Local photographer, Simon showed us Jim Brandenberg's excellent DVD "Chased by the Light" about his 90 day photo a day project where he only shot one frame per day - they were amazing for only one shot! He wanted to shoot one frame of our camera club to send to him so I shot one frame of him shooting his one frame :-)
I take it that this was a joke to entertain a camera club audience; all in good fun as long as nobody is tempted to take it too seriously!
In the newspaper business many years ago, when plate cameras took time to set up, and about 30 seconds or more to change plates and fumble for a new flash bulb, any photographer who could get the decisive image in a single shot was a hero, but picture editors still urged them to take several (if possible!) to provide a choice as well as providing a backup against a single-shot failure.
Today, with automatic cameras capable of taking shots in rapid succession there is no reason to attempt any job in a single shot except as a personal challenge to develop one's skills, or a desire to be seen as more capable than those who always have to take "just one more, to be sure".
Nobody can expect or be expected to be perfect first time, every time, so it makes good sense always to take as many shots as may be needed, from as many angles as are considered appropriate, to get what is aimed for and believed to be the definitive shot.
definately not a joke. I think I may have got the guy's name wrong,but Bradington was a pro shooter for national geographic for 20 years and suffered burn out. This was a personal project to re-discover his passion for photography. I agree with you that there is no need nowdays but as this was personal I think entirely acceptable as a challenge that helped him get his mojo back
October 14th, 2014
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In the newspaper business many years ago, when plate cameras took time to set up, and about 30 seconds or more to change plates and fumble for a new flash bulb, any photographer who could get the decisive image in a single shot was a hero, but picture editors still urged them to take several (if possible!) to provide a choice as well as providing a backup against a single-shot failure.
Today, with automatic cameras capable of taking shots in rapid succession there is no reason to attempt any job in a single shot except as a personal challenge to develop one's skills, or a desire to be seen as more capable than those who always have to take "just one more, to be sure".
Nobody can expect or be expected to be perfect first time, every time, so it makes good sense always to take as many shots as may be needed, from as many angles as are considered appropriate, to get what is aimed for and believed to be the definitive shot.
No, the accolade "Mr One-Shot" no longer applies.