How many shots are people taking?

[Iguanasan]

So, I'm very curious now. In another thread a couple of people mentioned how many shots they take. It's making me wonder just how much shutter time people on the board get. So far:

Iguanasan: 400/month
Barefoot: 2000/month
jjeling: 6000/month (based on 600 in 3 days)

[kat]

Well. Based on the fact that I've had the camera for 15 months and I'm on my 4th reset on numbers, I've estimated around 3000/month. But in all reality, I take lots of photos during family outings (camping/trips) that push that number up to that.

[jjeling]

Well, I am going to bring my number back tot hte real world. In the past few years with my old Pentax, I was averaging about 20000 a year. The 600 in three days has only been because I bought a new camera. It probably will not last too much longer, but it does exaggerate things a little. Along with that, I still have not found a job. So, with all the free time on my hands, I keep my mind busy through photography. Once I find a job, and the novelty of a new camera wears off, Ill probably get back down to a couple thousand a month. But yes, for the past couple months, its been around 5000 p/month. I couldn't imagine what a professional sports photographer is doing. I'm sure their numbers are astronomical.

[Ben H]

It really depends - if I'm not doing a proper shoot as such, then it probably averages out to a few hundred a month. But if I'm going somewhere or doing a shoot, I can easily take between 2-800 images in a day.

I guess I'd say overall on average, it's probably maybe 300/month... have on, I could probably do a quick calculation on my library... bear with me...

Hmm... 1167 this month - and I haven't really done much of note. So maybe my averages are higher than I thought...

[BlueX]

Wow, I'm slacking!

In the 2 years I've had my d40, I'm only up to around 10,800 shots (my best estimate). I have owned and used other cameras since so my grand total would be a few hundred more. Some months I'll only get one or two shots off, while others I'll go on a trip or something and can shoot one or two hundred a day. It varies greatly on how much free time I have and if I get inspired or not. I have to admit, this site and other podcast have done a great deal to inspire me. But I still have a lot of catching up to do.

[Barefoot]

Wow, I'm slacking!

In the 2 years I've had my d40, I'm only up to around 10,800 shots (my best estimate).

Can’t say if all image viewers will give you the number of shots taken by your camera, but IrfanView will. It’s in the EXIF info.

Yesterday I was at 8856. So far today, I’m at 8964. How do you like Jacksonville? Had any of those good and salty Sneeds Ferry oysters yet?

[mindforge]

I probably shoot between 20-40 image if I take out my camera on my kids playing. I shoot around 100-200 pictures on a normal portrait photo shoot. About 50% of my digital images are keepers these days. Usually the others get thrown away because they were part of a three round burst of something I needed to get.

I print about 10% of my images.

You know, shooting film as I shoot digital has really improved the way I shoot less pictures and have more keepers.

[jjeling]

HA! I forgot to mention that was only with my K10. I probably have another 100-150 with my K110 along with them. I went out today and Ill let you know how many actuations there were.

[jjeling]

Ok, I just transferred the files onto the computer from both memory cards. Combined - 266 files and my K110 reset its count today. There are a few more pictures I wanted to get tonight inside, so there will probably be another 50 or so added to that count. Looks like Ill have some more images for you guys. Sounds like I am winning the number of shots taken race. I really need to get a job. haha

[BlueX]

How do you like Jacksonville? Had any of those good and salty Sneeds Ferry oysters yet?

It's pretty boring, photographically speaking. I'm a mountains and waterfalls type of guy and there's nothing but farms and beaches around. I've had to try hard to get inspired. And then there's all these damn Marines here... lol. I like seafood but I never really got into oysters. Will those change my perspective?

[Gem]

Um, hard to say how many in a month. It really depends on how much time I have/am procrastinating. But I usually get ~80 for every half hour ish I'm taking pictures. If I'm indoors and taking pictures of my nephews/nieces, then the numbers are waaaay lower cause the flash really annoys me.

[Barefoot]

....I never really got into oysters. Will those change my perspective?

Uhh, that's something you'd have to ask your wife. ;)

[AcadieLibre]

As many as I need and/or feel like.

[Iguanasan]

As many as I need and/or feel like.

You must work for tech support. A perfectly accurate answer that tells me absolutely nothing. ;)

My intention was not to force you to take only a certain number of shots, I'm just trying to understand if taking more shots makes you better. Obviously, more practice makes you better, but where's the threshold? Am I doing fine at a couple hundred a month or do I need to step up my game to get better?

[Ben H]

Am I doing fine at a couple hundred a month or do I need to step up my game to get better?

The numbers are irrelevant really, it's the experience, and the success and the process that counts.

It's probably better to only take ten really carefully considered shots a month than 3000 random bad snapshots - you'd probably learn more with the former than the latter.

Research. Look. Try. Experiment. Play. Think. Inspire. Shoot. Strive to be better.

And do it regularly.

That's the key, not just the numbers.

[AcadieLibre]

To me it is just irrelevant, has no meaning one way or another, I see no significance in raw photo counts but what percentage of what I am shooting is good. I think digital spoils people, when you grew up shooting film, getting 72 shots in an outing was a good raw count and now people shoot 300 - 400 photos in and outing, so your bound to get a least one OK photo. I go out and if I shoot 80 - 90 photos in an outing for lets call it fine art photography to me that is a high count. When I went digital I was shooting those high amounts and I realized I was going about the wrong way, it is what I end up that is quality and not quantity. I went back to shooting like when I shot film, I shoot low numbers and end up with far better shots because I don't push the trigger until the shot is framed and my exposure is what I want for the shot and I am not just taking whack at it, each and every photo is thought out and planned before I pull that trigger. Shooting live bands is another matter, but even with that my total of shots to what is usable is very high. Anyone can fire off 3,000 photos a month and get a good one, a Photographer can fire off 72 a month and several great photos.

[Iguanasan]

...Research. Look. Try. Experiment. Play. Think. Inspire. Shoot. Strive to be better.

And do it regularly.

That's the key, not just the numbers.

Ok. So you are telling me what I think I've already figured out. My current problem is that I actually need to slow down for each shot. Take more time to compose the shot making mental note of why I'm making the choices I'm making. The more often I do that, like driving, the more likely it will just happen naturally. It's not the number of shots, but the number of shots with thought behind it. Kind of like focused karate kata vs moving around the floor. With one you learn karate, with the other you get some exercise.

[Ben H]

Yep - slow down and think first. After a while, the thinking gets more instinctive and natural and speeds up...

I'm still waiting for that to happen.. ;)

[Iguanasan]

Yep - slow down and think first. After a while, the thinking gets more instinctive and natural and speeds up...

I'm still waiting for that to happen.. ;)

I started karate in 1989 and I'm still working on improving my punch :D

[LeAngel]

Well, I am going to bring my number back tot hte real world. In the past few years with my old Pentax, I was averaging about 20000 a year. The 600 in three days has only been because I bought a new camera. It probably will not last too much longer, but it does exaggerate things a little. Along with that, I still have not found a job. So, with all the free time on my hands, I keep my mind busy through photography. Once I find a job, and the novelty of a new camera wears off, Ill probably get back down to a couple thousand a month. But yes, for the past couple months, its been around 5000 p/month. I couldn't imagine what a professional sports photographer is doing. I'm sure their numbers are astronomical.

We'll tell you next month what our numbers are, we have 3 sports events. One 6 hours, the next one is a 24 hour event and the last one will be around 10 hours but that wil be the hardest and longest as we have to cover over 100kms so we'll have an extra photographer, the daughter is going to fly up to help out. Are you counting what you keep or every photo you take?

[jellotranz]

I have been shooting Digital since 2001, just a week or so ago I hit the 1 million image mark. Now keep in mind that I am a photojournalist and for example last year we spend 5 days in the Black Rock Desert for Burningman and ran through almost 5000 shots. A typical concert which is what I normally shoot, its nothing for me to come back with 600 Shots. Looking back... Boy did I go through alot of cameras