Andrew make a good point but I can say there are times taking lots of shots pays very well. Birds in flight is one of the best examples because you cannot tell what you have when you press the shutter, and by the time you look it is too late.

Another for me recently was with a model who struck a new pose about every ten seconds and was constantly aware of the strobe recharging. It resulted in over 2,000 shots during a four-hour shoot. Of course they are not all winners but I have so many to select from for editing and I am amazed at how many warrant editing. Whenever I suggested poses or gave direction, it slowed down quite a bit.

As a challenge, I have suggested to various people that they take 5 portrait shots of any one person within 60 seconds. Then, pick out the best one of those five. They do this fairly quickly. Then ask yourself if that would have been the shot you got had you only taken one. I win with this every time!

One of the challenges with digital photography is to cast off the old habits of film photography. It no longer costs you a dollar every time you squeeze the shutter, so why not take a few more? And why not look to see what you got? I am amazed at how many people take digital photos and never check to see what they got, then later say they didn't turn out. Well, why didn't they look at them before they left? Why not adopt a strategy of taking lots of photos, and tossing out the ones that are not so good? That way your storage cost also decrease...if you can actually throw them out, and I do have trouble doing this myself, LOL!

I see that photographers have created the word 'chimping' to describe someone who constantly checks the photos they take. It is definately used in a negative connotation by elitists that think they know that every photo is coming out just fine...but are they? Of course not everyone is being elitist or negative but many surely are. I would rather be thought of as a fool and check, than to not look and find out 25 shots later that I forgot to turn the focus back from manual to auto.

I'm not putting down any of Andrew's comments, they do work! I find the variable is whether the subject is possibly moving or not. I do agree taking a shot of the Grand Canyon and looking at it can easily allow you to just take one and be happy with it, but if you are pushing your friend over the side of the canyon you will want to take several shots.

☺ Wayne