Photo Shoot: What percentage of great photos should you expect when photographing. I took photos for about an hour of a friend, about 200 shots, and got about 15 that are very nice. Is...

Duckberg Loc: Vermont

What percentage of great photos should you expect when photographing. I took photos for about an hour of a friend, about 200 shots, and got about 15 that are very nice. Is this to be expected?

A new hobby for me....

geclevel Loc: Springville, Utah

I took my niece out for senior portraits, my first time taking portraits. I snapped 230 photos. I was able to keel 25 of them, so just over 10%. Learn from the photos you which were not nice. This will increase the amount of keepers.

donrent Loc: Punta Gorda , Fl

Hate to sound like an old recording playing, but back when, we to taught to "plan" our photographys before clicking the shutter... Today, its click, click, click and pick the good ones out and hopefully some good ones...

BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Duckberg wrote:

What percentage of great photos should you expect when photographing. I took photos for about an hour of a friend, about 200 shots, and got about 15 that are very nice. Is this to be expected?

A new hobby for me....

Depends. At a family picnic, about 99%. Trying to get good closeups of bumble bees on my Rose of Sharon Bush about 1% (less yesterday, took 260 and got none that made me happy) I read on some super photographers blog a while ago that specializes in hummingbird photos (amazing photos) and he mumbled something about of 70,000 photos, he really liked 3, or something like that. So, I guess it depends on what you are photographing, and how picky you are.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Duckberg wrote:

What percentage of great photos should you expect when photographing. I took photos for about an hour of a friend, about 200 shots, and got about 15 that are very nice. Is this to be expected?

A new hobby for me....

That's not unusual. I was shooting with a group this weekend, and one guy said that about three percent of his are "keepers." I did an online course with lynda.com, and one session was about "work the shot." Shoot it from every angle and vary everything. You're not paying for film, so you can shoot two dozen images and pick the one that's best. I don't like to get back from a shoot and regret not taking a shot from the one angle I missed.

bw3 Loc: Vermillion, SD

donrent wrote:

Hate to sound like an old recording playing, but back when, we to taught to "plan" our photographys before clicking the shutter... Today, its click, click, click and pick the good ones out and hopefully some good ones...

I think "Duckberg" was lucky to get 15 good shots that he really cared for. No one ever gets a masterpiece every time they trip a shutter -- plan or no plan. The real secret is to "click, click, click". With a little luck, some skill -- and a plan -- a few good ones will appear. :-)

SteveR Loc: Michigan

That reminds me of my film days. I'd take a roll and be really happy with maybe two or three photos. Now that I go back and view them years later, I'm not as critical and I'm glad that I have quite a few of those shots that I didn't like so well.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

donrent wrote:

Hate to sound like an old recording playing, but back when, we to taught to "plan" our photographys before clicking the shutter... Today, its click, click, click and pick the good ones out and hopefully some good ones...

On this point I have to agree with you. The feeling that you can just stick it on AUTO and click away is way to common anymore since digital is free and you are not paying for those junk shots like you had to with film. The percentage of "keepers" improves exponentially with the degree of photographic knowledge and skill attained.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

SteveR wrote:

That reminds me of my film days. I'd take a roll and be really happy with maybe two or three photos. Now that I go back and view them years later, I'm not as critical and I'm glad that I have quite a few of those shots that I didn't like so well.

Exactly! As time goes by, it's nice to look at those "imperfect" shots of friends and relatives who are no longer with us.

Ambrose Loc: North America

Duckberg wrote:

What percentage of great photos should you expect ....

Ansel Adams once said 12 decent photographs in a year is a pretty good crop.
On the other hand, My 10 year old niece says all of her pics are keepers.
It certainly depends on what level of quality you're looking for, what your experience is, and what your looking to get out of photography overall.

Pictxterowner 3 D sbs

For 3 D sbs I have to have 2 shots to create one photo by moving left with each shot. I (plan) the perfect single photo, move right, start shooting moving left. 4 to 6 shots

The idea is the 2nd and third will be what I need but I do find sometimes it is 1st and 2nd or 3rd and 4th because of wind, hair and leaves can not move. or eyes may blink. if I am not moving far enough between shots it might be the 2nd and 4th I need.
The point of moving left is so can view the thumbnails in 3 D immediately after inserting the SD card saving inspection and processing time.
If I did not move left the photos have to be reversed manually one at a time to check for 3 D effect. But 75-80 prevent will be deleted.

crimesc324 Loc: West Palm Beach, Florida

An old "rule of thumb" I was told when I use to use film was, if you get one "keeper" per roll, you were doing good.
I would think that the percentage is actually higher and more in the 10-25% range.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

crimesc324 wrote:

An old "rule of thumb" I was told when I use to use film was, if you get one "keeper" per roll, you were doing good.
I would think that the percentage is actually higher and more in the 10-25% range.

At about 50 cents a shot, it was expensive. When we were living on a shoestring, I had rolls of film I couldn't afford to develop.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

but I have a high speed burst on my camera...

However, the Marine in me says, One shot, one kill.

How many did you tell them you were going to give them? Somewhere between 1-2 dozen should be more than enough. Just make sure they are the best ones of the bunch.

Reminds me of the "crush the composition by scott kelby...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpHMuK7Htic

just exposed Loc: British Columbia Canada

donrent wrote:

Hate to sound like an old recording playing, but back when, we to taught to "plan" our photographys before clicking the shutter... Today, its click, click, click and pick the good ones out and hopefully some good ones...

Aint technology great :)