One of the great benefits of shooting 35mm is the tremendous latitude in shooting many frames of a single subject to get the perfect exposure. The cost of shooting slides and film is relatively inexpensive and shooting digital even less so (depending on the angle of the argument). 36 exposures can encapsulate a lot of different images in a variety of bracketing efforts. But just how many of these images, slides or digital files, do we keep? Depending on your shooting philosophy, some photographers are happy with one or two keepers per roll, some prefer more. Is this really good? Does this shooting ratio really pay off in the long run?

When I look at images that absolutely take my breath away, I see that, more times than not, the pictures are taken by those who shoot in large format. It should be no coincidence then that some of my favorite photographers, Jack Dykinga, Carr Clifton, Clyde Butcher, are all large format photographers. They painstakingly take great care and time in crafting images that continually blow me away. Is it all in the format that impresses me so, or is it the patience to wait for the perfect light to emerge? Probably both. But there is a lesson to learn from these LF shooters. Discipline. It's a nasty word I know, but a craft that needs to be embraced more than shunned. Because of the added expense of shooting LF, it requires the photographer to be pickier about what they decide is a worthy photo. For instance 1 roll of 36 exposures may equate to 4 or 5 frames for an LF shooter.

I know that one of the reasons to shoot 35 is the ability to shoot lots of images at little cost, but is it really at little cost if a good amount of slides or files find themselves in the trash? Recently I have taken it upon myself to slow down the activity of my pointing finger on the shutter release. Instead, I have been trying to think more 4X5 than 35 with my 35mm. When I compose a shot, I take an extra moment to ask myself what this shot is going to offer. Is the image going to translate what I'm seeing? Is the light worth the shot? Am I just shooting this because I'm here and I need to shoot something?

Shooting 35 is great because of its flexibility and efficiency, but I also want to keep more than I throw away, or at least cut the ratio back some. By slowing down, waiting a little more for the right light, and dissecting a composition, I've increased the amount of keepers I get back when reviewing my slides. One of the keys to this change is confidence in my ability to get the exposure right on the first or second image, not the third, fourth or fifth. I've made a decided effort to limit my bracketing to two frames per subject. It's another step in discipline that I believe will take my photography to a higher level. This is a discipline we all can do but generally don't because of the security blanket that the 35mm film format offers.

With digital, the security blanket is even warmer and cozier. I've read eye-popping accounts of shooters firing off thousands of frames over a weekend. Just how many of those can be keepers? I know digital gives you instant feedback so you can delete as you go if you choose but are there really that many exquisite shots to retain? I have nothing against digital; I have questions as to what kind of discipline is being observed by some photographers who shoot digitally. As someone who teaches classes and workshops, I've noticed that for those who are entering photography via digital, they seem to have less inclination to learn exposure technique. This is mainly due to the fact that they can delete as they go or wait till later to clear off the card. But will they ever elevate their photography? That's a discussion for a later time. Personally, I'm much more impressed shooting 3 rolls or 108 images over a weekend that are of substantial quality than several hundreds or even thousands that I have to wade through for hours, just to fill a trash bin or have a large recycle folder. As has been said many times over by photographers far better than me, it's just as important when to know not to shoot as it is to know when to shoot.

It is my firm belief that we all have the ability to take better pictures the more we get out in the field. I also believe that we can all take better pictures if we are more patient, bracket less, rely on our instincts more and become pickier about the images we take while out in the field. Thinking like a 4X5 shooter is not an easy proposition, but if given the effort, I believe you will find yourself keeping more images and feeling better about your photography skills. As ugly a word as discipline is to some, it is a practice that reaps better images in the long run. After all, there is something to the saying that less is more.

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