Do you ever get low spots.....

newyorkaddict

newyorkaddict

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Darren
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Lately i seem to have hit a low spot in my photography, everything i shoot, i am completely unhappy with, unsharp, out of focus, crap DOF, badly lit etc. I was wondering if others have this problem and if so what do you do to get out of it. Please help, as i am ten more shots from giving up completely:help::help::help:
 
I think we all go through this especially when we're just starting out in the world of photography. I know I had a really low spell earlier in the year and felt really useless as a photographer. You just have to keep going and keep taking shots and posting them. Sometimes we are our own worst critics I know I am and it sometimes takes someone else to look at a shot and see it's potential or worth.
You have excellent stuff on your flickr site. The shots of the BMX riders in the woods are really very good indeed. Don't give up please it would be a shame to lose the obvious talent you have from the forums :)
 
Yes. My photography took a serious dip when I moved from my P&S to my first DSLR. Although I understood the basics of Aperture vs Shutter Speed vs ISO etc I hadn't used it in anger. I expected all my first shots with my DSLR to be better than my P&S immediately. But they weren't and it took a bit of time to relearn.

Also once I was happy with my DSLR result I was going out and trying to hard to get a good shot. And then getting back home to process them and being disappointed. I was trying to force it too much. Not enjoying the process of taking the photo. Trying to engineer the situation too much.

I had to go back and say 'right I am going to go for a walk today and I am going to take some shots along the way' - rather than 'lets go to xxxx today and bring back some good shots'. If that makes sense?

I also think as you improve your own bar / objective becomes higher. I am sure shots I am unhappy with today I would have been overjoyed with 6 months / 1 year ago. Maybe this is what is happening to you. You're not getting worse, but your expectation from your own work is higher?

If you are looking for technical help post some of your bad shots!
 
Don't Panic.......

It's probably a bit like writers block, you just need to get through it. OK great advice but how?
Try setting yourself a simple project. Like Photographing trees. OK nothing to serious. It's better if the subject is nearby so you can revisit. Now take some time and take a few pictures. Now analise them. What's wrong. Go back and retake them bearing in mind what you've learned. Hopefully they will now be better. Maybe a third visit is needed because you've seen something else that would make the pictures just that little bit better. Now try something else. Also don't try something to complicated or you don't know how to tackle, That comes latter. Also take your time. It's when you rush you make mistakes. I'm not talking hours here just a minute or two.

Above all if you can Enjoy
 
I had this recently with my S2, everything was out of focus and covered in dust. Was blaming myself and my poor technique... Bought an S5 for £499 from Calumet and WHAM, everything is razor sharp.

Doh.

Turns out my AF was knackered and I didn't shake as much as I thought ;) As I read somewhere else, a new camera doesn't make you a better photographer, but it makes you shoot more which in turn makes you better. Perhaps not an ideal situation, but it's the one I find myself in right now!
 
Yes, having one right now as a matter of fact.

I've found i enjoy takin photos of people and life and desperatly want to find my style, but i am struggling, especially compositional wise.

I think when you are learning something as I am the frustration plays a large part in it and maybe putting ourselves under pressure as a result. I think I sometimes forget to just enjoy it.

I find myself wondering things like, "would people on TP would like this shot?" and get down hearted when comments aren't what i was hoping for. I think though that is a confidence thing, i need to work on the confidence and not worry what others think too much.

However, when i do get a shot i really like, you can't beat the feeling of that. :)
 
There are two types of low spots that you can get caught in. There's the "I want to shoot but it's all coming out as tosh" one, or there's the "I really don't have any bothered to get behind the camera".

Neither are unusual and both will come along at some point. If you're just not happy with the quality off what you are turning out, then as has been said, work it through with a project that lets you work and re-work it. This can let you practice and learn so much. Sometimes we just get very sloppy in the execution of shots and need to tighten up the techniques that we already know.

If it's the case of no bothered, just put the camera away and do something else. The desire will come back all on it's own and usually with a period of greater enjoyment too.
 
Cheers people, it's nice to know i'm not alone. When i joined this forum, i saw so many amazing pictures, from some amazing togs. I think this put me in a rut of "well mine are nowhere near as good as theirs". But as people say, you have to find your style, and speciality, and just keep working at everything else you don't class as your speciality, which is something i intend to do more by entering the monthly comps, and trying to push my own boundries. Then the good pictures will hopefully come with time. Cheers again, Darren:thumbs::thumbs:
 
If you're in a rut try learning something new. Buy a few mags or books for inspiration. Get a new piece of kit, doesn't have to be anything outlandish. A circular polarizer got me excited for a while. It just needs to be something to 'refresh' the situation.

Also, if you're not heavily into photoshop or postprocessing, try getting heavily into photoshop or postprocessing. Loads of potential here.
 
Identify what's going wrong, and work on each aspect individually. Read manuals or ask questions if you're unsure about specifics - through TP you're connected to a lot of people who could probably be very helpful.

Or, if it really is that bad, kill yourself. It'll be over before you know it.
 
Dangleman said:
If you're in a rut try learning something new. Buy a few mags or books for inspiration. Get a new piece of kit, doesn't have to be anything outlandish. A circular polarizer got me excited for a while. It just needs to be something to 'refresh' the situation.

Also, if you're not heavily into photoshop or postprocessing, try getting heavily into photoshop or postprocessing. Loads of potential here.
Click to expand...

That pretty much says what I was going to say. I'll add to it that revisiting old photo's and trying some new/different processing is worth doing. Also, image library management. Both of which may kick the inspiration back in.
 
photostar_1 said:
Me too! I have fabulous kit, live in great countryside and have reasonable health/mobility.........but I just can't find inspiration at the moment. Hope it passes soon. :(
Click to expand...

I wish you good inspiration and good light. :)

After reading a few replies I am thinking of what project i can give myself, sounds like the kick up the bum i need. :)
 
Everybody goes through something like this. The better photographer you are, the higher your standards, the easier it is to mess up. The same applies when you're starting up and just getting used to the limitations of your kit and your own aesthetic sense.

And you know the thing that keeps people going? Getting that one great picture that stops you in your tracks and leaves you thinking 'I took that?'. For me it's an incredible feeling, one of real accomplishment, and after a shot like that it takes a hell of a lot to dent your confidence.
 
There is no steadfast way of getting through it. I try a couple of things, one is putting the camera away for a while. Then build that yearning up again and you'll get excited when you take it out.

The other is mix up your sessions. I'll have a couple of 'serious' (i want to get a certain result) sessions out then i'll have a couple of anything goes fun sessions out with the camera.

I do this in most of my hobbies and find that it keeps things fresh and the fun sessions keep the passion alive.

For the record i'm currently in a slump but due to the fact i blew my laptop up and have no post processing at the mo!!
 
I went through this recently and looked at it like this. To start with a was using auto and program shots alot and was getting some really lucky shoots. Then i moved to maunal and my photography took a real nose dive because i wasn't getting the results i wanted consistently. This was because of a few things, one my knowledge wasn't as full as it is now ( although im still far from complete). two it takes practice to use the knowledge to its greatest advantage and three the weather always sucks when i go to take photos.

The weather i can do nothing about but the increasing knowledge and practice is what i am working on and slowly things are getting better.

Set your set little tasks, the first one i did was putting 2 objects on the kitchen table and taking 100s of shots to look at the DoF i ended up with about 2 photos i like, but thats the beauty of digital taking a shoot cost nothing so you can practice to your hearts content:)
 
I write a lot and sometimes get stuck with what I guess you would call writers block. What works for me is not to tackle a problem head on, some of my best ideas in my stories have come about when I have been driving around at work and let my mind wander a bit. Random associations come to mind and before long I am back at the laptop typing away.

What I am getting at is that if you try to battle through this you are going to get more annoyed and frustrated. Don't fight it, put the camera away, leave it a few weeks then ease yourself back in. In the interim don't put pressure on yourself, browse photobooks and the web, check out images you love, find inspiration.

I know that sounds really twee but everybody here can probably empathise if not sympathise with you.

It takes along time to find your style in photography and there will always be somebody better than you. But remember you are not in this case to beat others or win their approval, you should be doing this to engage your mind, be creative and ultimately satisfy yourself.

Stick with it man, the slump will pass.
 
I went out this afternoon into a small nearby oak wood, I photo`ed Coal Tits, Woodpeckers,LTT`s and warblers.I then walked down to the mill pond to see the goslings.I took 100 shots and due to the crap light and my inability they are all crap,probably not a one worth showing. You get days like that, well some of us do. The bonus is tomorrow can`t be any worse, stick at it and you`ll get through it.....:thumbs:
 
I think we all go through this. I find my interest in photography goes through spurts. I usually go a month or two without really using the camera much then a period of using it quite a bit, then back to not picking it up again...
 
Yup - having one right now :(
 
If it helps the low points seem to get shorter the more you progress (or they seem to be doing so for me). When I first did some photography years ago, helping my dad with weddings or just taking snaps with whatever camera I had infront of me at the time. I then got bored and had a break for years, then a photography course at college sparked my interest again and I got back into it, then went to uni and lost interest again though did odd bits every few months, but then got a 350D and would have weeks of going out everyday and dragging mates along etc, then would just loose interest for a few weeks.....anyway to cut this very boring a nd long story short, now I am doing my 365 (shot a day thing) I find a still have low points (had about 4 days recently where I just really couldnt care less about taking a photo) but then a great sunset a few nights ago made me want to get out again and then I was out the next day etc...so now I am back on a high (though todays 365 shot wouldnt suggest that too much)...hopefully one day my lows will just be a few hours :D or maybe this is just a fluke and I will get bored of it all one day soon!
 
How can you think of giving up with pics like those in your flikr?!
Maybe youre just having a bad few weeks, or even just one bad day. I know that sometimes you can feel useless when you cant get something right that you can usually do. This has happened before with my music playing, it soon picks up after.
Don't be discouraged ;)
 
Don’t get discouraged.

If one thing is not working for you then try another. Try some ‘set up’ indoor shots experimenting with different lighting levels and objects. Here you will be able to set up the shot and have more time/control over exposure/focus etc….

It’s amazing how everyday objects can be made into interesting shots.

We all have low points then one unexpected shot turns out good and off we go again! :D
 
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