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- Name
- Dave
- Edit My Images
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To all those feeling their photography is going nowhere, they can't decide what to shoot, everyone else is better than them, you live in an uninspiring place and you're (photographically speaking) lonely - here's a few thoughts to help 
1 - We've ALL been there and even some of us oldies still have those issues from time 2 time - don't worry about it
2 - If your photography is falling well short of reaching the heights of the greats you follow then just look down, there are probably more below & worse than you than you'd imagine
3 - Without having a source of mates to photograph with, to chat to, to compare and learn from you're always going to find it a lonely and unforgiving place behind the lens - so go get some TP mates
4 - TP is now so big its almost certain that wherever you are there are several, if not loads, of other TP members near you. So find them, get meets going even if they are to shoot something you may not think you fancy
I've attended, and even organised, several TP meets and each has been fun, at each I've managed to help someone with some query and I've learned something from everyone else too
5 - When you are bored, alone, feeling down, this is the simplest of self-challenges (and one I favour in some of the mini-meets I organise too)
Go to the nearest town (a town as its likely to be far more varied than a rural area), take ONE camera, ONE lens (if a zoom choose ONE focal length) and choose ONE aperture setting and DO NOT CHANGE anything. The challenge is then to be create, to come back with 20 images in ONE HOUR
This is NOT shoot 300 images and hope to pull 20 later - its shoot & delete as you go to ensure you have ONLY 20 images
These can be simple abstracts, landscapes, street, portraits anything - but I guarantee you it'll make you look and see differently to wondering about all day with a bag full of gear
When you get back PP ALL of them, post them somewhere and ask for feedback
6 - Do 5 (above) - with at least 1 other person too - then an hour later get together somewhere to review (back of camera is fine) your 20 shots
You'll immediately learn from each other, and be amazed at what you each saw differently for the same place same time - this is inspirational
7 - Shoot something EVERY day, or at the very least every day you aren't working
8 - Prior to a shoot - i.e. a walk around XYZ town/park - use Google to search for images of that venue for ideas, pick a few, use Pinterest even, then go out and try to replicate the great stuff or shoot poorer stuff better
Trying to replicate a great shot is not 'cheating' its an invaluable way to learn to 'see' better and understand the technical aspects too
9 - When out & about and you see someone using a DSLR and especially a tripod (shows enthusiast/Pro), DON'T just walk passed wondering what the Hell they are doing - go ASK them
I never take offense to anyone engaging in conversation about my photography, and I suspect most would welcome the interest. They may well be unsure themselves and feeling 'lost' too so would welcome the chance to chat
10 - Go on a training course - you've probably spent a small (even large) fortune on gear, so now spend some money on finding out how to get the best out of it - at the very least search Google/YouTube for tutorials and then go try to shoot the same sort of thing using the ideas/techniques you've just seen
Finally - photography is a technical event in image capture that can all be learnt by anyone willing to try and accepting that it make take quite a while to become technically proficient; the creative aspect is within you, really it is, it just may take even longer to find its way out - stick at it
So get yourself onto some TP meets - organise them if there isn't one close - and get some TP mates local enough to go shoot something at the drop of a hat
ENJOY
Dave
1 - We've ALL been there and even some of us oldies still have those issues from time 2 time - don't worry about it
2 - If your photography is falling well short of reaching the heights of the greats you follow then just look down, there are probably more below & worse than you than you'd imagine
3 - Without having a source of mates to photograph with, to chat to, to compare and learn from you're always going to find it a lonely and unforgiving place behind the lens - so go get some TP mates
4 - TP is now so big its almost certain that wherever you are there are several, if not loads, of other TP members near you. So find them, get meets going even if they are to shoot something you may not think you fancy
I've attended, and even organised, several TP meets and each has been fun, at each I've managed to help someone with some query and I've learned something from everyone else too
5 - When you are bored, alone, feeling down, this is the simplest of self-challenges (and one I favour in some of the mini-meets I organise too)
Go to the nearest town (a town as its likely to be far more varied than a rural area), take ONE camera, ONE lens (if a zoom choose ONE focal length) and choose ONE aperture setting and DO NOT CHANGE anything. The challenge is then to be create, to come back with 20 images in ONE HOUR
This is NOT shoot 300 images and hope to pull 20 later - its shoot & delete as you go to ensure you have ONLY 20 images
These can be simple abstracts, landscapes, street, portraits anything - but I guarantee you it'll make you look and see differently to wondering about all day with a bag full of gear
When you get back PP ALL of them, post them somewhere and ask for feedback
6 - Do 5 (above) - with at least 1 other person too - then an hour later get together somewhere to review (back of camera is fine) your 20 shots
You'll immediately learn from each other, and be amazed at what you each saw differently for the same place same time - this is inspirational
7 - Shoot something EVERY day, or at the very least every day you aren't working
8 - Prior to a shoot - i.e. a walk around XYZ town/park - use Google to search for images of that venue for ideas, pick a few, use Pinterest even, then go out and try to replicate the great stuff or shoot poorer stuff better
Trying to replicate a great shot is not 'cheating' its an invaluable way to learn to 'see' better and understand the technical aspects too
9 - When out & about and you see someone using a DSLR and especially a tripod (shows enthusiast/Pro), DON'T just walk passed wondering what the Hell they are doing - go ASK them
I never take offense to anyone engaging in conversation about my photography, and I suspect most would welcome the interest. They may well be unsure themselves and feeling 'lost' too so would welcome the chance to chat
10 - Go on a training course - you've probably spent a small (even large) fortune on gear, so now spend some money on finding out how to get the best out of it - at the very least search Google/YouTube for tutorials and then go try to shoot the same sort of thing using the ideas/techniques you've just seen
Finally - photography is a technical event in image capture that can all be learnt by anyone willing to try and accepting that it make take quite a while to become technically proficient; the creative aspect is within you, really it is, it just may take even longer to find its way out - stick at it
So get yourself onto some TP meets - organise them if there isn't one close - and get some TP mates local enough to go shoot something at the drop of a hat
ENJOY
Dave
