letting go, or no ?

[removed account4]

I qualify my answer by stating: "It depends upon which format/film I am shooting."

Film "consumption" with medium format, for me, is "self-regulating"; attached to a tripod, I work slowly and methodically. Rarely - except when I am confronted with rapidly changing lighting conditions - will I ever expose more than a frame on a particular setup...if I am shooting black and white. For transparency film, however, I have always bracketed my shots - sometimes just to see what an image would look like with more or less exposure.

My experience with 35mm is an entirely different "kettle of fish." With an SLR, color transparency materials are always bracketed - sometimes up to +/- 2/3, depending upon subject matter and lighting conditions. With black and white, however, largely owing to the subject matter (much of it is what might be termed "photojournalism"), I tend to be even more liberal in my use of film. When shooting with the rangefinder, however, I tend to shoot "very tight" (perhaps because I have yet to master a "timely loading" of my M6s...lol), looking more and shooting less (not wanting to be caught loading when something reeeaaalllyyy interesting happens).

All-in-all, though, I confess to not being terribly concerned about the amount of film shot: photography is something that gives me immense pleasure, so what the hey!

i totally hear where you are coming from
if i didn't get an obscenely crazy deal for 5x7 film, i wouldn't expose it as often and as carefree.
that is one of the reasons i have settled into expired film ... if you have a recipe of exposure and development that
works with the film, it makes it very easy to consume film that didn't cost very much to feed the beast..

 

[MattKing]

To Simon's points, I agree generally, but would point out that when I shot weddings, I tended to shoot two different types of photos.
The "money" shots - the ones critical to the event and those that are expected of an experienced professional; and
The grace note shots - the ones that record the nuances, the unexpected memorable moments, the moments in and around the oments of the day that aren't necessarily expected, but certainly form the fabric of the memories.
The latter type of shots are quite unstructured, and usually involve more shots, and a few more failures.
The photographer's work isn't really a success unless both types of shots are accomplished with some vision and flare.

 

[StoneNYC]

To Simon's points, I agree generally, but would point out that when I shot weddings, I tended to shoot two different types of photos.
The "money" shots - the ones critical to the event and those that are expected of an experienced professional; and
The grace note shots - the ones that record the nuances, the unexpected memorable moments, the moments in and around the oments of the day that aren't necessarily expected, but certainly form the fabric of the memories.
The latter type of shots are quite unstructured, and usually involve more shots, and a few more failures.
The photographer's work isn't really a success unless both types of shots are accomplished with some vision and flare.

+1

Nicely worded!

 

[Xmas]

To Simon's points, I agree generally, but would point out that when I shot weddings, I tended to shoot two different types of photos.
The "money" shots - the ones critical to the event and those that are expected of an experienced professional; and
The grace note shots - the ones that record the nuances, the unexpected memorable moments, the moments in and around the oments of the day that aren't necessarily expected, but certainly form the fabric of the memories.
The latter type of shots are quite unstructured, and usually involve more shots, and a few more failures.
The photographer's work isn't really a success unless both types of shots are accomplished with some vision and flare.

Im with Stone normally I just shot candits as there was a pro as well shooting formal, but ocassionally there was not! I still shot informals.

Typically 250 off 135 (kchrome 25) frames, at 6 foot

Some people asked for rejects they normally printed ok - - metering off brides nose with dome incident reliable.

Computer flash bounced off ceiling indoors.

Brides liked their dress highlights burnt, 'the slides are optimised for projection with high wattage on bead screen, but a printer could make them lighter, ...' was the answer, I normally handed over the rejects as well.

I normally demonstrated them on king sized white cotton sheets staple gunned to wall - ceiling to floorboards with 5cm projector lens, ie big like in cine theatre.

Single coated lenses with deep hoods, even in 90s for pastel and flare. Kchrom25 was nice.

 

[removed account4]

while i appreciate the information about "paid gigs" / "weddings"
that is a little different than shooting for oneself which is what i was
really asking about. it is obvious that when working a
weddings or events, you will shoot what is needed
and i agree that today's wedding market ( as well as commercial market ) is sort
of crazy, but commercial / paid work got away from the general gist of this thread

what i was aiming for was personal work.

do you hold back ... or not.
i realize depending on the format it is expensive to expose extra sheets ...
but if you are shooting LF or ULF chances are you have extra sheets with you
( i know i do ) ... will you expose them on a whim ?

 

[IloveTLRs]

do you monitor how much film you expose
and do you worry about what you are photographing
because it might be " a waste of film" or do you "let go" ?

Since coming to Switzerland I have become a lot more selective and conservative.
Over-the-counter film can be very expensive if one is not careful (like $10.50 for a 24exp roll of FP4+) and finding a place (nearby) that did C-41/E-6 without complaining (and within 2 weeks) was a chore.
Bulk film (my mainstay) is also expensive, and if I order from an EU country I get hit with taxes that drive the price up even more.

On the bright side, all the places I've been to that sell film have plenty of Ilford in stock.

 

[removed account4]

i can see how film-processing-expense in switzerland could put a damper on things ...

 

[Black Dog]

A man can only sell so many body parts:munch: