Digital SLRs and high-capacity memory cards dramatically revolutionized photography. Limitations and costs associated with film were eliminated, images could be reviewed instantly, and it fostered experimentation.

Truly transformative.

Along with the positives, though, there have been downsides – one of which is the proliferation of high-volume, "spray and pray"-style shooting.

Recently, an acquaintance lamented that he dreads the editing process because it’s so time-consuming. I asked how many images he typically walks away with after an average day in the field: he estimated it’s nearly always at least 1,000 and sometimes much more.

I’d find slogging through that many images to be tedious, too.

I suggested he try a more deliberate approach: shooting more intentionally.

Slowing down and thinking before depressing the shutter inevitably results in fewer captures and better-quality photos.

(This isn’t to suggest one should abandon bracketing, or insurance shots, or completely forego burst photography. Employed strategically, these tactics have a rightful place in the toolkit. Even with fast-moving sports or wildlife, though, high-speed shooting is intentional: the bursts are coordinated with anticipation to capture precise moments. They’re planned.)

Spraying indeterminately relies on luck rather than skill. It’s a crutch – but the fact that it has proliferated in this day and age of inexpensive storage and memory cards isn’t surprising: capture everything, hope for the best, and sort it out later.

Especially for novice photographers who might not know what to compose, or how to make the shot, why not fire away and hope there will be a keeper somewhere in the mountain of images captured?

Lack of intent isn’t going to get you very far. There are many reasons to approach photography more deliberately.

Why it Makes Sense to Shoot Intentionally

Improve Your Skills
The high-volume method of shooting might seem like a logical way to increase the odds of getting a keeper, but it’s essentially outsourcing the outcome to the camera. Fifty frames with a weak composition, poor lighting and a bad angle are still fifty bad frames. Conversely, If you “lucked” into a shot and don’t know exactly what you did to achieve it, it’s going to be difficult to duplicate that success. Development of skill requires intentionality.

Deliberately choosing the settings, making careful decisions regarding composition, and waiting for all the elements to come together before releasing the shutter not only greatly increases the odds of making a successful image, but is also a solid educational foundation. What you’ve learned is now repeatable.

Making conscious decisions, understanding why you’re making them, and learning from the results are critically important. Is this the most effective way to frame the shot? Why choose this lens and not that one? How can this or that challenge be addressed?

What’s going on in your head is what makes you a better photographer. You’re in control, not the camera.

Create Higher-Quality Images
As your skills improve so will your ratio of hits to misses; you’ll more consistently create good photographs. Shooting more intentionally shifts the focus from quantity of captures to quality of vision.

Streamline the Editing Process
Capturing fewer images will significantly reduce the amount of time spent in front of the computer. Culling will proceed much more quickly, as will processing.

In addition to boosting processing efficiency, you’ll become more effective. If you’re routinely slogging through thousands of images, many of which are very similar, it's likely you’ll miss minute details that separate a good photo from dozens of weaker ones.

One Method to Become a More Deliberate Photographer: Employ the Film Mindset

I consider myself fortunate to have started with photography during the film era. Working with film and its constraints (which, by the way, we didn’t really consider constraints at the time – it’s just the way things worked) accelerated the learning process.

How Film Photography Encouraged Me to Shoot Mindfully
Importantly, the number of frames was limited. Each roll’s capacity was 36, and I could only fit so many rolls into my bag; a fixed number of exposures was available each time I went into the field. Also – obviously – there was a cash outlay associated with every image.

Film was, therefore, a finite and expensive resource, which encouraged discipline and mental focus: to quickly become adept with camera settings, to avoid stupid mistakes, and to avoid wasting frames.

The physical realities of film also taught me to think ahead – to be prepared to maximize situations: I didn’t want to be caught missing a good photo opportunity because I needed to switch rolls.

Fixed ISO was another factor in that it forced adaptation and anticipation. If I had 64 ISO film loaded in the camera, I was committed to working in certain conditions for all 36 frames.

The fact that there was no rear display on the camera body – no instant playback and no histogram – also expedited the process of mastering technical proficiency. You had to understand the settings and how to use them, and trust in yourself and the process.

Additionally, not having a rear display meant there was no distracting element constantly interrupting your thought-flow.

You can easily adapt these concepts to become a more thoughtful and intentional photographer.

Impose a Shot Budget
Try limiting your total shot count for a single scene to no more than ten frames (fewer if you can).

Make Every Frame Count
Set your camera on single shot mode when capturing static subject matter; concentrate on getting exposure, focus and compositional refinements correct the first time. By all means go ahead and take insurance shots if you wish, or bracket, but focus on getting things right.

Slow Down
Engage with your environment before taking your camera out of the bag. Mindful observation will help you avoid reacting impulsively. Spend more time listening to the landscape and thinking about how to translate whatever it's trying to tell you into an effective image, than the time you spend clicking. Remember that shot budget!

Avoid Constant Chimping
There’s nothing wrong with consulting the LCD screen to verify settings, but if you’re using it as a crutch you’re not trusting yourself. Firing off a few shots and then routinely checking the screen - every single time - tends to make us a little bit lazy in terms of our decisions.

Consciously be more proactive. Verify the settings before making the picture. Again, be mindful of your shot budget.

Conclusion: Quality, Not Quantity

Transitioning away from a high-volume habit isn’t about self-punishment or rejecting the convenience of digital technology; it’s about reclaiming your role as the artist. When you stop using your camera like a machine gun and start treating it like a precision tool, the entire experience of photography changes.

Ultimately, the goal of shooting with intent isn’t just to save space on your hard drive or time in Lightroom—though those are welcome perks. The real reward is the pride that comes from looking at a standout image and knowing that its success wasn't a statistical accident. It was a choice.

Next time you head out into the field, bring your curiosity, your technical knowledge, and a limited shot budget. You’ll come back with fewer files and better results.