Tina

If post-processing was completely removed from the equation (in thought and deed), what percentage of your pictures would you consider keepers and what is your level of experience? Include the type of photography you do as well.

I have heard that my expectations may be too high. And that, most photographers are well pleased with only a small margin of the pictures that they actually shoot. Having as little as 10 keepers out of 100 pictures is supposed to be more realistic. I'm just wondering if my expectations are too high as an amateur. Because if that's the rule of thumb, the standard seems to be pretty low. Sometimes, I sit and wait patiently to capture ideal moments of wildlife activity (ie., waterfowl) just to be disappointed with the quality of the shots. Yesterday, I went out in my backyard to shoot a few pictures of some flowers and bees just to return disappointed with the entire outcome. Lessons learned from that experience: If you're trying to capture bees pollinating flowers, it may also be easier with flowering plant(s) rather than a flowering tree. The have too many options when a tree is in full blossom (lol).

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

Your thoughts on practicing is so important that will go a long ways to make your photography more enjoyable and fulfilling. As for the % of keeper that varies as much as the number of photographers - all depend on ones skill level and much as patients. Some of the fellows I have shot with will only shoot after many minutes of camera adjustments, composure adjustments & then rethinking the whole shot. Their % of keepers is very high. Others are like myself I take a good look at my subject decide which mode I will shoot in and do a quick composure thru the view finder and click, maybe a couple different angles too so I may have a 25% to 50% keeper range depending on the subject.

snowbear

I don't really know what my keeper ratio is, but hopefully it is getting better. IMHO removing post processing completely is the same as only making a contact sheet with film - adjustments are a normal part of the process. I shoot raw, so there is always something that needs the be adjusted, even if it is just removing dust spots.

"Quality" can cover a lot of things: composition, focus, motion blur, exposure, contrast, white balance, etc. Once you better identify what you don't like about your shots, then you can start figuring out how to correct them.

Tina

Wow! The more I learn the more I realize how much I don't know. I understand that there are lots of variables but, I was laughing within when I was told that statement. I thought it was mainly because the person didn't take the time to set up his shot. I was being too hard on myself but, my goal will always be to improve my success ratio, regardless. Harvey and Charlie, both of you nailed it on the composition, subject and variables but, I didn't want my question to get too long. I would think that a portrait photographer should have a higher ratio than anyone dealing with moving subjects. Sometimes, it's just good to bounce things off other people and realize that you're not the only one encountering certain issues. One of the most important things that I have come to realize is, the need to know your equipment and process your pictures soon after taking them to learn from the experience and build upon it. I am probably my own hardest critic. Thanks.

snowbear

If it helps, post an example in the Photo Analysis section and tell us what you do and don't like about it. Someone may be able to give you suggestions on how to improve that particular situation.

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

i'm sure it varies with the talent and vision of the photographer.i have been practising the art of letting go for 30 yrs. i am now putting it to work with my pictures.some i dump because they were bad exposures,others because the subject matter was ech.i've been clearing out my "unwanteds" for the past week.now i cull as i review each session.

steve40 Loc: Asheville/Canton, NC, USA

10 out of 100 is pretty close. Not necessarily because of bad exposures, but sometimes they just do not turn out like you expected.

Lots of marginal exposures, can be salvaged with modern photo apps. But I usually! just don't want to spend the time, on them.

micro Loc: Texas

I don't know what my % of keepers is, but it is very low.
One issue is that with digital I shoot as many as possible, so as not to miss sometings (I like to shoot nature - birds, anamals, etc).
In the old days of film, I was much stingier regarding depressing the shutter.
So my % of rejects goes up by default.

hlmichel Loc: New Hope, Minnesota

I am at 50-60% keepers, but I tend to think more and shoot less these days.

micro Loc: Texas

I admire that, I just don't have the patience. Perhaps so progress.

Singing Swan

If I do 100, I might keep 30....or maybe more because sometimes the bad ones are interesting. An out of focus flower or a real bad blur can be just what I want for the background of a card or greeting sometimes, so I have one particular folder labeled 'failures'.

Sometimes I keep a bad one just to torment myself with. I put it up on my screen as a desktop and look at it over and over and ask myself just what it was I did that made this one such a failure. Other times it's just the opposite and I put up a really good one and do the same thing....what did I do that made this one turn out so well?

I have noticed that I've become a lot more critical of my own work and my arm doesn't hurt quite so much anymore. Patting myself on the back all the time was becoming tiresome!!! :)

MadMike Loc: SALT LAKE

It also depends on each persons idea of "KEEPERS", what I might keep, someone else would throw away. I also probably throw away some good ones just to declutter my inventory. I imagine I keep 10 percent, pretty good from a wheel chair.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Like the others, I think 10% is a good estimate. When I was shooting film, it was probably 95% because I shot few pictures, and I wasn't so particular. I used to want pictures. Now I want images. :D

Tea8 Loc: Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain.

Since I get rid of my pics in stages I would have a hard time coming up with my percentage. Right away I probably get rid of 50%. That is the totally blurry, unfocused, really bad shots. Then after awhile I go back through and if I have a some that are very similar I go back and try to determine which one or two look the best and get rid of all the rest. So yeah maybe 10 or 20 percent I keep. Unless of course they are keepsake type moments and then I keep most unless they are so blurry you can't tell what anything is in the pic.

birdpix Loc: South East Pennsylvania

As a bird and wildlife photographer, my "keeper" rate is very low; 5-10%. What I have found, though, is that as my skills improved, I became more choosy about what I would keep. More of the photos would be technically perfect but there was something I didn't like about the pose: the bird was looking the wrong way or didn't have a catchlight in it's eye or was a multiple of almost the same pose etc.