer saves me a good deal of time

Also when I'm anywhere taking the photos, if its a limited-time event I take as many as i feel i should then immediately review/delete.. it keeps the tedious review process later from becoming overbearing.

I personally would not waste my time sifting thru my camera's LCD checking which photos to delete or keep. It also is a lot easier to manage your photos on your PC and delete them there if you need to. You can only see a photo's true potential when veiwed thru a properly calibrated monitor, so deleting them in camera before you realize the photo's potential is potentially devestating.

You also have to consider losing that priceless moment that you could have taken if you were not busy deleting photos in-camera.

Another reason why I delete photos on PC is takes away the "wear and tear" you place on your camera's function buttons. Imagine having to delete 200 photos, that's 200 more times you pressed the "ok" button which you would not have to do if you worked on it on your PC.

There are photos that look crappy on the LCD at times but when you analyze them, you can actually make something different out of them.

For the OP, take as many photos as your memory card can handle. It's all free!!!

 

[KmH]

Ok, here's my take on it...
Back in film, especially medium format film, we estimated that from time a it is purchased, shot and developed, each frame is about $1. So the way many of us, at least in my area, were taught is make your frames count otherwise it is a waste of $.
Granted pixels are free but if you try to think in terms of $ and each frame that is deleted (180/200) you just wasted $180 image what you can by for that and that is only in one day.
Good Luck

Pixels aren't free but they don't cost as much as film.

I figure $0.03 per digital shutter release just in used up shutter life. So if you take 600 pixs and toss 580 of them: 580 x 0.03 = $17.40 you need to put back towards camera body replacement when the shutter fails.

So another consideration to tossing 97.5% of the pixs you took, is the reduction to your camera's shutter life.

 

[IgsEMT]

Quote: Originally Posted by IgsEMT
Ok, here's my take on it...
Back in film, especially medium format film, we estimated that from time a it is purchased, shot and developed, each frame is about $1. So the way many of us, at least in my area, were taught is make your frames count otherwise it is a waste of $.
Granted pixels are free but if you try to think in terms of $ and each frame that is deleted (180/200) you just wasted $180 image what you can by for that and that is only in one day.
Good Luck

Pixels aren't free but they don't cost as much as film.

I figure $0.03 per digital shutter release just in used up shutter life. So if you take 600 pixs and toss 580 of them: 580 x 0.03 = $17.40 you need to put back towards camera body replacement when the shutter fails.

So another consideration to tossing 97.5% of the pixs you took, is the reduction to your camera's shutter life.

Ok you're right, they aren't free but freeER

 

[NateWagner]

Well, I suppose it depends on a number of factors, but shutters aren't all that expensive to get replaced. I mean, a 1DII will run you about 160parts plus 200 for labor. So about 360 (if you have them do it). Theoretically a 1DII will last at least 100,000 clicks. If so, you're actually looking at $0.0036 which is closer to $2.08(and 8/10) for 580 thrown away images.

Of course, if you're adding to that the wear and tear on the body, and the likelihood you'll want to sell the camera, because digital bodies go out of date, then yes the cost per shutter release would be much higher.

 

[Derrel]

Deleting photos in the field is very risky. A few years back, in 2005 or 2006 I think, there was a guy who won a pretty large nature photography prize, like South African Nature photo of the Year, or European Nature Photo of the Year. The photo was an underwater photo of a hippo, at pretty close range, blowing river water out of its nostrils....the water in the river or lake was really green-tinged and quite murky and cloudy..the water was coming out of these huge hippo nostrils in billowing plumes....the photo was AMAZING! The hippo looked like a dragon. Last night I Googled around,trying to find the shot because it is so,so cool, but could not find it. It might have been the British Journal of Photography's contest...but it also seems like it might have been sponsored by Reuters or another news/wire service...can't recall.

The photographer who took the prize-winning photo said that he almost deleted the shot in-camera in the field....on the LCD the detail was simply not there. I've learned my lesson too about in-field deleting and chimping the shots. Unless it is an obvious and TOTAL dud, I wait to see it on the computer screen shown big. Sometimes there are small details you just cannot see on that LCD screen.

How many shots to shoot? Impossible to answer. But I think given how cheap CF cards are,and how large their capacities, it pays to bring back all but the realy clunkers, and sift through them at the computer.

 

[matfoster]

hello pbelarge. you take a lot of landscapes. you can end up with a lot of shots - its a very subjective genre.

maybe it's time spent rather than number of shots, or perhaps equally both - six hours on the street or in the forest - you get some rewards.

would you agree that was something great about film (on a budget)? 12/24/36 frames. thats all we had. so (light or situation permitting) the photog evaluated, scoped out the angles and the contexts. often more considered.

Hello,
When I had (still have 2) my point and shoot, I would take 200 pictures and delete 180 of them...it was good enough for what I was doing. I amassed about 73,000 work pictures in the last 9 years.

Now I have a Canon T1i. The problem I seem to have is I am picture crazy. I take mostly landscape type pictures, and I seem to take way too many pictures, yet I cannot stop because it seems like there are just so many great shots out there and I do not want to waste my limited photo time.

I now have slowed down a tiny bit, but I am taking raw/jpeg pictures. I have also been taking most in the last week or so in bracketed form.

On an average shoot, how many pictures would generally be considered correct?

Also, I am just getting into PP with PSE8. I know, don't ask, I am crazy.


Thanks ahead for the help!

 

[DennyCrane]

How many shots to shoot? Impossible to answer. But I think given how cheap CF cards are,and how large their capacities, it pays to bring back all but the realy clunkers, and sift through them at the computer.

Your cardist insensitivity towards us SD/SDHC users has been noted and reported to the Thought Police, good sir.

 

[kundalini]

On an average shoot, how many pictures would generally be considered correct?

Okay, I'll read the rest of the responces later, but I saw people were giving you the incorrect number of pictures.

The correct number is 137. You have to turn around at 69.



:lmao:



EDIT:
<----------- Just noticed 6700. Only 299 left.

 

[NateWagner]

wouldn't it be 269 left?

 

[lvcrtrs]

The better you get in "seeing" good compositions, and interesting subjects in the viewfinder, the fewer images you will take. In the begining, most new photogs think everything is interesting. Your eye will develope over time.

OG I hope so. It's seems almost a compulsion to push the button 2-3 times for just about anything. You know, because the next one might just be a bit better. But going through all those pictures detracts from the fun of it. I go nuts when i don't have time to work through what I've taken. Then you go do it again and some just stay in the que...after a certain point I think you just never get back to them.