From start to finish

[Richard Littlewood]

I'd like to know I'm not on my own here. I've just processed and contact printed possibly the last 6 weeks ( or so ) of my photographic output that is my own - ( not for money!). In this batch I had 66 5x4 sheets - there are some 120 and 35mm, but I'm not including them. All in all quite a lot of work, or at least it felt like it - nearly 8 locations, long hikes, lots of snow, etc etc. Looking at the contacts I start to edit out the shots in favour of what seem like the best, and out of the 66 the final count is 10. 10!. I don't want to enter into my own probably over picky selection methods, but does any one out there have such equally low 'pass' rates over what actually makes it to the enlarger? I dont mind this selection process, in fact I think it has to happen, but tell that to someone with a digital camera and they would think you were mad!

[Edward (Halifax,NS)]

That sounds about right to me, except the part where you do it all in 6 weeks. That sounds like two years of output for me. I average about 1 in 10 keepers. Sometimes a little better. Sometimes a little worse.

[Gem Singer]

Richard,

You're not on your own, so don't feel like the "Lone Ranger". I'm happy to get one 4X5 negative that will make a good "wall hanger" from an outdoor photo shoot.

[Steve J Murray]

Richard, my experience is that some days I get lucky and produce 2 or 3 "wall hangers" in one outing. Other times I take as many shots and they all look like crap after I get them processed, even though I thought they looked pretty good in the ground glass, and I have had over 30 years of practice. In other words, some days you're "hot" and some days you're not!

[Dan Jolicoeur]

Ditto the Above; One "wall Hanger" per outing would be nice. That is Good composition, exposure, and no DUST spots. I usually get 2 out of 6 that make it to the enlarger. I think you get better as time goes on. Doing 66 in that short of time and then not seeing the end result 6 weeks later is hard to compensate and learn from mistakes. No matter how good of notes you take.

Regards,
Dan

[Joseph Dickerson]

Richard,

Are the "out takes" being trashed for aesthetic or technical reasons? If they are artistic failures I would think that you're doing fine. Part of the process is exploration and we can hardly be expected to know what works without also finding out what doesn't work. If, on the otherhand, they are largely technical failures you need to work on your technique.

Classes, workshops, or reading good technical books/articles can up the success rate considerably. I find that if I toss the disapointing images on my first edit I will frequently overlook something of merit. I file all but the most obvious blunders and after a while I'll come back and do a second, more in depth edit.

You may simply be too critical on your first edit. Not an uncommon problem with creative people.

Joe D.

[paul owen]

Yes but look at the enjoyment you had in taking them! I appreciate this is bordering on herecy but sometimes the actual photograph is simply a by-product of an enjoyable trip and an enjoyable experience?

[Bill_1856]

St. Ansel is quoted as saying that 12 good images in a year is a very good year for him! Sometimes I go a whole year without a single keeper. Other times I may get a dozen good (and occasionally a great) images on one single day (twice, since 1992). I'd say that your success rate is far above average.

[Ellis Vener]

Depends on what your standards for a 'good' image are.

I know a widely acclaimed portrait photographer who uses 4"x5' color negative (Kodak 160VC Readyloads .. though occassionaly he uses 8"x10' or even 4x5 T-max 100 glass plates). He shoots portraits for magazines -- lots of celebrities. He estimates that in a 2 hour portrait session he'll shoot about 60-100 sheets, though he can sometimes get exactly what he wants in as little as 6 sheets in five mnutes. Out of that 60 to 100 or even out of the 6 sheets one or two will be chosen after the editing process. Most of us would probably be satisified with any of the other 98 that don't make the cut.

My point is that once you start editing a few will always be better than most and a very few will really stand out. This is a good thing: it means you are developing or have developed an "eye" for what makes a photograph work. And yes it is frustrating sometimes.

[Brian Vuillemenot]

10 out of 66 sounds like a pretty high success rate to me. I'm lucky if I get one truly decent shot out of 100. I'm not talking merely about "keepers" here- around half of my exposures are well exposed, nicely compsed, etc. But as far as truly decent shots, that I want to go out and have printed immediately, I'd say I get around a half dozen per year.