Going back

[PeterDendrinos]

I suppose like many others I tend to pick the “cherries” from a particular shoot to print, filing the rest.

Over the last month I have been going through each and every shoot, and printing the best from each. What I discovered is that there are some hidden gems in there. Now some were originally passed over for technical reasons. Perhaps focus was off a bit, or there was movement in the subject, etc… But other than that I have forced myself to select one and make the best print possible from it. There not all winners, but I believe I can add several to the working inventory.

So the moral of the story is don’t discard anything, and after a couple years, go back and revisit those old shoots. You just might be surprised at what you find.

Pete

 

[NikoSperi]

I agree, time does funny things... Mostly, I can't recall even doing the shoot, let alone the why to my selection process! :rolleyes:

 

[jd callow]

I have done the same. About a year ago I started going through some of my various groups of shots. Picked what I thought were the best and began making portfolios. What I discovered then was that many of the shots I first selected were not as good or no better than others I passed on.

I put the project down for a couple months and have begun again. As you can guess, I am once agian picking different winners. I hope that this means I am growing aesthetically and having a more developed eye. Conversely, it could mean that my images are so mediocre that one is as good as the next and depending on whether I had eggs or coffee for breakfast will determine which shot I choose.

 

[PeterDendrinos]

I hope that this means I am growing aesthetically and having a more developed eye. Conversely, it could mean that my images are so mediocre that one is as good as the next and depending on whether I had eggs or coffee for breakfast will determine which shot I choose.

I had that same thought. Funny

Pete

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

It's funny you should discuss this topic. I had a basement cleaning weekend, and found a binder full of old negs, and found at least ten or fifteen images that I had deemed film waste at the time, but now desperately want to print.
Funny how the flavors change as time goes by, isn't it?!

- Thom

 

[George Collier]

Technology changes too. I did a show in June this year. When I committed to the show a year and a half before, I knew all the images I wanted to frame for it. In the meantime, I began using VC Forte Fiber, and realized what I could do that I had not been able to before with graded paper. In Feb, I rethought the whole show based on some 4x5 stuff I shot 20 some years ago, but could never print to my satisfaction. I worked a few sessions, and developed the "recipes" at 8x10 size, then proceeded to order the 16x20 I would need for the exhibition. You know where I'm going - by then I bought what was probably the last 60 sheets to be had in the US, from 3 different warehouses! Well, I digressed, but still the point, I have an additional 6 images in the portfolio because I can now print them.

 

[wackyvorlon]

The thing that gets me, if those pictures had been taken with digital they'd be gone by now

 

[jperkinson]

Yep, I just recently moved and last week I found myself going through old negatives. I found a few landscapes from a trip to Hawaii last year that I had developed and just placed into archival sleeves. I recall printing only one negative from that roll, so I made a contact and ended up printing 4 more that I liked this 2nd go 'round.

Now, I'm going through all of my stuff looking for hidden negs that are interesting...