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

[BIGSAGE136]

Those are keepers friend. Plug those into a slide show and all you'll get are ooohs, and aaahhhs. Keep shooting. If thats your director's cut I think we will see a lot more of your work in the future.

 

[fpoole]

Yeah, I'd keep them.. since they're obviously Puget Sound Waters... LOL...

I keep them as I might be able to use them later. Maybe not as the "Hot Shot" but a background, website? thumbnail photos, and I use them for colors for a background... you just never know 2 years from now what you might be able to do with them.

As just noted above, you never know what can be done with PS later on.. and as skills and software develop including your interests, might be you can Paint them in Oil or watercolors etc... so I'd keep them.

Just get a external 250gig storage and put them on that...

I only NOW am deleted the out of focused, black (still able to recover really-really dark ones using levels) but keep everything else..

so I'd hang onto them...

 

[Chris Bangs]

I toss a lot, as I am currently looking at over 100 surface shots of humpbacks on my floor. anyway before they hit the cutting room floor I use Fdog's system and add to it the "can it be cropped and saved" factor.

chris

 

[Chris Bangs]

Also I have donated some marginal images ( properly exposed and in focus but boring )to schools and other organizations with a good cause like enviromental protection.

just a thought

 

[Azotomix]

I still do not have big experience in UW photography. I tried my camera maybe around 15 times. So pictures like the one you want to delete I usually keep them.

I through away only the one which are really bad (not focused, too dark, too blown out...). Then keeping the old picture beside remembering the dive they just show the improvement you do...

 

[mjh]

Thanks all for the input. Being strictly amateur and fairly lazy when it comes to post editing the thing I always ask myself with a photo is "would I be proud to mount this on the wall?”

Being an amateur (meaning don’t have to make a living at this) part of the challenge/enjoyment for me is the skill it takes to take “wow” pictures without editing, guess it is sort of an “old school” attitude. I just can’t get over the felling when I start fixing a shot that I am cheating. Plus it is an excuse to do more diving “must perfect my craft.”

I typically look at all the borderline shots 2-3 times over a couple of weeks then start junking them.

 

[alcina]

mjh -

I know that feeling. I use post processing more to experiment with visualising alternatives - not to creatie an image.

Though I have started to have a play with selective colours and levels to see what will happen. Some is good, some is bad and some is just plain fun.

It all helps me when I get out in the water the next time. Just having the old not so right image in my head (from viewing it several times and really looking at it) has helped me tremendously - I don't bring back the same dud over and over!