A roll a day

[Jeffrey A. Steinberg]

My cousin, a professional photographer, gave me this advice a few years ago and I didn't take his advice until now.

He said "take a roll of film a day." I thought he was crazy.

Well, i just got finished developing 50 rolls from 50 days and I have to tell you the more I shoot, the better I get, and I guess that was what he intended.

I seem to recall a news article in the New York Times about a 90+ year old photographer who did that and took some of the same streets over the years to show their changes. I think he had Tens, if not Hundreds of thousands of negatives.

If anyone has a link to that information, I would love to read it again.

[copake_ham]

My cousin, a professional photographer, gave me this advice a few years ago and I didn't take his advice until now.

He said "take a roll of film a day." I thought he was crazy.

Well, i just got finished developing 50 rolls from 50 days and I have to tell you the more I shoot, the better I get, and I guess that was what he intended.

I seem to recall a news article in the New York Times about a 90+ year old photographer who did that and took some of the same streets over the years to show their changes. I think he had Tens, if not Hundreds of thousands of negatives.

If anyone has a link to that information, I would love to read it again.

Jeffrey,

What's you secret? By that I mean, where do you find the time to do a roll a day?

It's an interest concept but I just don't have that kind of time.

[david b]

I did that for two weeks as it was an assignment while in school.

It was really hard. But I too think it helped.

[jnanian]

even if it is not a whole roll,
shooting every day
helps a whole lot.

[Jeremy]

What's you secret? By that I mean, where do you find the time to do a roll a day?

It's an interest concept but I just don't have that kind of time.

I have been doing this not by setting aside time during my day to photograph, but by always having my camera with me and photographing as the day progresses. I must admit it is much easer with a TLR on 120 than with 35mm (12 shots vs. 36!).

[Paul Howell]

The other option is shoot just frame a day. National Geo did a spread on a well know photog (just recall his name at the moment) who shot just 1 roll of Ektrachrome at one frame a day near his house in the northern woods. I think the one frame a day really teachs how to see. I have intending to attempt to shoot a frame a day but just have the time.

[Lee Shively]

That was Jim Brandenburg. He released a book of the photos and they were poetic.

While the concept of shooting a lot improves your abilities as a photographer, there have also been numerous photographers who only shot pictures when they had a specific project going. I swing both ways. I go for months sometimes without making a picture and then shoot a lot for several months.

[Akki14]

The more important thing is... How many were keepers? I guess if you do learn from each roll, it's worth it in the beginning but it's not something I'd do regularly. Heck I'll put my neck out and say it's like the d-crowd...

[Andy K]

I'm struggling to shoot a frame a day at the moment.

[Black Dog]

I've done it in the past and it has been helpful-sort of like artists carrying a sketchbook for quickie stuff/jotting down ideas etc. Some of this stuff ends up inspiring the more 'serious' work, or might surface in the postcard exchange.