Quality vs. Quantity
Thursday 16th February
I was reading a magazine last night, which the ever-lovely and helpful Ned gave me during the Oxford SimonG meet. It contains discussion for professional photographers, and made a very good point which I intuitively knew, but couldn’t put my finger on.
There’s the argument that digital photography allows you to take as many pictures as you like, and keep the best ones. This is obviously the best way to get a lot of good photo output.
Or is it?
The way they put it in the article is paraphrased as follows:
If you take ten different photos of the same scene, you will probably end up with a distracting fire extinguisher in the background of ten photos. If you take only one, the fire extinguisher will probably appear in none.
Use your eyes, use the viewfinder, use your feet, move, compose. Get it right.
The day I took this shot I got up before dawn, drove for 20 minutes, walked about with my camera for about two hours, and came away with one photo. I think it was worth it.
Worth considering.
The only time I’ve found that taking lots of shots to get one decent one is valid is during action moments, where the picture can’t be staged; where instant reactivity from the camera, rather than delayed shutter speed - grrrrrr my pet hate - is vital.
JG
16 Feb 06 at 12:10 pm
Yep, excellent photo Stu! Just wish I could do that, most of my photo’s with my practika come out blured
John Warlow
16 Feb 06 at 12:36 pm
‘use your eyes, use the viewfinder, use your feet, move, compose. get it right’
great advice & what a bootiful shot
boo
16 Feb 06 at 12:49 pm
I’ve taken note, maybe I’ll be able to cut down on the number of photo’s I take on holiday! Although I don’t often take multiple shots of the same scene, I just take photo’s of everything
Kate
16 Feb 06 at 1:15 pm
While I think there is an awful lot of photography snobbery against digital, there is a great deal of truth in what you say here. The best of a set of mediocre things is still not as good as one single brilliant thing - people often get this wrong.
(Gorgeous skyline, by the way!)
Sam
16 Feb 06 at 1:24 pm
Where are the flumes from the power stations?
Top shot. The advice is correct
Lordhutton
16 Feb 06 at 3:49 pm
Stunning picture! I believe the advice is useful:)
Dakota
16 Feb 06 at 3:56 pm