Survey: How many shots do you take at a wedding?

[arizona-photographers]

How many shots do you take a typical wedding? (...and how many do you then show

to the client?)

 

I typically shoot around 750-1,000 photos at a wedding (including reception),

and then clean up and show the 100 or so best ones. (I'm shooting digital,

which I'm sure makes a difference. CF cards are cheap.)

 

Just curious. Would love to hear everyone's answers.

[michael_notar1]

about 75/per hour shooting, 6hrs including dinner and driving between chapel and reception

i did 600 shots. about 200 where shown to client.

[thidglance]

Between me and my shooting buddy typically about 500 images on film. Last wedding I shot

9 rolls personally.

[savagesax]

This question has been asked a few times before. In the film days, when you had to pay for every print and the processing the studios I associate with shot around 200 to 300 images. With digital the amount of images has gone off the charts! I personally shoot less then 500. Usually more like 350 to 400. I usually take out about 10 bad images. Some people shoot up and over 2000. I've read here on photo.net some shoot 4000 shots per wedding.

[neilambrose]

Generally not more than 400, with the aim of having 200 in the final edit.

[savagesax]

Here's a funny video thats been floating around a few years now of overzealous or super enthusiastic photographers! Wait a few seconds for the video to pop up. http://videobycarol.blogspot.com/2007/04/i-recommend-less-obtrusive-photographer.html

[keithdunlop]

I offer a no time limit service to my clients, so I'm there for the entire day - sometimes as long as 10-12 hours. That being said, I average 2,500 shots per wedding, weeded down to about 500-600 online proofs. Of those, I pick 75 or so for the album design.

[david_schilling___chicago_]

I'll typically shoot somewhere between 650-1000 images and will present 82-87% of the images to the clients.

[heather_claypool]

I'll echo what everyone else is saying...but it really depends on the size of the wedding party and what the couple wants too. For example: I recently shot a wedding where there were about 20 members in the wedding party, I shot prep photos, ceremony, portraits and the reception. Ended up with about 700 photos, which were edited down to about 350 that ended up in the preview gallery. Hope that helps!

[ben_rubinstein___mancheste1664880652]

1000-1200 for 300-400 final perfect proofs but I take 3 of every group or pose and have to focus bracket when shooting wide open.

[johnmottershaw]

I've never understood why people take so many. That video shows a pair of utterly

incompetent wedding operators in my opinion. I usually take 350-400 shots and proof about

250-300 of these. Whatever happened to taking care over work?

[fotografz]

With film about 15-20 rolls of 36 exposures at a typical wedding of 7 to 8 hours= 500 to 700

maximum ... usually less ... more like 350 to 500 for 8 hours.

 

With digital it has been growing in number , but I am directly addressing that by slowing

down ... more has NOT translated to BETTER, in fact it's had the opposite effect. I'm back to

picking my shots like with film ... the main reason is all the stupid amount of time wasted in

post processing shots that'll never see the light of day.

[jeffc1]

I shoot between 700-1200 depending on the wedding. I usually end up deleting 50-100 images for various reasons. I agree with what Marc said, and I am trying to cut back what I capture and focusing more on particular shots. I would like my average to be around 500-600.

[jude_mcconkey1]

At the most I shoot 500-600 and edit down to about 150. I, like Ben, shoot multiples - mostly of the formal settings. I've heard the argument that one should be making sure their exposure, etc. is good enough the first time i.e. film shooters had to do this. But along with digital came Uncle Joe and Aunt Susie with their cameras causing wedding party members to look here and there while the professional photographer is shooting. And, yes, I have asked them to wait until I'm finished but believe me, they still look away or they still blink, etc.

 

At least three times I've taken the eyes off one of an almost identical but "just okay" shot and put them on the perfect-except-he's-looking-the-other-way shots. It works.. it's TIME CONSUMING, but it works. Thus I always take multiples when working with formals.

 

Yes, I do look at my LCD screen but to stop after each formal setup and magnify and check is just not an option with the limited time between wedding and reception.

[r_johnston]

Many decades ago I read a book about shooting weddings. It had excellent ideas, and a list of standard shots. There were about 150 in it if I remember correctly. To me these were _must_ get pictures. Then, Id take every candid picture that I could get in addition,to me, they were also must have. Usually it would be an average of over 600 using film.

 

Then, would make a proof for every technically correct photo, which meant over 95% of them, sometimes 100%. To get a GOOD IMAGE of every person in the party. With digital it may be some photographers are getting lax in technical areas.

 

My philosophy was, the bride and groom at least, should see EVERY shot. If possible, as many others also. Why? You never know WHICH image is going to be the one which sells the most copies. Ive had some pictures which seemed unimportant to me, that sold more copies than any other. There can be beloved family members who have seldom if ever had a picture, that sell more copies than those of the bride.

 

One image which sold more copies than any at any wedding. The bride, sitting with her grandfather. He took out a cigar, and offered her one. She took it and smoked it, never having smoked one before. Both of them had a cigar in their mouth with smiles on their faces as they looked into each others eyes. You have to be ready for anything, at any time, anywhere, and be the last person to be taking pictures.

 

Made more money on that one picture, then the entire wedding.

 

A Wedding may be the most important event ever in a couples lives.

Used to say my cheapest expense was Film. Now digital is much cheaper, do not hesitate to capture anything.

 

You never know what will be important.

[russ_butner___portland__or]

Approximately, eight to ten rolls.

 

Russ

[russ_konrad]

We usually shoot between 900 and 100 images with two of us shooting all day. Deliver 300 to 350 to the couple.

[William Michael]

FYI, related and informative:

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00NIeH

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00LKdg

 

WW

[picturesque]

500-700, edited down to a quantity which is hard to describe, since sometimes not much gets edited and other times, a lot gets edited, but generally, not much gets edited. Coming from shooting film, I tend to be conservative and don't feel it has prevented me from fully covering the event.

[mtrejo6]

I'm trigger happy...700-1000 shots!

[kiva]

Depends on the wedding. My focus is not on the count but the story as it unfolds. I do like to keep busy but the people, circumstances and environment can control the number of times I click the shutter not some arbitrary number expected or projected ahead of time.

 

The number of image files is dependent on the wedding day story and the supporting locations and the cast of characters in combination with the energy that goes into creating an impressive and photographically pleasant set of characters and surrounding.

[kariann]

Between my assistant and I, 700-1000 pictures per wedding. I give 100 proofs, when it's all said and done.

[cjogo]

We do not shoot PJ , per se...So a typical 4 hour coverage < 225/250 > of which the client receives them all. With film ~we edit before we take the shot. Some of our packages include : simply handing over the unprocessed film ...so every shot must count. I can remember once shooting nearly 500 at a 6+ hour wedding.

[brooks whittington]

We average about 6500 images for a 10 hour wedding with 2 shooters, all raw (so about 70-80gb per wedding)...We edit down to about 600-800 per wedding for the clients.

 

Didn't we just talk about this?

 

~brooks

[david_garcia10]

I checked out your website brooks and you got some nice photos! I'm not sure about 6,500 images maybe 1,000 to 2,000 will do already but I'm pretty sure you got many happy customers because you go walk the extra mile to assure your clients are more than satisfied with your work by giving them amazing photos. Great work! Wish all photographers are like you. Like many pro photographers say don't count the shots just shoot away... and miss nothing.