How many keepers per roll of film

tlitody · 09-30-2010

I'm curious as to how many keepers per roll of film you get? By keepers I mean images you consider worthy of printing for long term posterity.

bennett2136 · 09-30-2010

In my last roll I only got about 3. But thats because it was for a project where I only needed 3 photos!

wlewisiii · 09-30-2010

If I get one out of a roll of 36 that's worth coming back to again, that's a good day.

My personal goal is 12 keepers, as you define them, a year.

KenD · 09-30-2010

Well, one the basis of a so-far ridiculously small sample, the results line up with the opinion of some photography teacher - expert, long forgotten (or never committed to memory) who said that on 35mm, experienced photographers get 3 good shots... and on 120 experienced photographers get... guess what... 3 good shots.

bobby_novatron · 09-30-2010

Tough one. Depends on which camera I'm using, the conditions at the time, the subject, the film, etc. Even my mood. Sometimes I feel like I'm only getting a couple keepers out of a roll of 36. Other times, I get a lot more.

That's part of the magic (frustration) of film photography!

Alpacaman · 09-30-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobby_novatron

That's part of the magic (frustration) of film photography!

What this man said. He is wise.

porktaco · 09-30-2010

my dad told me when i started photography that one really good one per roll was a perfectly fine target.

t.s.k. · 09-30-2010

All my photo instructors in college taught me that good editing is just as important as taking the shot, hence, 1 keeper per roll is a good roll for me. Something akin to getting 3 out of 5 numbers in the lottery. Hitting all five numbers only happens to a select few throughout history.

My experience seems to bear this out. Out of maybe a thousand rolls, I have close to 500 I really like...in silver only. My rate is much lower in color.

But then who's counting and who's judging?

ferider · 09-30-2010

It depends.

I was shooting an event a couple of weeks back, shot 3 (36) rolls and used about 20 photos.

When I finish a film for myself, I'm happy to have a single keeper.

When I look back at an entire year, I'm happy to have a handful of photos that I really like and that will get framed.

Roland.

bensyverson · 09-30-2010

On 35mm, 1 shot per roll is a keeper, vs 8x10, where 1 out of every 2 shots is a keeper. So it works out that my film and processing costs are actually about the same for 35mm and 8x10! Haha

Alpacaman · 09-30-2010

I never get enough, and I never will do, I will always be improving.

mervynyan · 09-30-2010

normally in a succession, shots are invariably the same subject, so keep 1-2 shots per subject is ok me, don't mean they are exhibition quality. if for exhibition, from what i heard is less than 1% of all shots.

vfrazz · 09-30-2010

...I bracket a lot, and I change angles and f stops a lot, so it's one out of 50-75 frames will be keepers (enlarged)...doesn't matter if it is 35 or 120...since this is my only vice (that I'm willing to admit to), film is cheap, and I develop my own...

http://www.vincentfrazzettaphotography.com

P. Lynn Miller · 09-30-2010

The definition of keepers determines the count.

In most cases I define 'keeper' as a useable negative, such as in the following scenarios...

If I am shooting a portrait session, then I would expect at least 18 - 20 of 135-36 or 8 -10 of R120 would be 'keepers' in the sense that I would be able to present that number of proofs to the sitter.

If I am shooting an event, then I would expect a keeper rate of of nearly 30 per roll of 135-36 to present to the client.

But then yesterday I shot a project where I would be happy to get 6 useable frames from 36 and hopefully 3 keepers for the project.

If we are defining 'keeper' by those rare, stand-out negatives that make into my life-time portfolio... I am happy with a couple a year.

Film dino · 09-30-2010

My "hit rate" is proportionally higher with 120 than with 35mm

bwcolor · 09-30-2010

Jeepers Creepers... I never get no keepers.

Bob Michaels · 10-01-2010

Is "keepers" per hour shooting a better metric than per roll? Certainly film is about the least expensive part of the process while our time is one of the most valuable.

jsrockit · 10-01-2010

I don't shoot film as often anymore, but when I did there were times where I wouldn't like anything on a roll... and other times where I liked many from a roll. These days, I'm happy if I get one really good one per session regardless if it is film or digital. Some days just don't go your way and others you are in the zone.

250swb · 10-01-2010

Keepers are when you get 36 fantastic photographs, all printable, all worthy of framing, all would sell a million copies maybe, and you choose just the one that has the edge on the others. Thats the keeper. Thats the one that means the other 35 are never going to see the light of day. And its also the one that shows how hard you work and how tough you are with your editing.

I doubt in any major photographers retrospective show or book anthology you would even get near one per roll, maybe one every one hundred rolls. The fact that for every roll they made they could have sold a photo off it doesn't mean its a keeper, it just means it was good enough to pay the rent and then be forgotten.

Steve

karlori · 10-01-2010

As per my last roll... none, really killed my enthusiasm and made me rethink a few ideas and rethink the whole one lens one film camera idea ...

sevo · 10-01-2010

One in a hundred rolls, maybe, when it comes to works I'd put into a retrospective exhibition...

tlitody · 10-01-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by sevo

One in a hundred rolls, maybe, when it comes to works I'd put into a retrospective exhibition...

so it would be pretty unrepresentative of your work then

Sounds more like you want an exhibition of your best pictures ever.

DNG · 10-01-2010

1-8 on a 36x
Because I may shoot up to 3 of the same capture, if time allows

dmr · 10-01-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by porktaco

my dad told me when i started photography that one really good one per roll was a perfectly fine target.

If I get one really good one per 24/36 exp roll, I'm very happy.

Mcary · 10-02-2010

If someone believes their getting 5 keeps per roll and that if by shooting a 100 rolls they'll get 500 keepers they're either kidding themselves or they've decided that mediocre is good enough for them. The question we as photographers need to ask ourselves is mediocre good enough? If the answer is no, then one needs to judge their work on an ever increasing critical scale.