Since it is slow, a few that "just don't work"

[mjh]

So here are a few that probably should go to the recycle bin. How good are you at junking the boarderline shots?

 

[Charlie99]

For me they'd all be keepers, since they are good enough for positive ID. That's the primary purpose of my photos. The camera has a lot better memory than I do.

Eyestripe Surgeonfish
don't know what type of Dolphin
Yellowmargin Moray
Pennant Butterflyfish (NOT a Moorish Idol)
Bluestripe Snapper.

 

[Tamas]

...they look good to me!

 

[alcina]

I am getting better about junking rubbish shots BUT my definition of a rubbish shot is pretty strict at the moment - it must be out of focus or completely blown out. That's it.

All other shots have something to teach me - either working in my software, playing with crop and rotate to help visualise what I should be aiming for the next time or simply just looking at them and thinking "what could be better"

This technique has helped enormously and I am much better prepared underwater. It was thanks to this preparation that I got a nice shot of a coral cod getting his teeth cleaned yesterday - would have been a perfect shot but the action happened to the side of me instead of in front!

I wouldn't scrap any of these. I actually really like the dolphins. They are great for ID shots and each has several elements that work - have a look at them in a few weeks again...you'll be amazed at what you see. Have a play with them to see if cropping etc will "improve" how you like them.

 

[SeaYoda]

I've got enough too dark, blown out, blurry shots to throw away. I keep any that look like these.

 

[Jetwrench]

Couldn't toss those. They would rank among the better ones in my album.

Jet

 

[mjh]

For me to keep them there needs to be a "WOW" factor, or they have to be a unique shot that I don’t have in the every growing “picture base”. Otherwise they just are going to take up disk space. I agree with you Alicna I try to look at all of them and say "what should I have done differently?" Need to really work on lighting subjects, getting closer, less “bulls-eye” shots, ahhh everything. With bigger stuff, turtles, rays, etc... I need to get more in front of them so a little more emph is on the face.

Example: I like this shot but if I had been "more forward" and better lit, I think it would make it a much better shot.

 

[alcina]

I solved my disk space problem for now by adding an external HD and also backup to DVDs I just can't throw stuff away unless it truly sucketh.

 

[fdog]

Years of abuse from Photo Editors have made me pretty brutal about pruning. They're history if:

Poorly lit.
Not tack.
Subject or composition is a yawner.
And especially, no possible use later.

Oddly, I still have every chrome ever shot, tucked away in glassine sleeves. How's that for double standard?

All the best, James

 

[justleesa]

I also think all the pics you posted are keepers. I have noticed as my PS talents progress and I go back to pictures that I would have trashed then I can really do something with them now. Turning bad color pics into B & W's often results in a fantasic moment.

As Alcina, I save everything to CD (2 copies of each cd ) and only have copies of the really good pics, all sorted according to topic for quick access, on my HD.

James, I'm sure most of your pics are keepers! Even with Photo editors