Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/04/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]A friend of mine was a "prop" -holding a turtle shell in an article on endangered species- in a very nice, strikingly back lit photo that was published in NG a few years back. He said that with all the bracketing, in-camera dupes, and changes in fill flash setups that were done, 4 or 5 36-exposure were burned to get that one "perfect" photo. It's a different mind set when someone else is paying for the film and processing, I guess. Allen >In the days of the real LIFE magazine it used to be said that one should >expect to get about two 'keepers' per 36 exposure roll - two frames that >meant something special to the photographer. > >I've always heard that the NatGeo photographers consume tons of >film...But don't forget that they are often involved in assignments that >extend for months, and involve travel to difficult and distant places, >places where you can't easily return - or can't return at all - to get >the one shot you missed. I would assume that if you are doing a piece >on, say, endangered gorillas in the mist, you are going to shoot all the >film you can get your hands on. > >B.D. > > >-----Original Message----- >From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us >[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Kit >McChesney | acmefoto >Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2003 11:41 AM >To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us >Subject: RE: [Leica] OT - National Geographic film usage > > >Maybe this will make you feel better, but there is probably a greater >percentage of pictures that are "successful" than the few that are >published in any magazine or newspaper. Those photographers, as well as >many others, have larger portfolios of work than the material you see in >print. And it may be that some of those pictures are even "better" than >the ones that are published. Editors may not always select the most edgy >pictures, aesthetically speaking, or even subject-matter speaking >(especially in National Geographic, whose politics are pretty >conservative compared to some other pubs), and so what many >photographers produce may never be seen by a mass-market audience like >the subscription base of National Geographic. > >So take heart. Your "success" rate could and should be better than >0.05%. If not, something is terribly wrong. > >I would also venture to say that if it takes 20,000 shots per story, >someone is wasting lots of film, and maybe the photographers aren't that >good after all. I'm sure if I took 20,000 shots (and I don't consider >myself a half-bad >photographer) I could get five or six pictures, or even a dozen (most >National Geographic stories don't have much more than that) that would >pass muster for just about any publication! Even National Geographic! > >Kit (who at age 15 wrote a letter to the editor of National Geographic >asking "what do I have to do to become a National Geographic >photographer?" and who later found out that there were many other >equally or even more interesting things to do in the world!) > >-----Original Message----- >From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us >[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Gerry >Walden >Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2003 6:30 AM >To: LUG >Subject: [Leica] OT - National Geographic film usage > > >I notice in this months National Geographic that they reckon to use 550 >rolls of film per story. Assuming they use 36 exposure rolls, that means >they shoot close 19,800 frames per story. Based on using about 10 frames >per story for publication, this is a success rate of roughly 0.05%. I >think even I could make that, as could most of us on this board. So are >the NatGeo guys that good or do we just see the very best? Just a >passing thought! > >Gerry > >Gerry Walden LRPS >www.gwpics.com > > >-- >To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > >-- >To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > >-- >To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html