Feeling lost...

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petemc

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Pete
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First I just want to apologise to anyone if they feel I've been too harsh on their photos. I'm currently feeling really lost with my photography. I was saying the other day that I've covered a lot of Liverpool so I feel that I'm just going over old ground by shooting the same locations again. I need my work to always move me forward and I don't feel I am right now. This has made me become even more critical of my photos and I feel its coming out in what I say here. I can't seem to appreciate others work. I just see faults. So now I'm questioning what I say, whether I'm justified in what I say.

Yesterday's HDR spree made me feel even more lost. Just the other day on IRC I was saying how I post on Flickr for the exposure and post here for the advise. I felt the recent threads had become Flickrised. On Flickr you'll find most comments are just "Wow" and such. People don't really critique there. I post here to further my photography. If I did wrong, you guys let me know. It made me question their responses to my images. But then the past 2 shots I've posted people have offered critique, in the same forum as the others. :shrug: With the recent posts I felt too many people seemed to be lost in the illusion and didn't notice some obvious issues, at least to my eye. I tried to explain but it didn't seem to help. I found it weird to be reading responses that I would have written about my own work to justify my actions. So I felt lost because I understood what everyone was saying but my point wasn't getting through.

I hope no-one takes any of this personally, I just feel I need to get some things off my chest. I feel like that magic, the things I love about photography have become alien to me. I've lost something in the past week or so. Maybe its because I miss Toronto. This time last year I was heading out there and the Contact Photo festival was on. Its on this year too and I would have loved to have gone. I love photography, its my life. Right now though I'm not really feeling any of it. I have a shoot in 4 1/2 hours... :|
 
Pete, you are one of the really good togs here, one of the ones that us less experienced appreciate and enjoy aiming to try and achieve equally good results as. Even our most passionate hobbie can get stale from time to time, and you know you need to either find new inspiration, maybe by sitting back and not looking for it anymore, have a break, or by going out and finding it. Either way, I haven't seen yu be over critical of anyone,[unless i have missed something] and whatever you have said, seems to have been said to those that want the critism in order to improve.

I may be wrong and have missed what you think are saying that might be less than appropriate, but in some ways it's irrelevant anyway, because what I want to say is this - Have a big hug for being big enough to make such a post, and relax!! You will never 'find' what it is you feel you have lost if you are worrying about it. Maybe book a few days in another place, a new place, or even go somewhere and [SHOCK HORROR] leave the kit behind!! :eek: :nono:
GO stay with friends, or whatever, but do something different, because your post sounds like someone suddenly feeling they are stuck in a rut.
 
LadyLens said:
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Hear! Hear! :clap:


Cut yourself some slack Pete and get some chill out time booked.
You haven't said anything out of turn and your opinions are valued here. :)

Edit; Before you go, go get critical on my post in the Critique forum, let rip, I don't mind :)
( even though you don't "do" flowers :))
 
Pete - the key word is 'relax' as LL puts it above! Your images are a class apart and have inspired me to try a style of processing I hadn't heard of a year ago.

We all have lulls and blank spots (I'm now wondering if I could ever work on a non-HDR image).

Your comments are always welcome positive or negative so don't fret! There's only one thing worse: no comments at all!!!
 
Cheers guys. Felt like I needed to say something as I was worried I may have been ranting. I've been known for it before ;)
 
Hey mate,

It's only natural to have highs and lows, more so I think for creative minds simply because creativity is such an intangible thing and keeping a grasp on 'the magic' is never easy.

I can understand that at times you feel as though something is missing and it must be even harder if those people around you, the ones who's opinions you respect, don't see the same problems that you do.

All I can say is that self doubt is a good thing in small doses, and the feeling doesn't usually last that long. Without it you would never question your own work and you would never strive to be better. I think it's part of the creative process that drives artistic minds to achieve more.

You're able to be critical of others work because you have the experience and know what to look for. If you were to comment on one of my photos I would rather get a pasting from you than a "nice picture", because I respect what you have to say and I have no doubt that if I took your comments on board, it would make me a better photographer.

One thing I try to do is balance my critique. If there's something I don't like I still try to find something I do like and I comment on both.

I can appreciate that you miss Toronto and sometimes the artists-block can be attributed to an issue not directly related with the work itself. I think you have to look for the positives.

Bad thing) You can't go to Toronto

Positive outlook) Use the time that would have been spent in Toronto finding new locations at home. Take a drive to somewhere you wouldn't normally go or alternatively go to one of your old favourite spots and try and do something new or different. Look for the unusual angle you've not noticed before and shoot it with a technique you're not comfortable with.

Sometimes the reason for artists-block is comfort. You get comfortable in a location and with certain skills and once you have them honed to perfection, they become stale and boring. Scare yourself a little and get out of the comfort zone. Even if the initial results aren't up to your high standards, you can now use them as a spring-board to new heights because you can learn from them and improve.

I hope I've helped a little bit, it's something I've been through myself. If you're interested in a chat I'm on MSN.

Good luck with the shoot this afternoon :)

Panzer
 
I've gone through something kinda similar of late, although that was linked in with a bout of depression and general feeling of lostness, I wrote about it on my blog if you're interested.

It's a process you're going through and by the sounds of it you're at the beginning of that process of change and trying to re-find yourself as an artist. It's tough but you're just going to have to ride it out, but do know that you will come out the other side and you'll come out of it with new ideas and inspiration which will kick off a new dawn for your creativity.

My friend Andy is a life coach and he has a wonderful blog called The Creative Instinct about exploring and inspiring your own creativity. It has really helped me of late. Andy really is a very insightful man and writes in a very entertaining fashion. I'm sure you'll find a number of posts there relevant to your current situation.

Best of luck with it all fella, don't get to down-heartened by it all - if there weren't the downs we'd never appreciate the highs.
 
I'm feeling happier now. I remember years back when I was first reading about photography someone said to be a good professional photographer you need to find your niche. People have always asked me what I prefer to do and I've never known. I think that just as I started to find that area I'm feeling constricted by it. Landscapes and cityscapes. I feel I've done Liverpool justice, and I'm not going to stop taking Liverpool shots but I do feel that I've got a good selection done and I should be looking around elsewhere for new ideas. I do need to HDR London. When I was there last it was sunny so I felt a bit down because I couldn't HDR the shots I wanted. However it was good because I got a nice set of shots that I wouldn't have thought to get. I may take a drive around Wales later in the week. Its been years since I visited Bala. Last time I was there was with my A70 and I did want to revisit it. While I'm shy I've always wanted to take great portrait shots. I think this is what I should be doing next. Combine the cityscapes that I love with people. I'll start that tonight.
 
:clap: :clap: Sounds like a plan!!

A little tale about Bala. I stayed there several years ago when I was a single mum and couldnt afford the package holidays every one else was doing. Got a beautiful cottage up on the hillsides looking down towards the town and lake. At the time I had a very basic P&S camera, my first digital that I had scraped pennies together to buy. On the Thursday a friend came over from Stockport [where I lived at the time, he was sort of a mentor, an art teacher that lived next door to my folks] with his new digital camera.. a Fuji s640, and immediately I was totally in love!! NOT with him Janice!! With the camera! He was happy to let me drive round the local area taking some fabulous pictures with and I fell in love with the area too. Later that year I bought the same camera, and from there of course moved on to the Nikon, and promised myself a year ago that when I get the chance, i am taking it back to bala! More poignantly, I called in at the office last night and collected that same Fuji from the cupboard [we now use it if we need pics there] and brought it home so my youngest daughter can take it on her school trip to germany next month. I had a play with it earlier and remembered how light and easy it is to use.

Sorry, just rambling, but Petes post and playing with my old camera brought back some good memories :)
 
It is a lovely location. Clear blue water, a view that goes off to the mountains.
 
Sounds lovely pete. Might have to have a drive down there in the summer...Far?
 
Its about an hour and a half from me, so probably an extra 40 mins for you. Map.
 
What about HDR Newcastle or Northumberland?
 
Kev Mills said:
What about HDR Newcastle or Northumberland?
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Kev,

Just beat me to it. Some of the quayside and the backstreets are worth a good look. Northumberland is just full of opportunities!
 
What about trying something totally different? You got a lot of publicity from your HDR work and you've really been pushing it, no wonder you're starting to feel a bit stale.

I was feeling the same thing about the bikes until a couple of weeks ago. I just wasn't finding the shots and then I picked up the 24-70 and changed how I was shooting. Did quads this weekend past, which is actually more like shooting cars than bikes, and I can't wait for next weekend now.
 
well pete if you ever fancy playing badminton, we have a friendly group who play at hilbre highschool on wednesdays from 8 till 10, its not a proper club, then we go to the ring o bells in west kirby for a pint although we are at the concourse in west kirby for 2 weeks because of exams ...its not photography, but it may would make a change and I could take you along.
 
Cheers Paul but I am rubbish at hand-eye co-ordination with sports and I can't play for toffee. Unfortunately the model for tonight had to cancel so theres that.
 
I think the best idea was yours, pete. Visit Bala, with or without camera, a change of scenery, a break from the norm etc. Just chill!

From what I've seen of your photography you work hard, real hard with excellent results. Everyone needs a break once in a while nows your chance mate.


Al
 
Don't think I could without the camera just in case, but I do realize that I should be just to leave that aspect of myself at home.
 
no problem pete, we are all crap players in the group, but we enjoy the drink afterwards, so if you ever just fancy a pint sometime, you would be more than welcome.

What about band photography
 
chin up mate, we all have our off days...I was in a bit of a low not long ago, just couldn't get my head into anything, wanted to get out and take photos but just didn't feel that pick-up I needed to get me out and about. Maybe some time off and getting away for a bit to some new scenery might do you good?

I know we could all do more of giving decent critiques towards photos around here, I'm not a member of flickr but I see what you're getting at. To me if there's something that doesn't look right I always appreciate a different pair of eyes to say so...

p.s. I wouldn't leave the camera alone in the car!!
 
Pete

Your ready to go try something different for a year or so.

I always find that doing the same thing gets on my p****r after a few months and becomes a chore. I'm not a fan of HDR either, so please feel free to start doing something else :)
 
I'm not sure if I'll be giving up HDR as I find it just as useful as B&W and I don't like to label my images as 'HDR' because of the stigma surrounding it.
 
TBH as far as the critique goes, different people see things differently i don't mind if people just go wow or want to be harse and quite critical i like it all and find it useful in it's own way.

There have been pics on here that i have looked at and loved and then someone will say, oh that sign detracts from it or the puddle looks crap in it etc and i hadn't even notice.

Then there are other pics which to me have a screaming issue to me and no one else seems to see it.

I think for someone of your calibre probably has a better eye than most and is naturally more critical of your work as its such a high standard and as a result would like similar critique from others as well on occasion.

Unfortunately i don't think thats always possible and when coupled with you having a bit of a blank at the mo it probably seems worse than it really is.

I am sure things will look up especially with some of the suggestions on here. Also you could try a different area of photography (macro, candid street etc) for a change and to refresh so when you come back to your usual HDR work you may be a bit more revitalised.
 
Just take a bit to of a breather mate, you've already found your style so it can't hurt to try to find something else to either complement or contrast with it.
I echo a lot of the comments above - just get away for a while & start enjoying your photography again :thumbs:
 
petemc said:
I was saying the other day that I've covered a lot of Liverpool so I feel that I'm just going over old ground by shooting the same locations again. I need my work to always move me forward and I don't feel I am right now.
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I would say that trying to find something new in the same locations is a way of pushing yourself forwards. No scene is identical between visits, something will be different whether it is the light, people, weather, ambience, or your own mood.

Michael.
 
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