Take 100 shots, not 1000.   Is one of them still going to be an excellent composition?  I have heard this statement from non-photographers and photographers alike:  “Shoot 1000 photos and you are bound to get a good one.”  I think, yes and no.  I do not shoot a memory card full trying to get one subject right.  Yes, I do shoot more than once but do not depend on numbers to somehow give me the scene with composition and lighting the way I want it.   I have seen card after card of vacation shots from someone else and among the vast number of photos were how many shots to grab my attention? Zero, zilch…none.  All were snapshots and memories certainly valuable to them but of little interest to others.   Then again, a good professional event photographer may likely shoot hundreds of images looking for the cream of the crop to tell the story, not taking a chance of expression or movement or light being wrong or the very special second in time being missed because it happened a second later.

 

With all of that said, looking back at my better photos, the ones I put at the top of the list and am actually proud to claim are generally “in camera” composition.   The eye put the scene in the frame to start.  Of course, editing for color, sharpness and levels will follow.

 

I believe it a silly notion that 1000 shots will give a rank beginner an excellent photo and that “everyone is a photographer”.  Sure, with cell phones and very capable little cameras, many people do take photos but I do not believe many have crossed that line from snapshootist to photographer.  This is no criticism but recognition that folks like to take fun shapshots, see their faces and faces in places, regardless of the artistic value of the photo.  They do not intend to be serious photographers in the first place and have fun snapping away.

 

A second comment I hear stated as a compliment is this: “This is a nice photo. You must have a really good camera.”  Enough said on that one. It is meant as a compliment and at that moment I am not going to argue that the eye behind the camera is more important.  The fact is, I do have a decent camera, a bit dated but quite good for me.  And…yes, I do have Lightroom™ and Photoshop™ along with other image software.   Still, I believe I could go on a photo field trip with that person and they could come home with a new perception of composition and “seeing” the shot in the first place. 

 

Still, those of us who do try to do something better in photography can always do better.  The majority of folks on the streets with cameras might not be concerned about that at all…in a world of fun photos, snapshots rule and that is fine.   Do 10000 snapshots and get 10000 snapshots and enjoy each one !  I will take my “really good camera” and hope for a masterpiece which has eluded me so far.  Humm, looking at folders and folders of images, a few more fun family snapshots would be nice.

 

This is early morning ramblings, nothing more. Comment if you want to do that.            Tom.