The Joy of Taking Fewer Photos
There’s a moment, just before pressing the shutter, where a choice is made. Is this frame worth it? Does it tell the story you want to remember? Or is it just another in a long line of digital clutter?
Film photographers know this moment well. Every frame is finite (not to mention expensive). Every shot counts. And in a world where digital photography lets us take a hundred photos without a second thought, there’s something powerful about limiting ourselves, about slowing down and making each image meaningful.
The 24-Frame Challenge
Imagine loading a roll of 35mm film – just 24 frames. That’s it. Not unlimited retries, not hundreds of files to sift through later. Just 24 chances to capture something worthwhile. If you prefer, you can pretend you’ve got a 36-frame roll. Or, if you really want to push yourself, go for an even tougher challenge: a 12-frame roll.
For the next few days (or weeks, if you’re feeling patient), give yourself this constraint. Whether you’re shooting digitally or on actual film, act as if you only have those 24 exposures. No deleting, no instant reviews, just the discipline of slowing down and making deliberate choices.
How to take the challenge
- Set a timeframe; 1 hour/ 1 day/ 1 week – whatever you feel comfy with
- Choose how many frames; 12/ 24 /36.
- Do not shoot and check the preview. Turn the preview off. Stop, don’t look at it. Be patient & wait until you’ve ‘developed the roll’ or loaded it into your editing software.
- review your results.
Learning to See, Not Just Capture
Taking fewer photos forces you to look harder, to wait for the right moment rather than snapping away mindlessly. You become more aware of light, of composition, of the emotion in a scene. You’re not just reacting; you’re anticipating.
Think about how different this is from our usual habits. Scrolling through a gallery of near-identical shots, searching for the ‘best one,’ can feel exhausting. But when each image is taken with care, reviewing your photos later becomes a joy, not a chore.
The Takeaway
Try it. Load your imaginary roll of film and see what happens. Do you become more thoughtful? More patient? More connected to what you’re photographing? Chances are, you’ll walk away with fewer images but each one will matter more.
Tune in next week for Part 3: Letting Go of Perfection—why imperfect photos are often the ones that mean the most.
(I feel it’s worth noting, these stories lightly touch on subjects covered in our photography classes. Take our challenge above and then look at our photography classes. We’ll help you find all sorts of wonder.)
