Less Is More.

Dear Bill,

Here's the Hemmingway guide to photography. Don't you think less is more? Germaine Greer was on the box last night, explaining that when men are given free time, they tend to do nothing, except maybe angling or golf, which amounts to the same thing. Women on the other hand like to fill the time. Some truth in that. Sarah B used to do a quick hoover before the char arrived, and I've seen copious amounts of cleaning of plates before they're loaded into the dishwasher.
Remember that Picture Ed who as soon as you arrived with the contacts would ask: How did it go?
Fine one would reply. How many rolls did you shoot, she'd ask. Oh just the one I'd say, got it on the first roll. Look of horror spreads over face of Pic ed.
Bill, you should see what the fashion crowd would demand, rolls and rolls and rolls of film, endless shots of the most photogenic people on the planet. Work that one out.

Still, one cuts ones cloth.... Now it's digi time, we have a list along the lines of what ADs expect from shoots. Some want an edit of no more than 10 frames, others no less than 50. When did you first hear: "My name is nuff. I am a fairy. Fair enough". Willie Fullerton ?

Years ago, on my first advertising shoot, I told my assistant to wrap it up after half an hour.
Can I have a word, she said, as she dragged me out of earshot of the AD. You simply can't call it a day now, she explained. But I've got it I told her. Maybe, said the assistant, but they expect a long process, tons of Polaroids, sucking of teeth, things moved about a bit and so on. So back we went, shot loads more, and they used a frame from the first roll. Maybe it's about what ones expectations are, for the money shelled out. It should be that the more you fork out, the less nonsense ensues, and the product is delivered as asked for pdq without palaver and so on.

I've got a print from my parent's wedding upstairs, and came accross the whole shoot the other day. A total of 20 frames. No mucking about then, eh?

Enough rambling. Here's a print of the great Germaine Greer. She was Fun with a capital 'F' to photograph. She's with a chicken and her dog. I think the poor hen's name was Anne Robinson. May be wrong.