worth keeping?

[kph]

canon 400D
minimal photoshop (changed to b/w)

after staring at the photo too long I'm now not sure if I like it or not.
would you keep (and show) this photo? throw it out? or edit it?

Thanks.

[EmOz]

Just my opinion, but I think people should keep all their shots.

As your skills progress, you might look back on a photo which you didn't see much value in at the time, and find something creative to do with it.

I've got a few photos in my collection that I completely undervalued at the time, but a bit of post processing and creative cropping did them wonders

[AnnetteJ]

I'd keep it. I don't think I'd print it and hang it on the wall, but it has a certain something. I'd probably end up using it as a background for something, either text or for pp of another pic.

[PowerPix]

Keep it but don't show it. Like someone mentioned, keep ALL your shots!!!!!!!

[anthonybeard]

yeah, its not a particularly striking image. i agree with what was said above; i keep all my shots. not really because i like them, moreso because its like a visual diary of my life. i can go back to pics taken in 2001 and say "hey, i remember that poster... good times!"

[dcclark]

Nowadays I'm pretty harsh: most of my photos get tossed from every outing. But, I didn't become that way until I was much more confident about my own style, and if I'm shooting for "documentation" (such as events with friends and family), I don't toss any of them.

That said, I'd like to see a closer crop on the bird, so that it's more prominent. That might involve cloning it in closer to the clouds at the bottom (which add interest).

[jiminyClickit]

kph, Welcome

If for no other reason, save your photo and edit it as your other skills improve. See if your experience shows there, too. Start with simple cropping, contrast, and vignettes.

[Jim Bryant]

I never delete images still in the camera. All editing is done in computer with PhotoMechanics or Lightroom.. The only images thrown away are the ones that are out of focus. You'll never know and wished that you had kept saved different views of the same image your client wanted.

Originally Posted by dcclark

Nowadays I'm pretty harsh: most of my photos get tossed from every outing. But, I didn't become that way until I was much more confident about my own style, and if I'm shooting for "documentation" (such as events with friends and family), I don't toss any of them.

That said, I'd like to see a closer crop on the bird, so that it's more prominent. That might involve cloning it in closer to the clouds at the bottom (which add interest).

[dcclark]

Originally Posted by Jim Bryant

I never delete images still in the camera. All editing is done in computer with PhotoMechanics or Lightroom.. The only images thrown away are the ones that are out of focus. You'll never know and wished that you had kept saved different views of the same image your client wanted.

True -- it's different depending on what your purpose is. I don't do jobs for hire, so I don't have that particular worry. When I do "documentary" shots (such as family events), I keep everything that's not blurry or over/underexposed. When I shoot for myself or for display, I delete them once I've downloaded them onto my computer.

[EmOz]

I'm going to go one further and suggest that even some of the blury ones might be worth keeping if they're a good subject for heavy PP work. It all depends on the shot (obviously) but why not experiment and see whather you can turn something you would have normally thrown away into a keeper?