Creative Photography

freddisu said:
This thread seems like a bit of a kick in the teeth to people who try something which to them is new and not always easy for them to do the first time , i have tried a few different things after seeing them on this forum and ALSO got some very helpful advice from here. I really do hope it doesnt put people off as even the some type of photos are all different and i for one enjoy looking at them and feel i can learn from them. Su..:)
Click to expand...

Su, you might notice that only a few people are questioning it, most are supporting people trying out techniques that are tried and tested, but new to the person, so don't let it put you off. Go out and do what you want with your camera, threads like this can only spoil your fun if you let it :thumbs:
 
Didn't know we had a creative photography section. Just had a look at a random selection of posts (someone's first star trail with their new camera, some trails, an empty street, wire wool spinning etc) and I haven't seen anything jaw-dropping. But, people are getting out there and doing things and I respect that.

Think the OP is just trying to stimulate debate and he has an opinion and he (probably) echoes the thoughts of others who aren't fussed about the majority of work that's in the creative section. But the flip side is that there is an obvious liking for this type of photography, judging bybthe number of posts, and that means people are finding their style.


Alastair said:
.....but how many of those saying that have looked in Creative yesterday or this morning and seen this?
Click to expand...

Yep, saw that. Interesting concept and some hardwork put in to sort the LEDs on the plane but to me, it's some colourful squiggles that don't do anything for me but may for others. What is your point?
 
Last edited:
I'd say that any image that uses settings beyond the normal handheld shutter speeds and in daylight can be thought of as being Creative. You are doing something that is showing a version of real life beyond the normal view through the eye. That is not to say you can't be creative in daylight at handheld speeds, but there is more creativity with the extremes of shutter speed and light imho.

Yes, there may be a lot of the same types of images, but the photographer is being creative because they are they are trying something the vast majority of people may not try, or even imagine they could do, and using an element to get an effect. If they are moving a light through a dark scene they are actually creating the picture. If they are recording an element that they don't have control over like traffic, fireworks or stars for example, they are still being creative by trying something out of the ordinary but hopefully putting their own slant on it. Like the picture of the plane with LEDs on flying at night :eek:, that may have not been thought of without seeing how others have been creative with light in low light.

Seeing how others are being creative will hopefully inspire others to try something beyond the norm, and maybe also inspire someone else to create something truly new having seen what was possible.

Many of these creative techniques are seasonal as has been mentioned, and hopefully there will more variety throughout the year, but if not, as long as people are being inspired and trying emulate and improve their technique, then isn't what this place is here for? :shrug:
 
So your only problem with the section is the name?
 
photography is my hobby and i do it for fun. if i see something i like and i want to have a go at i will.

i dont care about being the most creative or the first to perform a particular technique or even the best, although i will strive to improve.
if i cared all that much it would take away the fun and i may as well not bother.

stop being negative about peoples work and let them enjoy their hobbies without being condesending.

the thread has a smelly whiff of elitism.

thread is pointless imo.
 
Last edited:
Just Dave said:
as Matt says his original idea was for an after dark board
Click to expand...

Seeing as we're talking about original ideas, this one was down to me. Matt just made more noise ;)

And that's probably the best way to look at it. Very little is new, but not every pioneer gets it right. If they did, development of creative ideas would be very different.

As a photographer often credited with pioneering two styles of night photography (light-painted domes and urban star trails) I love to see these concepts taken up by others.

With the domes in particular, for a year before anyone else featured one in their own shot I had the monopoly and it stifled my creativity no doubt. Once I realised the technique was virtually unfathomable I became very wary about any new shot that might give clues to how it's done. Having now posted the technique on my blog, literally hundreds of other people have adopted and adapted the technique in their own way. Some of them are unexciting but high quality, others are downright lame. A few are exceptional in concept and execution and have inspired me to come up with new ideas and alternative techniques.

But the guys who put out the top work are only there because a year ago, or five years ago, or when they were kids - someone inspired them to pick up the tools and have a go.

Digital hangouts have made it easy to share and the constructive feedback received from the likes of TP & flickr on the whole encourage personal development.

That said, I think the least helpful part of the Creative Photography section (btw, what happened to General Photo Sharing...) is where those who seem largely unqualified to offer crit poke their head into a thread and say "great shot, never seen anything like that before", particularly when the section contains plenty of diverse examples of a wide range of techniques. But maybe that's another discussion...
 
Tori said:
Have you seen the amount of birds in the birds section? :lol: :lol:

My creative photography wasn't a light trail, or light painting at all...
Click to expand...

More like have you seen the number of LBJ's perched on a branch, in the same pose every time posted in the Birds forum! :eek:
 
As Andrew rightly points out the Creative section was founded on his original suggestion, I just pushed a bit and shouted a little and in the end tried a bit of bribery :naughty: and in the end we got a section that while not entirely covering exactly what Andrew and myself originally envisaged but does really make a great addition to the forum

Matt
MWHCVT
 
I've lost track of what this thread is about?

Going back to what the OP said, I agree that there is a hell of a lot of similar work that revolves around one or two themes - light trails from cars being one, star trails being the other - but it shows that these techniques are easy to grasp (but not so easy to master). My take on it is that where questions should be asked is when we get photos taken in a style for the sake of it. A pile of dog poo with some light trails behind it is an extreme (and improbable) example but I have seen some pointless photos that have just tagged on a particular technique because its seen as credible. Not enough people on this forum question why they're taking photographs in the first place and fewer question why they are posting them on display.

It brings me back to what has been said before about image limits: unless it's being posted so people can put you on the right track, the work should be the best you can produce at that time. Posting a dozen or so images from the same shoot because you can only devalues each image and ultimately bores the viewer. It happens in most of the forums (especially the motorsport section) and serves no purpose but to dilute the effectiveness of the forum as somewhere to get inspiration.

And while we're on the subject of new sections, I do honestly think that there needs to be a still life section before anything else....
 
Last edited:
specialman said:
A pile of dog poo with some light trails behind it is an extreme (and improbable) example
Click to expand...

Hmmm... :thinking: :naughty:

specialman said:
Posting a dozen or so images from the same shoot because you can only devalues each image and ultimately bores the viewer. It happens in most of the forums (especially the motorsport section) and serves no purpose but to dilute the effectiveness of the forum as somewhere to get inspiration.
Click to expand...

:agree:
 
AndWhyNot said:
As a photographer often credited with pioneering two styles of night photography (light-painted domes and urban star trails) I love to see these concepts taken up by others.
Click to expand...

Seriously ??

:suspect:
 
AndWhyNot said:
Yup. Note the emphasis on urban. Or are you enquiring after my taste for others' work?
Click to expand...

nope, but

AndWhyNot said:
As a photographer often credited with pioneering two styles of night photography...
Click to expand...


"pioneering" appears to be gilding the lilly a shade.
Don't suppose its your fault if you are "often credited" with it by others.
Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to dump on your achievements but you aren't the first person to shoot spinning wheels of light and certainly not stacked star trails.
Maybe it was an unfortunate turn of phrase, so I'm gonna go with creative ingenuity rather than pioneering..:)
 
joxby said:
nope, but
"pioneering" appears to be gilding the lilly a shade.
Don't suppose its your fault if you are "often credited" with it by others.
Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to dump on your achievements but you aren't the first person to shoot spinning wheels of light and certainly not stacked star trails.
Maybe it was an unfortunate turn of phrase, so I'm gonna go with creative ingenuity rather than pioneering..:)
Click to expand...

I agree Andy wasnt the first to do Urban startrails its been done for a long time ago by some German guys about 10yrs or more ago, first time I saw them

But in all honesty Andy did do the light domes first, well they were the first Id seen them done/used, mind you it only took me 5 mins to work out how they were done I had a spirograph when I was a kid and was mad on it, I did nearly spoil his thread, as I gave the way of doing them, but was given the heads up (by someone not Andy), it was a secret/under wraps, so removed my post :thumbs:
 
Last edited:
redhed17 said:
Yes, there may be a lot of the same types of images, but the photographer is being creative because they are they are trying something the vast majority of people may not try, or even imagine they could do, and using an element to get an effect. If they are moving a light through a dark scene they are actually creating the picture. If they are recording an element that they don't have control over like traffic, fireworks or stars for example, they are still being creative by trying something out of the ordinary but hopefully putting their own slant on it. Like the picture of the plane with LEDs on flying at night :eek:, that may have not been thought of without seeing how others have been creative with light in low light.


Many of these creative techniques are seasonal as has been mentioned, and hopefully there will more variety throughout the year, but if not, as long as people are being inspired and trying emulate and improve their technique, then isn't what this place is here for? :shrug:
Click to expand...


I see your point, and a lot of people seem to be saying the same thing, but the majority of people that are doing things like that for the 1st time are (like myself) looking at others' pictures and doing the same, or reading instructions from a tutorial. I don't see that as 'creative photography'. It's true that all photography is creative to a certain extent, but for something to be classed creative photography instead of just photography, in my mind it should be something that someone has created, not taught or copied. The plane thing is a prime example of something that (in my mind anyway) IS very much creative. I've never seen, or thought of doing anything like that before.

Seeing how others are being creative will hopefully inspire others to try something beyond the norm, and maybe also inspire someone else to create something truly new having seen what was possible.


This place is definitely for people to learn, develop their ideas, recieve crit and discuss photography. I didn't start this thread to have a go at anyone, just to start a debate, and I hope nobody has been put off of anything by it.
 
got to agree with the OP. star trails and using torches is not what I would consider to be creative photograph that said however I could not care less what is in the forum or isn't lol
 
TBF, what we pestered the admin team for was an after dark section. Creative Photography as the title, I imagine it's the compromise to get something off the ground.
 
Joenail said:
to be classed creative photography instead of just photography, in my mind it should be something that someone has created, not taught or copied.
Click to expand...

If you expect everything in this section to be creative and original, then it will be a very under utilised section imho. ;) :lol:

Joenail said:
The plane thing is a prime example of something that (in my mind anyway) IS very much creative. I've never seen, or thought of doing anything like that before.
Click to expand...

So that's been done. No need to see anyone else's similar pictures, no matter that it would be someone trying to use their camera in a creative way (though copying someone's original idea) because someone has already created the idea. :shrug: ;)

Joenail said:
Seeing how others are being creative will hopefully inspire others to try something beyond the norm, and maybe also inspire someone else to create something truly new having seen what was possible.
Click to expand...

And just as you get opinions and help with Landscape pics in the Landscape and Scenery section, you get help, opinions and critique on your 'creative' photography in this section. :shrug:

Joenail said:
This place is definitely for people to learn, develop their ideas, recieve crit and discuss photography. I didn't start this thread to have a go at anyone, just to start a debate, and I hope nobody has been put off of anything by it.
Click to expand...

I've found this a very interesting thread. :thumbs:
 
AndWhyNot said:
TBF, what we pestered the admin team for was an after dark section. Creative Photography as the title, I imagine it's the compromise to get something off the ground.
Click to expand...

Indeed, that was what we pestered for :lol: but I shall take this as the compromise, and when the popularity on night stuff is shown you never know what the future may bring :thumbs: :naughty: :clap:
 
Perhaps it's me but aren't all photographs creative.
Every time one pushes the button one 'creates' a photograph.

Perhaps it should have been called 'Oddball photography' or 'Wayout photography' or perhaps 'Abstract photography'.

Anyhow, I'm disappointed with it as a section.

Just my 2p's worth.

D in W
 
MWHCVT said:
Indeed, that was what we pestered for :lol: but I shall take this as the compromise, and when the popularity on night stuff is shown you never know what the future may bring :thumbs: :naughty: :clap:
Click to expand...

I also helped in the pestering and Im quite pleased with the new board, OK it has got a lot of lightpainting in, which is what we asked for an, after dark board, and theres lots of other types of creative and imaginative photography, so I think its a good addition :thumbs:
 
specialman said:
I dare you to do one of those dome jobbies over a, err, jobbie :D
Click to expand...

I was looking for a grimy urban location one time for one of those dome jobbies. Ended up at the bottom of this dead-end stairwell.

Whenever I'm scouting I leave my torch off so I can suss the ambient light, natural fall of shadows etc.

Time came to leave and I flicked my torch on for a quick scan of the surface and how I'd managed to avoid the massive human turd throughout my dark stumblings I'll never know. The used tissue made me pretty sure it wasn't canine excretia.
 
FTR I think that “creative photography” was in response to a number of requests that have been made over a period of time – not just the latest threads about “night-time photography”, but others asking for a home to post still-life photography and PP techniques amongst other things too.

IMO it’s working well and doing exactly what it set out to do. It’s encouraged lots of people to experiment with their cameras and try new things, even if they’re following tutorials it’s all part of learning how to use the camera more creatively.

There have also been some real gems of originality and imagination in there :

- For technical brilliance how about shooting a water drop with an airgun?
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=361462

- This thread really pushed the limits of PP and probably crossed the line into digital art, but stimulated some interesting discussion along the way.
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=361522

- Just two of the really creative ideas for interesting photography using everyday objects
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=347706
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=360292

- And an incredibly detailed and well thought out still-life
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=362666

(I’m sure that there are lots of others that I’ve looked at and missed from that list, but off the top of my head, these are some that stood out.)


In response to the original post, light-painting / startrails are an integral part of that section and given the time of year it's going to be popular in there right now (like wedding season in People & Portraits). Absolutely nothing wrong with that at all - it's inspiring people to try techniques that they've not used before and to use their cameras creatively. Personally I also think that there's still room for new things to come out of those techniques and for people to push the boundaries . . . so who knows what we'll see coming out of this year's light-painting season?

However, if that's not your thing, that's not all that the section's about and there are some genuinely original ideas in there too. Don't be too quick to write it off as being all about light-painting!!!
 
Dave in Wales said:
Perhaps it's me but aren't all photographs creative.
Every time one pushes the button one 'creates' a photograph.

Perhaps it should have been called 'Oddball photography' or 'Wayout photography' or perhaps 'Abstract photography'.

Anyhow, I'm disappointed with it as a section.

Just my 2p's worth.

D in W
Click to expand...

Very true, but, as I think I said earlier, for something to specifically called 'creative photography' I'd expect it be be, for lack of a better word, more creative than conventional photography.
 
SarahLee said:
FTR I think that “creative photography” was in response to a number of requests that have been made over a period of time – not just the latest threads about “night-time photography”, but others asking for a home to post still-life photography and PP techniques amongst other things too.

IMO it’s working well and doing exactly what it set out to do. It’s encouraged lots of people to experiment with their cameras and try new things, even if they’re following tutorials it’s all part of learning how to use the camera more creatively.

There have also been some real gems of originality and imagination in there :

- For technical brilliance how about shooting a water drop with an airgun?
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=361462

- This thread really pushed the limits of PP and probably crossed the line into digital art, but stimulated some interesting discussion along the way.
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=361522

- Just two of the really creative ideas for interesting photography using everyday objects
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=347706
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=360292

- And an incredibly detailed and well thought out still-life
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=362666

(I’m sure that there are lots of others that I’ve looked at and missed from that list, but off the top of my head, these are some that stood out.)


In response to the original post, light-painting / startrails are an integral part of that section and given the time of year it's going to be popular in there right now (like wedding season in People & Portraits). Absolutely nothing wrong with that at all - it's inspiring people to try techniques that they've not used before and to use their cameras creatively. Personally I also think that there's still room for new things to come out of those techniques and for people to push the boundaries . . . so who knows what we'll see coming out of this year's light-painting season?

However, if that's not your thing, that's not all that the section's about and there are some genuinely original ideas in there too. Don't be too quick to write it off as being all about light-painting!!!
Click to expand...

It definitely isn't all about light painting, that just happens to be the main example I've used. There is no doubt some exceptional stuff in the section & I've been blown away regularly by the ideas/concept behind the pictures. It's a great addition to this forum, I'm just surprised at most of the work being posted there.
 
SarahLee said:
FTR I think that “creative photography” was in response to a number of requests that have been made over a period of time – not just the latest threads about “night-time photography”, but others asking for a home to post still-life photography and PP techniques amongst other things too.

IMO it’s working well and doing exactly what it set out to do. It’s encouraged lots of people to experiment with their cameras and try new things, even if they’re following tutorials it’s all part of learning how to use the camera more creatively.

There have also been some real gems of originality and imagination in there :

- For technical brilliance how about shooting a water drop with an airgun?
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=361462

- This thread really pushed the limits of PP and probably crossed the line into digital art, but stimulated some interesting discussion along the way.
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=361522

- Just two of the really creative ideas for interesting photography using everyday objects
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=347706
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=360292

- And an incredibly detailed and well thought out still-life
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=362666

(I’m sure that there are lots of others that I’ve looked at and missed from that list, but off the top of my head, these are some that stood out.)


In response to the original post, light-painting / startrails are an integral part of that section and given the time of year it's going to be popular in there right now (like wedding season in People & Portraits). Absolutely nothing wrong with that at all - it's inspiring people to try techniques that they've not used before and to use their cameras creatively. Personally I also think that there's still room for new things to come out of those techniques and for people to push the boundaries . . . so who knows what we'll see coming out of this year's light-painting season?

However, if that's not your thing, that's not all that the section's about and there are some genuinely original ideas in there too. Don't be too quick to write it off as being all about light-painting!!!
Click to expand...

Yeah you missed mine out :(
 
Joenail said:
Very true, but, as I think I said earlier, for something to specifically called 'creative photography' I'd expect it be be, for lack of a better word, more creative than conventional photography.
Click to expand...

'creative' is very subjective.

d in w
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top