Ahhhhh, all the failures inbetween the "keepers"!

[chris jordan]

Dang, you know the longer I spend as a photographer, and the more I think I have honed my vision, the more lessons I receive in what a novice I still am. I always think that after some amount of decades shooting, my success ratio will improve to where most of the photos I take will be keepers, especially working with large format. But but then I go out and shoot twenty sheets of film and the whole friggin pile is a bunch of junk! I've done it two days in a row now-- the cost of all of that would have added up to a couple of round trip tickets to Mexico.

This is something I've asked many famous photographers about over the years-- Michael Kenna, Richard Misrach, Keith Carter and some others, as well as read about in various books, and everyone's answer is the same: We're all in the same boat and it never gets any better! Richard Misrach told me that back when he was doing his Desert Cantos work, he was shooting 1500 sheets of 8x10 film per year. Keith Carter shoots incredible amounts of medium format film, with the ambitious goal of getting one keeper per day. Michael Kenna says you wouldn't believe some of the junk he produces inbetween the ones he likes. Richard Avedon shoots something like 200 sheets of 8x10 film in a single portrait sitting to get the one he wants-- he actually has two full-time assistants whose entire job is to load film in the camera. I guess maybe this process is a reflection not so much of any lack of skill or vision, but of a constantly evolving vision combined with high standards.

Ahhhh, okay then, just saying that helps charge my battery back up, so it's back to the trenches; happy Friday to you all.

www.chrisjordan.com

[James Phillips]

Great ... Thanks Chris.

If " 1500 sheets of 8x10 film per year" that translates for me in 4x5 format to about one good shot every three years !

Yikes !

Now I'm really down : > ((

Maybe I do need the digital format 35mm camera where I can erase as fast as I shoot. :>)

Kind Regards,

[tim atherton]

I'm trying to remember exactly which one of these three said it (though the other two present concurred, in vigorous agreement), but good few years ago when I was on a workshop where Elliot Erwitt, Bill Allard and Alex Webb were all talking at one of the evening shows, I think it was Erwitt who said if he got two real keepers a year he was happy, and that was about his average. Yes, he took lots of good pictures, but he pointed out that if you looked at the lifetime work of even most of the very best of the greats from the past, of their really memorable, long lasting, best images, their batting average was usually pretty close to that. His theory was that what made the difference with good photographers, as that their "seconds" where generally more consistently better than average, so there was plenty of decent filler to go in between those ground breaking shots!

[Philippe Gauthier]

I'd like to be able to consistently shoot Ellio Erwitt's "decent fillers"... Yes, I feel pretty much as you do, Chris. Add to that that I consider most of my "keepers" shot 2-3 years ago as junk and you'll understand that I haven't much to show. I mean, stuff that is really worthwhile.

Still, I feel that my proportion of "decent filler" (which is not as good as Erwitt's) is improving over time. And that maybe some of my best shots of 2003 will stand the test of time for at least a couple of years!

[Eric Rose]

In my chats with Bruce Barnbaum he figures if he gets 7 really good images a year he is doing well. He is out shooting all the time, so I don't feel so bad.

[Andy tymon]

Hey Chris, I think we all go through this, photography bite at times like this! If Ansel adams made 40,000 negs and got about 25 classic images,this means I should get my first good shot in about 5 years time, I guess it's something to look forward to. Maybe you could discuss your recent lack of success with a photographer who's work you respect. Sometimes we are so close to the work we can't see it's good points or were the concept and it's execution went in opposite directions.I know if I try to make a picture, say a still life I always fail, but I can go out and find a landscape,by literally stumbling upon it.

Remember practice makes perfect,and in photography it also makes you pockets lighter! good luck

[Mark_3632]

Good to know andy, I was needing a new belt. Now I can tell the wife I just need to shoot more pictures and my pants won't succumb to the effects of gravity. It'll work!

As for a keeper. I am not sure I'ld know one if it bit me in the butt.

[Chad Jarvis]

How altruistic, Michael, but each of us is his own worst critic and as such, has his own definition of "keeper".

[Bob Fowler]

"Richard Avedon shoots something like 200 sheets of 8x10 film in a single portrait sitting to get the one he wants-- he actually has two full-time assistants whose entire job is to load film in the camera."

200 sheets in a sitting to get the one he wants? If that's true, he just moved down a notch or two on my list. If you can't get THE image by 150 sheets, you're nuthin'! :-)

hehehe

[tim atherton]

""Richard Avedon shoots something like 200 sheets of 8x10 film in a single portrait sitting to get the one he wants-- he actually has two full-time assistants whose entire job is to load film in the camera." 200 sheets in a sitting to get the one he wants? If that's true, he just moved down a notch or two on my list. If you can't get THE image by 150 sheets, you're nuthin'! :-)"

Yeah, but who do you think is keeping Tri-X and Portra 400 in production singled handed... :-)

(is the latter still in production?)