# How many photos do you usually take?



## frommrstomommy (Jun 5, 2013)

For any given portrait session lets say, 1 hour long, how many photos would you say you take on average? How many are usually keepers? If you need to break this down more specifically to answer, go ahead.. I'm just curious!



The last two couples sessions I did lasted roughly 1 hour.. and I am pretty sure I took EXACTLY 130 each time. lol It was pretty creepy when I looked at the count honestly! 20-25 images made the cut.


----------



## jowensphoto (Jun 5, 2013)

So you're running about 15-20% keep, I'd say that's really good.

My last photoshoot, I took around 150 and kept 10. I tend to have a higher "keeper" percentage when I shoot film - frames are limited and it slows me down (in a good way) quite a bit!


----------



## tirediron (Jun 5, 2013)

It really depends on what I'm shooting; fashion/model in-studio runs around 100 - 120 frames/hour, family portraiture on location typically about 60-70 frames an hour.  I strive for, and am happy with 15% of the images making the cut for the proofing gallery.


----------



## cgipson1 (Jun 5, 2013)

I seldom shoot people, but when I do... I might do 50-60 in a hour shoot (non-studio / non-professional model)... and keep 20-25.. but the customer would probably only get 7 to 10 that I pick out. 

Slow down.. think about what you are doing... pose them better.. adjust the lighting... etc..

you will get more keepers, and better ones at that. Averaging a shot every 30 seconds or so?  Slow down! That is one of the things I hate about digital... shoot, shoot, shoot... the more the better. CRAP! Slow down!


----------



## TimothyJinx (Jun 5, 2013)

This is a good question. I really had no idea how many I had taken over the last several shoots. But I went back and counted the pics and figured the time based on the first and the last file - so no initial prep or breakdown time included.

1.  1.5 hrs, 307 pics
2.  45 mins, 334 pics
3.  3 hrs, 316 pics

These numbers really surprised me since the number of pics taken is roughly the same but the times are vastly different - one is half of another and the other is half again. Interesting.

Both #1 and #2 were small children so these numbers are skewed a bit. I regularly have them jump and dance around as I snap away and get them laughing with their hair swirling all around.
#3 was a model and involved several changes of clothes and some set changes.


----------



## kathyt (Jun 5, 2013)

I will take maybe 100 in an hour portrait session. I would probably keep 30 or so. I am a lightning culler. It is either a keep or delete.


----------



## jowensphoto (Jun 5, 2013)

kathythorson said:


> I will take maybe 100 in an hour portrait session. I would probably keep 30 or so. I am a lightning culler. It is either a keep or delete.




I am jealous of your cull skills! I have to go through twice, sometimes three times. I really need to work on having less duplicates, sure that would help!


----------



## tirediron (Jun 5, 2013)

cgipson1 said:


> ...Slow down.. think about what you are doing... pose them better.. adjust the lighting... etc..


I think the style of shooting plays into it a lot as well, for instance when I'm doing a model's portfolio shoot, I'll have them in a moving pose rather than a static one; that is, I will say something like: "I want you to look over there, and then slowly do <whatever> and finish looking over there."  I'll quite often do 3-5 frame bursts as the model is moving her head or whatever.  I'f I'm doing strictly static work, headshots, etc, then as few as 20-30/hour.


----------



## cgipson1 (Jun 5, 2013)

tirediron said:


> cgipson1 said:
> 
> 
> > ...Slow down.. think about what you are doing... pose them better.. adjust the lighting... etc..
> ...



That is why I posted non-studio / non professional model... (or basically somewhat static shots).  A Professional model seldom holds still.. movement and grace is part of the skillset, and capturing that does require more shots...


----------



## tirediron (Jun 5, 2013)

cgipson1 said:


> tirediron said:
> 
> 
> > cgipson1 said:
> ...


Ohhhhhhhhhhh... I'm supposed to read the whole post? :shock:


:greenpbl:


----------



## kathyt (Jun 5, 2013)

jowensphoto said:


> kathythorson said:
> 
> 
> > I will take maybe 100 in an hour portrait session. I would probably keep 30 or so. I am a lightning culler. It is either a keep or delete.
> ...


I try to rely on my first instinct.


----------



## orljustin (Jun 5, 2013)

As many or as little as it takes.


----------



## imagemaker46 (Jun 5, 2013)

I don't worry about it, I tell the client I will shoot until we are both happy with the results.  If I don't think I have what I want in an hour I let the client know that they aren't being charged any additional fees if we shoot longer. I've never really counted the pictures, but the last shoot I did I probably shot a couple hundred and kept half that.


----------



## runnah (Jun 5, 2013)

I recently shot a big pr event for my company. Shot about 600 pics. Ended up using about 15.

Course that was event coverage so you don't have the chance to pose and you get one shot at them breaking the champagne bottle so you spray and pray.


----------



## Buckster (Jun 6, 2013)

Some of my session stats:

2 hours, 75 shots total, 6 went to print packages (family of 5).

1.5 hours, 93 shots total, 4 went to print packages (mother and child).

15 minutes, 37 shots total, 6 went to print packages (female model portfolio).

20 minutes and 14 shots total of assistant to set up lighting in a hotel room, then 30 seconds with the actual client, 1 shot and 1 to print (corporate head shot).

5 hours at an event, 69 portrait shots of the guests, and 57 went to print.

So, I guess I'm all over the place on this.


----------



## runnah (Jun 6, 2013)

Buckster said:


> 20 minutes and 14 shots total of assistant to set up lighting in a hotel room, then 30 seconds with the actual client, 1 shot and 1 to print (corporate head shot).



This happens to me a lot. I have hundreds of photos of assistants. Often I literally have 30 seconds to get a shot of some corporate big wig or politician. So I get everything dialed in before hand. Then a line of painters tape in the right spot and send in the exec.


----------



## imagemaker46 (Jun 6, 2013)

runnah said:


> I recently shot a big pr event for my company. Shot about 600 pics. Ended up using about 15.
> 
> Course that was event coverage so you don't have the chance to pose and you get one shot at them breaking the champagne bottle so you spray and pray.



When you look at the numbers, shoot 600 and use 15 it sounds like you really aren't doing a very good job, but what a lot of people do forget is that event shoots may yield a lot of good images, rarely are they even all used.  even from the big swim meets I shoot where I hand over close to 2000 photos at the end of the event, many times less than a 100 are ever used.  The percentage of good useable images may be 75-85%, but for the clients purposes, and shooting variety may only see 10% used.  It's pretty normal.


----------



## imagemaker46 (Jun 6, 2013)

Buckster said:


> Some of my session stats:
> 
> 2 hours, 75 shots total, 6 went to print packages (family of 5).
> 
> ...



I don't think you're all over the place on this, I think that you shot it the way it has to be shot, not every frame is going to be perfect, but what always matters is that the frames the clients see are perfect for their needs, and as long as they are happy with what they see, percentages don't really matter.


----------



## 12sndsgood (Jun 6, 2013)

Yeah, there is no one answer. If im working with an experience model I may shoot more because as said, she will just move from pose to pose.  If im sitting there posing someone who has no clue how to pose things are way slower. my last shoot I shot 250 shots in roughly a 3 hour time. a model with two identical cars.  I only use about 10% of what i shoot. but as imagemaker pointed out that doesnt mean your nessicarily shooting poorly. I may have 4 good images that are all useable. but there are close enough in look that I only edit up 1 of them. I hate looking thru someones photos and they post up 100 photos and you go thru 5 that look all identical then go thru another 6 or 7 that are all the same then another 4 and so on and so on.  I try to just give them one good shot of each look we did, so every shot is diffrent. Don't get concerned at first with the amount of shots. be most concerned that your getting the right shots. once your doing that consistantly start getting them quicker, get that shot in two shots instead of 4 or 1 shot instead of two. less photos means less time spent going thru them and that is a good thing.


----------



## runnah (Jun 6, 2013)

imagemaker46 said:


> When you look at the numbers, shoot 600 and use 15 it sounds like you really aren't doing a very good job, but what a lot of people do forget is that event shoots may yield a lot of good images, rarely are they even all used.  even from the big swim meets I shoot where I hand over close to 2000 photos at the end of the event, many times less than a 100 are ever used.  The percentage of good useable images may be 75-85%, but for the clients purposes, and shooting variety may only see 10% used.  It's pretty normal.



Exactly. Often I shoot large construction type events where something happens once and there is no second chance to get it again. Thus I air on the side of caution and shoot more than I would normally if I were doing head shots. I have gotten better about not taking thousands of shots but I can't ask people to undemolish a building because I didn't get the shot.


----------



## GerryDavid (Jun 13, 2013)

I tend to do 150 pictures an hour outside and in studio.  sometimes the number drops and sometimes it goes up but thats my average.    I dont tend to cull many shots before showing the client though.  When starting out I would pick my favorite ones and put them in a separate folder and show those first, and then show the others and they may pick a few out of my pile but they would pick the rest out of the other pile, had I only shown my pile I would have drastically cut my potential sale.

I do tell them they haven't been processed, that the color and exposure will be fixed in post on anything that is ordered and they seem to understand.  I usually have a few processed ones in there that were put on facebook and usually half of those get selected for the final package.

I should try putting them into 2 groups again just as an experiment.


----------



## sharjeel10 (Jun 27, 2013)

it is silly to request that her shoot just 60 or even just a hundred. what number of will have an awful shadow, an eye flickering eye, be blurry... You'll wind up with each minute lost. you don't get a second opportunity to do your wedding. 

I get that you're not needing to pay much, however you've said 5 hours. Every living soul has said the same thing, it isn't the measure of photographs, its the Five Hours you are paying her for. 

Look, as a star camera person I get family/ companions soliciting from constantly me to shoot their wedding free or shoddy or as a "blessing". It is my occupation. I want to pick the blessings I give. What's more when individuals ask, I typically wind up doing the thing and despising them. It has truly demolished one association with somebody I was exceptionally near. (I never got such a great amount of as a note to say thanks.) Do yourself a support and simply pay her for her an opportunity. At that point you get not just incredible photographs, yet you keep the companion.


----------



## Gavjenks (Jun 27, 2013)

17


----------



## Forkie (Jun 27, 2013)

I did a test shoot with a new light modifier with Miss Forkie a couple of weeks ago.  I took 365 photos in just over an hour and singled out about 50 that immediately stood out.  The ones that don't immediately catch my eye don't even get a second glance most of the time.

I then went through those 50 more closely and reduced it down to about 15.  Then I found 5 out of those that were worthy of being opened in Photoshop and being given my full attention!

This was shooting at my leisure without any pressure.

I tend to fire off quite a lot when shooting portraits.  I go for three or four shots per model position, that way there's more likely to be a keeper with each position or camera movement.  If the models moves a bit or laughs or in anyway does something that could result in a more natural portrait, I quickly fire off 2 or 3 shots just in case.


----------



## Big Mike (Jun 27, 2013)

It all depends on the situation.

If I'm shooting a couple or a single person...it's usually less exposures and I cull it down to only the best of the best, trying not to duplicate any pose etc.  
But when kids are involved, it's usually a lot more photo taken.
And when it's babies...I take a lot and usually deliver/show a lot more.  Babies will usually give you many different expressions...and parents will absolutely love the ones that don't really do much for you....so I often give them more, rather than cutting it down to just the ones that I liked best.  

I've found that the longer I've been doing this (and also, the less time I have to spend editing)...I end up with fewer 'final' images.  It's not that the quality of the photos are less...it's just that I'm less worried about 'what the client will like better' and I just go with my own intuition and choose only the ones that I like best.  

An old saying: _The difference between a good photographer and a great photographer, is the size of the waste basket._  In other words, a great photographer only shows people their very best work...whereas a 'lesser' photographer show people their best work, and other photos that aren't so good.  
We tend to judge ourselves by our best images...but we should consider that other people may judge us by the worst image (of ours) that they see.  So if you have 10 outstanding photos, but you show them those 10, plus 20 more 'just OK' photos...they won't have as high an opinion of you, as they would if you show them just the 10 best images.


----------



## GerryDavid (Jun 27, 2013)

Big Mike said:


> It all depends on the situation.
> 
> If I'm shooting a couple or a single person...it's usually less exposures and I cull it down to only the best of the best, trying not to duplicate any pose etc.
> But when kids are involved, it's usually a lot more photo taken.
> ...



If you take 200 shots and cull them down to the 10 very best, it would be hard to sell a 30 page album.   If I were to cull my shots down so drastically it would be hard to sell the top package which is limited to 20 poses.  My goal is to get them around the 40 picture mark out of 300 pictures and then let them choose the package that best fits their needs.

I'm always surprised by what pictures they pick during a picture viewing.  Lately I've been going through them, making my selections and putting those into a folder in light room to pick a few from for fb teasers and keeping them flagged in the main folder so when they go through them the first time they may not pick the ones I like but the 2nd time through when they try to get rid of duplicates they pick my selections time to time, even though it wasn't picked the first time through, but the other half they do choose something that is more personal than more perfect.

out of focus or pics with problems do get removed before they see them.  I sometimes keep funny facial expressions to keep the pic viewing fun.


----------



## Trever1t (Jun 27, 2013)

Studio ~150/hour. Moving slower, more time spent moving lights, props.
Location ~300/hour seems to be my average. THe girls I shoot get into a rhythm of changing pose every 2 seconds. 


As far as keepers...almost every shot is good in as far as exposure/focus ... expressions and poses are the deciding factor.


----------



## Robbo521 (Jun 27, 2013)

depends on the person for me.some are mad because mom said they will do it others love it.if i bring 100 150 home i cull them down then put my glasses on and do some more.lol


----------

