Advice or inspiration needed to get snapping again...

[Professor Abronsius]

Hi folks,

As some of you may aware, i have not really taken any Photos in the last few months, outwith some at college, but they are just a few portraits.

Really need a good kick up the arse to get out there and start taking photos again. Got a whole load of camera gear, still buy various magazines each month.

Any advice from all you fellow amatuer snappers on how i can get some inspiration or incentive to get back in the saddle... ?

Hopefully the PAD for July will return this year, as i enjoyed that last year.

College course isn't doing anything for me right now. It is a Studio Portraiture Course, but there are just far too many folk in the class and we really covered all the basics in the previous Studio Photography course.

Got another wee project in the planning, sort of a fashion shoot, but model i had all lined up has sort of let me down so that is on hold. Possibility of a backup but waiting to hear from her via a friend. Been trying to get this going since january, and the longer it goes on, am ready to give up on it as well.

Also doing very long hours in work, although occasionally getting to some great locations... Eileen Donan Castle, Mull, Glencoe, etc... But get sent there at very short notice and not always going to be practical to have Camera with me.

I will now await Ono's 'sell it and buy a PS3' response... :D

Cheers. :)

[Nana]

I felt the same, no light all winter, and I've been ill, not much better this spring. I found you have to make yourself pick it up, and once you do, the results spur you on to shoot more.

Arrange a day out, anything, see a castle a carnival, a bird sanctuary, even a Butterfly house like I did. You were really doing well from what I remember of your posts and it would be a shame not to make time for something you enjoy.

[Dno]

Personnaly, I find it helps to make trips out to specific places rather than just be out & about.. Recently, this included a bird of prey place, wildlife center, airshow, and I'm hoping next weeked to go and see the UK drag racing stage at Santa Pod. I've never seen that before, so it should be an interesting day regardless of the camera.

The events calender in one of the stickies can be useful for this.

[Boink!]

Firstly stop buying any more photography mags for a while, they aren't going to help you regain your spark, tend to repeat themselves with articles and they cost a lot of money these days. Plus looking at all that lovely gear in the adverts that you can't afford is a downer. You can get as much and more up to date infomation for free on the web these days.

As mentioned above, arrange a couple of days out in the next few weeks to somewhere interesting and don't feel pressured into taking photos. Just enjoy yourself and if something good comes up, take a shot or two. Consider it as nice places to visit and you just happen to be taking your camera with you.

Have a browse on flickr (http//www.flickr.com) at some new groups that could be interesting, join them and work on something to submit to them.

Finally, Mr Silly has started a project here (http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=474259) where the idea is to post photos on a given theme and then critique them to improve technique. That might be worth joining in with as well, as is teh soon-to-be-legendary "photo-a-day for July" I will be starting for the third year running.

I've had this patch of no inspiration as well, where I haven't picked up a camera for months. I got around it by not agonising over details just pick up the camera walk out the door and shoot, to get myself back outdoors and looking for possible photo ops. I also bought some cheap (price and build) film cameras to try other ideas for composition and random opportunities. Don't worry about it all, just charge the batteries, format your memory card, grab your camera and get out there.

:thumbs:

[Dave B]

I have not been out shooting Landscapes for two years now, it seems to be now i work in Photography it's killed my hobby :(

Dave

[John C]

I...it seems to be now i work in Photography it's killed my hobby :(


Sorry to hear that. I have to say, that's the reason I don't want to make photography my job (even if the quality of my output were high enough).

To the OP - you could try a group like the "Go and take a picture of..." or "72 Hour challenge" groups on flickr - they set a project for the week (or 3 days) that you then have to take a photo for. One other thing to try is a long term project of your own (like my Manchester A to Z, which is very long running indeed).

[Sam]

I'm in the same rut. Recently had a long weekend in Ostende and bruge and came back with only pic I evenly vaguely liked. The weather was flat and gray and so were the resulting photos. i really haven't been bothered to pick the camera up since i got back.

[roar349]

Think it's the crappy winter weather.... Have only taken what seems like a few (think I've only posted about 3 on Flickr this year) due to other commitments and feeling unable to 'get out there'. Still I'm in New York from Thursday, maybe that will spur me on (as long as I get some free time out there...)

[John C]

Low light is a great opportunity to get out and do detail shots - the sky is crap, so focus on bits of graffiti, interesting textures, blurred people hurrying by with their umbrellas...

Rory - if you don't come back from NYC with at least two memory cards full, we shall have to discipline you :) I can't claim any epoch making shots, but I have an NYC set from my last visit that you might find useful for ideas of what (and what not) to do. Look in my contacts for Mr Inky and Peter Eavis too, two locals who take great shots of the city.

[hongkong_uk]

Photography is still quite fresh as a hobby for me,seeing as I only really started "properly" (ha!) at Christmas. That means I am keen to learn and improve and try my hand at different types of pictures,like the mate's gig I went to the other week. Even if it did make my ears ring for a few days afterwards.

The only thing I can suggest is to echo what the others have said and treat yourself to a day out or two and if there is a photo opportunity there,take it! I am a member of the National Trust and once you have paid the membership fee you can get into loads of places free which means I can go out most weekends when the weather/commitments allow. I think I have already had my value out of that and it isn't even the summer holidays yet!!

It would be good to see some more of your photos though Craig,so I hope you do get back into the swing of things.

Now if anyone can think of a good way to stop me taking pics of flowers I would be grateful.... (why?) :D

[roar349]

Rory - if you don't come back from NYC with at least two memory cards full, we shall have to discipline you :)

Should be able to, as long as the shopping list the OH is making doesn't get any longer ;)

[danek]

Finally, Mr Silly has started a project here (http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=474259) where the idea is to post photos on a given theme and then critique them to improve technique. That might be worth joining in with as well, as is teh soon-to-be-legendary "photo-a-day for July" I will be starting for the third year running. :thumbs:
Hot damn! The DVDF Photo a Day will be back! I'm partly delighted, and partly terrified - it was one of the most fulfilling photographic things I've done, but I also remember an awful lot of teeth-gnashing and some pretty desperate photographic brainstorming at 11.45pm on a few days. Still, forewarned is forearmed - I reckon it'll make things much easier if I think up some ideas for pics ahead of time.

Having said that, I bet I now sit on my @rse until July and then start crying like a girl...:doh:

[John C]

I reckon it'll make things much easier if I think up some ideas for pics ahead of time.


I did that last year, although the stuff I liked best from the month were the spur of the moment "Oh christ what do I do now" ones.

[Radiohead]

I've been very short of inspiration lately, mainly due to the stresses of a house move (now thankfully completed) and the associated logistical nightmare. I've also been offline for 2 weeks thanks to BT's woeful inability to do their job. Now I appear to have 8mb of goodness though, and it's good to be back and see everyone plugging away.

So, house move over, weather improving and an EOS 1D MkIII on the way (ok, the last bit is a complete lie) and hopefully renewed enthusiasm for the hobby side of shooting.

[Boink!]

Glad to see the fear for July has already started with some of you. :D

[kerzo]

Seems like a lot of us are in the same position, I personally have been snowed under with work from University but by next Tuesday I will be done and dusted and free to do as I wish for the rest of my life :lol: !

The July PAD was excellent last year, thoroughly enjoyable and really pushed me out and using the camera so I will most definitely be participating this year again (hopefully I won't re-use too many ideas!).

[Radiohead]

I will be done and dusted and free to do as I wish for the rest of my life :lol: !


Have you never heard of working?

;)

[Mr Silly]

I'm in the same rut. Recently had a long weekend in Ostende and bruge and came back with only pic I evenly vaguely liked. The weather was flat and gray and so were the resulting photos. i really haven't been bothered to pick the camera up since i got back.
Could it not also be that the more you do, the more critical of your own work you get

[Professor Abronsius]

Meant to say in the first post, think my change of job has affected my photography.

Before, where i worked with it being a large tv company, there were plenty of opportunities for taking photos and doing wee projects, and there were loads of folk willing to assist in their own time, even the presenters.

Now though, am doing mega hours and do not really have the option most days to carry the Camera around with me.

In saying that, am just back from Oban and had some amazing photo opportunities on the trip.

There is a wee Church and a Castle at Lochawe which could well be worth a weekend day trip. Don't really get a proper look driving past, so may need to spend some time there if the weather is good.

Thanks for all the info so far folks.

Am back at college tomorrow for some more Studio Portraiture.

Cheers. :)

[Sam]

Could it not also be that the more you do, the more critical of your own work you get

Maybe, but isn't that part of improving? The photos aren't up to a standard I'm happy with. Some of that is down to light, some of that is that I didn't find Ostende at all inspiring. I tried, I got up at 5:30am to see the fisherman bringing the catch in, except when I got down to the harbour they hadn't been out that day :lol: Bruge was too busy and a bit too 'chocolate box' pretty for me. I did get 2 or 3 shots I quite liked but they were the same shot a thousand other people took on the same day. I dunno, the whole thing just left me a little flat.

Its less than a month to my 1st airshow of the year - that I'm excited about :dork:

[Boink!]

Could it not also be that the more you do, the more critical of your own work you get

This is true, but then you should work to improve the parts of a photo that you're unimpressed with. That means not necessarily 'doing a fix' with Potatoshop, but going back to the site (or setup) for the shoot and trying again. Sure, this isn't going to work for off-the-cuff shots, or shots that don't happen twice easily (ie wildlife, street shooting, landscapes involving weather conditions), but then you should look at the components...
*I'm waffling here, btw*
of the shot and try and fix them in the composition before the shot or look at the photo you've just taken and then amend things and retake. Which is the beauty of digital, you can check your shot immediately (with EXIF), rather than having to wait for the film to be developed. I suppose that's why pros use polaroids (in studio work) to get an instant view of the subject before shooting with film.

Mr Silly's monthly project (http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=473624) should / will give people positive feedback to improve on their work.

/waffle over

[Professor Abronsius]

Update...

Well, started the July PaD, but due to few days of crazy shifts at work i fell behind so withdrew from it.

Planned a day out twice but got rained off. :(

Then yesterday and today at work was up round about Oban and Argyle areas, but got told last minute and did not have my Camera with me. :cry:

Am thinking about just taking the Camera to work every day now on the off chance, as there were bloomin' loads of Photo Opportunities today.

Could have got a weeks worth of PaD's today alone!!! :eek:

Have definately got a Football Tournament to go to in a few weeks so weather permitting i will get some snaps there.

Already said on the PaD Thread when i withdrew that i was just going to do the Photo-A-Week for now, so will try to keep up with that.

Cheers. :)

[Professor Abronsius]

Would there be any likelyhood of the Treasure Hunt starting anytime soon... ? ;)

[sideshowbob]

I'd like to get back into it too - I think my problem is I haven't had enough free time and haven't really been anywhere beyond my back yard in months. Hope you find your spark again though, Prof. :thumbs:

[sworrall]

get out there dave :wave:. we could do with another northern meet before the summer disapears which will give us an excuse o get out snapping for the day

[sideshowbob]

Now that would be an incentive.

Do it, man.

[Matholwch]

get out there dave :wave:. we could do with another northern meet before the summer disapears which will give us an excuse o get out snapping for the day

Would be nice if the summer made an appearance :(

Been wondering what had happend to you sideshowbob, one minute you're winning POTW three weeks in a row, and then drop off the forum :shrug:

Good to see you back with us :D

[sideshowbob]

Maybe we should have a meeting round North Wales way?

[Radiohead]

Welcome back Bobster.

[sworrall]

Maybe we should have a meeting round North Wales way?
id definitely be up for that :thumbs: suppose the location would depend what people wanted to shoot, ie people towns, landscapes, sheep ;)

stu.gregory said hed be up for another forums outing when one was on next. think JohnC maybe up for it plus weve got some locals around here inclusing Jurassic and not sure if RPG is still around chester or migrated back east :)

[PaulDCocker]

If I drove over from Sheffield I could bring RPG with me, depending on when/where it's at.

[John C]

I'm up for a meet anywhere I can get to by train or bike - the usual problem I have is that I can generally only make Sundays.

[sideshowbob]

I'd be happy to pick up people from train stations and ferry them to the relevant sheep viewing platform.

[sworrall]

I'd be happy to pick up people from train stations and ferry them to the relevant sheep viewing platform.

same here, chester station is only 7 miles from me