KRIS GARREN wrote:
>
> Lars,
>
> I get so frustrated when I get a roll back and there are
> some that are out of focus or any other of the millions of
> problems that occur. I want that perfect roll where they all
> turn out great - how often does that actually occur? Do
> professionals get it right every time? If not, what percentage
> of the time is reasonable to expect prints that are wrong (i.e.
> 3 pictures out of a roll of 24)?
>
> I'm not talking about things like, the subject moved at the last
> minute or Eyes closed. I'm referring to out of focus or blurry or
> any one of those "operator errors"!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Kris
>
You are ambitious, which is not a bad thing. I've seen too many being
happy with mediocre results. It is quite possible to achieve a roll
of say 24 exposures technically correct. That comes with (a lot of)
practice. You may want to train your photo technique without film in
the camera. You have to be able to judge focus and the indicated exposure
time quickly to avoid focus errors and motion blur. Of course a good
focusing screen helps with focusing. I have 2-4 screens in my OM1 and
OM4Ti, which helps me tremendously. Beattie screens are also rumoured to
be good. Sadly the OM10 can not use these.
To get 24 "great" pics out of 24, where both technique and motive are
perfect, is highly unusual. This is in part due to the real worlds
tendency to throw in surprises, but also because you learn to take a
few extra shots to cover the surprises. It is not always the picture you
expect that turn out to be the best.
It is not easy to give you a answer to what percentage of the pictures
on a roll should be good. Personally I think I can get above 900k in pure
technical terms. A friend of mine used to be much lower, maybe 10%. He
used to work in much more dynamical environment (demonstrations and such)
than I usually do. It really depends on the kind of job you work at. The less
time you have to prepare, the lower the percentage. You compensate by using
more film...
Framing the exposure, i.e. exposing extra shots above and below the metered
value, also drives the percentage down.
I'd better stop before I write an entire manuscript for a photo book. I will
just end by quoting Parkinson's law: "Perfection is achieved only at the point
of collapse." But don't let that stop you in your quest.
Happy shooting
Lars
--
Lars Haven <mailto:lhaven@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> aka <lhaven@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
"When writing about women, one must dip one's pen in a rainbow"
D. Diderot
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