Keepers

I don't think it is a girly thing or a guy thing. When the endorphens are racing and the adrenaline pumping from something I thought was good enough to shoot, yes it is an emotional rush. To be safe, I bracket those shots. Even with the 4x5, I will overexpose another sheet to be safe. I know this flies in the face of those who think only good photographers shoot only one frame or sheet. I consider myself a safe photographer. As to the keepers. Sometimes the Gods of light smile upon me, and sometimes I only get wet. I print for myself, and if opthers like it so be it. I use to plow through everything and print about 30%. Now it is down to about 5%. Of those there is maybe 10% that I put on my wall. I don't count, I just smile when it all works out.

c6h6o3 said:

Just don't ever quit and you will at some point have some that you feel cannot be improved upon.

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I'm looking forward to that day but maybe I'm just a perfectionist? Thank you for your kind support and I promise I won't give up as long as film is made somewhere on this planet!

bmac said:

Just a note, the 35mm mindset is my concept of how I used to shoot when I did a lot of 35mm stuff. Basically machine gun style shooting. It wasnt meant as a dig.

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I agree with Tony,I don't believe anyone sees this as a dig.I don't,although my post may have looked that way.Thankfully my hair-trigger has been
turned into a single shot or three round burst fire selector.Even so, I'm still
awaiting a "significant" for september.Oh wait,it's october,gotta go...

I don't think it is a girly thing or a guy thing.

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I was kidding. Actually, most people who know me very well swear I'm a man in a female body. I'm pretty sure they're right.

- CJ

c6h6o3 said:

Just don't ever quit and you will at some point have some that you feel cannot be improved upon.

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OMG ... I hope not! I'd reach a point where I cannot "do better" ? ... does that mean "perfection" - or that I have reached a finite limit?
Either way - no "Worlds left to conquer"? No risk - and related thrill of success?
I would no longer feel the "rush" when I pop the top off the developing tank? All mystery - and adventure - gone?

Arrgghhh!!! Not good, Not good at all.

I've NEVER made a photograph I was totally satisfied with ... it is just that at some point, one has to stop, and move on to something else.

I think a "keeper" is a benchmark to grow from. I spent a lot of years as a photographer always dreaming of the day when I would create the one image that stood on its own. As a commercial guy we shot every day to someone elses concept. The final images ware always a perfect Lightsculpter of nothing. Empty of artistic integrity. I finaly got lucky and nailed what in my mind was the ultimate image, but it was short lived as greed has taken over and I have been chasing that image ever since. As far as I'm concerned nothing has come close.