[MadMathMind]

Ones that might earn me some money.

Wouldn't that be a seller instead?

[kadajawi]

Guys (and gals), I'm curious. How do you define a keeper? Will you delete non-keepers? I can't ever imagine deleting all photos I wouldn't want to print...

[BrianR]

I define a "keeper" as something I don't delete. It almost always will serve some purpose in the future, probably nothing grand. Some examples:

1) Some I'll print and attempt to sell (very few make it to the latter stage). Almost anything I share with others, I print at some point.
2) Memories - if I had an emotional attachment to an event/thing. Not likely to be shared with others unless it stands on its own or the viewer has a similar attachment.
3) Record shots - probably not emotionally motivated, but a way to keep track of animal/insect/plant behaviors or sightings. Also not likely to be shared unless with other enthusiasts or it stands on its own.
4) Teaching - either as an example for others or myself (e.g. I do keep utter failures for reference if I learned something in the process).

Technical/artistic quality is obviously less important in some of the uses, but I still aim for the best I can do. If I had a series of unicorn pictures and some were crisp and clear others fuzzy as heck, I'd probably delete the fuzzy ones unless they added something worthwhile to my knowledge of unicorns. Hard drive space is pretty cheap, so most of my pruning just removes the losers from a series. If I took the time to aim the camera at something, I probably had a good reason for wanting a photo of it and I'll probably come away with something I can either use or learn from.

[rlg118]

Would I use the frame as a desktop wallpaper on my computer or phone? If I get tired of looking at it after having it on my desktop (or home screen) for more than a few minutes, it's not a keeper.

Unfortunately, less than 1% of my shots pass this test.

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Last edited by rlg118; 08-29-2016 at 07:46 PM.

[robgski]

Unfortunately, less than 1% of my shots pass this test.

I have had this same rate of "success" Slowly I am learning to slow down and get the right shot.

[pres589]

I like the idea of a desktop wallpaper. Lot of good ideas so far.

[Blue]

A keeper is a digital image I don't delete or negative/positive I don't shred.

[Bluefin]

If the final image is one that I would enjoy seeing everyday hanging on my wall, it's a keeper! For me it's that simple. I print and mat all my keepers.

[robgski]

Wouldn't that be a seller instead?

I'd call it a moneymaker.

[normhead]

Would I use the frame as a desktop wallpaper on my computer or phone? If I get tired of looking at it after having it on my desktop (or home screen) for more than a few minutes, it's not a keeper.

Unfortunately, less than 1% of my shots pass this test.

When you get good like me, it will be 5%. You heard it here first.

[kadajawi]

If the final image is one that I would enjoy seeing everyday hanging on my wall, it's a keeper! For me it's that simple. I print and mat all my keepers.

Do you delete the rest?

@normhead:

My ratio ranges from 1% to 75%-100% per shoot. From my last shoot I would probably print almost all photos (well, they are composites from hundreds of photos, but those belonging together).

Actually I should start printing more photos... my walls are a bit empty.

[normhead]

Do you delete the rest?

@normhead:

My ratio ranges from 1% to 75%-100% per shoot. From my last shoot I would probably print almost all photos (well, they are composites from hundreds of photos, but those belonging together).

Actually I should start printing more photos... my walls are a bit empty.

We are really starting to get into photo books, there's only so much wall space.

[jcdoss]

We are really starting to get into photo books, there's only so much wall space.

I had one made by Snapfish recently that turned out quite well. I mean, they were still my photos, but the quality of the book and color reproduction, etc, were very good.

[Bluefin]

Do you delete the rest?

@normhead:

My ratio ranges from 1% to 75%-100% per shoot. From my last shoot I would probably print almost all photos (well, they are composites from hundreds of photos, but those belonging together).

Actually I should start printing more photos... my walls are a bit empty.

Kadajawi,

I very rarely delete an image. As someone else said, storage is cheap and I enjoy going back to an image I dismissed before but now have the vision and/or skills to work with it successfully.

[redrockcoulee]

I only delete photos that are far beyond recovery. Storage is cheap. I might revisit the photos and find that there is something I didn't appreciate at first, but do now. Happened to me before. Plus you can recover more and more photos that were thought terrible. Photos that I don't care much about get converted to lossy DNG, that way they don't take up much space.

That is sort of what I do, except I do shot in dng to begin with, one reason is my wife shots PEF so we no longer argue who took it.

Often I shoot for as a volunteer for a group and all I do is weed out those that might embarrass me and let them pick what they need.

I try to do my first edit prior to pressing the shutter. More and more I compose and take down the camera without firing. More than I used to I mean not more often than taking a shot. I do this with both digital and film and if one can set up and focus a 4X5 without taking the shot they can with a dslr.