How many keepers should you expect from a day of shooting?
Asked 11/28/2015
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On a recent trip I took about 400 photos and, after reviewing them, only around 30 felt like real keepers. Many of the rest were rejected because of framing, blur, or exposure issues. Is that a normal hit rate, or would an experienced/professional photographer usually keep a much higher percentage? Does the answer depend on the type of photography being done?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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I used to be a pro, so I can answer this:
This is absolutely normal; it is even very good!
I consider 30 good pics out of 400 a very good result! The most important point is IMHO that you go over your shots and select. The "reflection process" is important. It is the place where you learn to take good pictures. This is what most amateurs don't do. And this is what separates you from amateurs. It's not whether you use live view or M mode. (My personal opinion is to use live view and P mode when they deliver the best results.)
Let me add an anecdote from a visit to the photokina (It was probably 1982 or 1986): There was a photographer presenting his works and they were really good stuff. He was asked the question how he does it to get that many good shots. His answer was:
I have a miracle box at home. I can grab into that box and take out a bad picture. Again, I can grab into that box and get another bad picture. Again and again and again.
This box contains all the pictures that didn't make it. And this box is usually quite full.
Originally by user39465. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user39465
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—this is normal, and 30 strong images from 400 frames can be a very good result. Pros do not keep everything either. The keeper rate varies a lot by subject and working style: fast action like sports may require huge numbers of frames for a few winners, while more controlled work may need far fewer exposures.
What often separates experienced photographers is not that they never discard images, but that they review critically, learn from misses, and improve their consistency. Selection and reflection are part of the process.
A pro also tends to control more variables before pressing the shutter—anticipating moments, refining composition, and managing exposure/focus—so fewer shots are wasted on avoidable mistakes. But even then, culling is completely normal.
So no, taking many photos and keeping only a fraction does not make you “too amateur.” The important question is whether your percentage of successful images improves over time, and whether you understand why the rejected frames failed.
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