I'd be curious as to how many images are actually used after a shoot. Lets say 200 images in a 2 hour shoot. On average how many actually get used by both model and Photog assuming its a TFP.

I know its kind of a loaded question but just curious.

i usually look for about 10% ... and then actually use the best one or two ...

like i always say , if you get one AMAZING shot per shoot , it was worth it ...

Okay...so I am not alone here......I typically get 3-4 I want to use and the model about the same............

nope , you only need one shot to convey a message ....

an artist will work months or years to paint a picture to convey a single message ...

actually , im sure i read that the "Mona Lisa" was painted overtop itself 6 or 7 times ...

I tend to work a little slower. About 150 images and I average 15 to 30 photos that I deem good. The model in my avatar took about 40 good photos out of 100 taken. I get maybe one or two great photos.

I don't know about what the photog chooses to do, but I typically pic one or 2 photos per look.  So, regardless of how long the shoot was, if I do 2 looks I will choose 1 or 2 photos from each look.

Man, this should be in the release form or something on trade shoots.

"Excellent photographers often expect about 10% good photos coming out of a shoot. Don't expect wondrous works with every shot. A couple stunners, and we can both be happy."

10%

Alrighty then.....I was curious...its about the same success rate. I being a transplant photographer from Motorsports to Fashion/Modeling is still getting the same desire rate so-to speak.

1 or 2 per shoot.

let's all be realistic about this question for once.  No one wants to flip through your book and see 10 images of the same outfit on the same model in the same setting, so at the very most your final selection is going to be one to two shots per look.

Unless you're Avedon, and you have your 3rd assistant set up the 8x10 view camera, your 2nd assistant prep the plate for you, and your first assistant do the basic framing and soft focusing for you, then come in and chat up the client for 5 minutes, focus for 5 minutes, open and close the shutter and leave, you get much less than 100% shot to keeper ratio.

Even if you *are* Avedon... not 100% of your shots that you keep from each shoot will make it in to your book.

Here there is something to be said of the training that film photography gives photographers for the economy of shooting.  Even if you're shooting digital now it still costs you something to click the shutter.  At any rate, the best photographers I know shoot a minimum of three rolls of 120 film in 645 format per look/location.  Personally I shoot mostly digital for my work, and I end up with approximately 100 frames per look.  At the end of the day, 75% of those are in focus, composed properly, and lit properly.  Of that 25% have the model looking in some semblance of order and with a good expression and eyes open.  Of that 5% strike me as something I like... and of that 1 will make it to the final exam.

Then... three months later I will get rid of them all and start again.

I shoot film (I know, but I'm old). A typical shoot for me is a TFP where the model brings wardrobe and we shoot her in exchange for my art nude projects.

I usually shoot 3x36 for the model in color and 3x36 B&W for me for a total of over 200 images. The model usually picks one image per outfit, so 3 to 6 images for her. I'm delighted to get ONE image for my book. I often choose 3-4 that represent the shoot but I rarely get more than 1 keeper.

That works out to be 3-6 out of 100 for the model and 1 out of 100 for me.

Jack

It really depends on the context.  Shooting an inexperienced model I might take quite a few frames to just kind of settle her into it and get her used to the flash.  Shooting movement I often shoot away like a lunatic.  With certain kinds of very dramatic lighting even a tiny movement on the part of the model makes a big difference, and sometimes it's easier to shoot a half dozen through a range of motion than to do anything else.

But sometimes on something like a portrait shoot if they know exactly what they want I can knock it out in just a couple of frames.

I'd say don't worry about it, find something that works for you and do it.  Probably over time your rate of really bad blunders (out of focus or whatever) will improve but you'll get pickier about other stuff and it will all be a wash.

For a 2-hour shoot, I'd probably only get 1 or 2 usable shots... maybe none at all.  I generally use 1-2 from a 4 hour shoot.

Interesting to read all of your posts.  These numbers agree pretty much with mine.  When I was shooting film, it'd be about 1-2 per 24 exposure roll.  Digital is about 4-5 per 100, which is pretty much the same rate.

-R

1-2 really special images in a 2 hour shoot that are worth keeping is doing pretty good, I'd say.

1-2 images per day is a good rule of thumb.  Even less when doing 8x10 film (1 every few days if good.. 1 every few weeks/months if experimenting)

It depends on what I'm doing, whether I know what I'm doing, and what the model might want.  I'm annoyed with myself if I only get one or two workable shots, but, on the other hand, I have found that if I do get too many good shots then I might overlook some of them and not use them.

And it never fails to amaze me what photo's models choose.  Something I might not look at twice can often be snapped up by a model as being 'just right' for their portfolios.

My shoots normally last 2 1/2 hours and I usually get 80-130 images during that time depending how many different setups I do and how much time each change takes. I do not do endless variations of a single type pose or setup. Although I normally get perhaps 10-15% rather good images, I consider the shoot a success if I get one picture that is outstanding. I am delighted if I get two and absolutely estatic if I get three.

I will shoot eleventee gabillion images and only use 1

In one shoot (one outfit/look)  I usually shoot between 25-100 pics and if I end up with 1 awesome shot I'm happy.  Sometimes 2-3 from one shot but rarely.

It varies from assignment to assignment. My avatar came from a 75 frame sequence. That entire 2 hour shoot was 210 photos. TFCD or test shoots that last 3 to 4 hours average 300 photos from which I pick 1 to 3 that I like and the models usually pick 10 to 20 pics. Commerical assignments can run up to 120 photos per set-up, which I narrow down to 20 or 30 images for client viewing. They usually pick 3 images per set-up. I've also got the shot on the first image, but I still shoot at least 20 to 50 more. I'm talking digital not film.

In a typical 4-6 hour photo shoot I shoot 600-1000 images on average, single shot. They are basically all keepers except a few blinks, blurs or occasional over exposures when I miss my exposure point or bracket.

From this, I'm lucky if I have time to polish off edits on 10 images per photo shoot before I have to jump to the next photo shoot.

In the meantime, I've accumulated enough edit material for the next 2-3 lifetimes.

Wynd, why does this always happen?

You and I took a bazillion in just a few days.

However when doing Runway , My goal is that at least 75 percent turn out good enuf for the client ...

There's a memorable roll where half of the images on it were totally awesome.

usually the hit rate is much lower.