If you've ever shot next to a photographer that makes his living shooting film, the first thing you'll notice is he shoots a lot. You may be aiming the same direction has he and firing your one or two shots but right next to you the staccato of his camera is still shooting. Buuurap! Buuurap! Frame after frame is shot and you're left wondering "What's he shooting so much for?" In the time you shot one or two images, he may have fired off 10 to 20. Why is he doing that? He's maximizing his chances on getting the "shot". He's using simple economics to justify his technique. I wonder about these guys, "when does indiscriminate shooting end and artistic choice begin?" We'll find out.

If you're new to photography, you may think 10 to 20 rolls sufficient for a big five day trip. I know many photographers that shoot at least 10 times that on a similar trip. The reason is quite simple. If you invest so much on a photo excursion, the costs of film and processing begins to pale in comparison. Add to that, if you always shot images that mostly looked awesome but could've used a few more for variety, you'd think "why didn't I get that shot the first time I was there?" "If only I shot more!"

Let's add some more evidence. My recent trip to Jasper NP cost as follows:

Air Travel - $600

8 nights lodging - $640

8 days renting a SUV - $450

9 days of food - $450

Total - $2240 If you only shot a single roll of film, you'd definitely have a lot invested in those few images. Clearly the simple math says the cost of each image diminishes when you shoot more. That's easy for anyone to understand and that's the main argument most pro's use to shoot so much.

For action photography this kind of mathematics becomes more convincing. When the action is moving and the situation is changing a lot, it makes sense to take on the philosophy "shoot lots, edit later". Just because our reflex's may be slow--it's a human problem, not necessarily an critique of any person in particular--shooting lots will definitely improve you chances for capturing that special expression, that special moment. I think this is the primary reason for the huge rise of auto-winders and fast cameras. The next time you're watching a football game checkout the sidelines. Beyond the cheerleaders try to see what the pro's are shooting with on the sidelines. More often than not, they're using Nikon's F5 and Canon's 1v. Those guys are taking full advantage of their camera's 8 to 10 frames per second every time a play comes toward their direction. They're paid to make the shot at these cultural events and most pros figured long ago speed is everything. That means mashing the trigger and mashing it lots. The hope is somewhere in all that film will be something worthy to be published. Competition is difficult and getting "the image" is one way to stay a head of the competition.