Help... Ive lost my photo mojo

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Flyingterrier

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Hello all,

This is my first ever post on here so a big hello, I'm much more of a reader than a poster... but.

Got into photography about a year ago, after being bought a fujifilm bridge model for christmas, took some fairly pleasing photos through trial and error and read several books on exposure...composition etc and all seemed to be going well, however I decided to treat myself to a nikon D60 and got a few lenses, (btw this wasnt because I thought the 'Camera' would take 'better' pictures, it was merely because my original camera was very automated and sometimes I would find myself limited by thing such as lack of manual aperture control etc...)

Well since I bought my new camera I have hardly taken a good picture, I often feel that the second I take it out of the bag I am going to be dissapointed. Now I love photography however I feel bogged down by the theory IE I think too much about the settings and not enough about the picture... (whereas before I used to point and shoot and it didnt matter what the aperture, shutter speed, white balance, ISO etc... was as long as the photo looked roughly like I wanted it to.)

I have loads of ideas for projects and themes yet I feel my confidence evaporating due to poor results and therefore end up feeling frustrated. I think it may be because I dont have enough experience with the more advanced camera to get the best out of it.

As I said I love taking photo's, and get a real sense of achievement when one comes off. So can anyone offer me any tips on how to get my mojo back a bit?

Cheers

Flyingterrier:thumbs:
 
Set it to programme mode and use it as a point and shoot for now. When you get more enthusiasm and time, and get more used to the camera, try out aperture priority and shutter priority then progress to manual changing one setting at a time to see what difference it makes.


Steve.
 
Why not look at one of the pictures you took with your bridge you really liked and go and try to make it better with your nikon, changing your settings and composition, then you'll have a reference point to improve from
 
Don't worry about theory so much, get out and practice. Only through going out and taking pictures will you learn, then one day the theory side will click.

Have a look at pictures on Flickr for inspiration, there are some amazing pictures taken with the D60.
 
Have a look in the meetings forum and meet up with some fellow tp'ers.
 
I agree firtly I would go to "Programme Mode" and then start taking shots on programme mode & then either aperature or shutter priority, thinking about what your trying to do ie shallow DoF, slow shutter speed etc. WHilst in Programme mode concentrate more on the image composition. You may wish to consider do a short course at the local college or camera club. It will come as we have all ben there.
 
Hey guys,

Thaks very much for the swift responses. All taken on board. I think that programme mode might just be the ticket,

I understand all about aperture and shutter speed etc... in thoery at least. I just find that instead of thinking 'get the correctly exposed picture' I feel a bit overloaded with considerations IE composure, exposure, bracketing etc... Suppose I just need to keep it simple and press the button.

Right thanks for the replies hopefully post some inspired pics on here in the near future.


Flyingterrier
 
I definately think becoming more of a poster than a reader would help - even if you are posting shots you know aren't great at least you can ask for constructive feedback on how to improve things. It sounds like you need at least one triumphant moment where you really get something.

What are some of your ideas for a project? Maybe we could help you get what you are aiming for.
 
Have you thought about doing a course? I'm doing one at my local college and it's really good fun and great for learning all the basics.
 
Remember that the camera is just a tool that should do what you want. Use just as much of it as you need to get the result you want. It isn't forcing you to go fully manual.

First get used to shooting in program, and using the different focus points (assuming you can in manual) Then think up some projects that use one extra aspect of the camera settings, such as long shutter speeds for motion blur, or using the aperture to achieve selective focus with close objects and more distant objects, then maybe use manual focus to shoot landscapes with maximum hyperfocal distance.

Gradually you will get to understand what you can make the camera do for you in different situations and that will widen your creative vision.

The histogram is your friend. You can often reshoot a scene after adjusting for over/under exposure.

Thinking about rules of composition may be less useful than simply composing according to what you feel is most harmonious. I do it all the time and - guess what? - it often turns out that I have been following the rules by accident.
 
When i lost my 'mojo' i limited myself to a single lens so i didnt get caught up in the 'equipment' and it made me think more about what i was doing as i was limited.

It worked (IMO) , but photography is always going to be a rollercoaster ride with lots and lots of ups 'n' downs
 
Iam kinda the same, got loads of ideas and projects but feel my photos are very good therefore give up :-(
 
I remember when I got the 1DS (Canon) and I spent the first six months with it feeling like I could not match what I had been doing with the 5D because the 5D had become my tool and when I picked up the 1Ds, despite knowing pretty much what I was doing, I felt that it was in charge rather than me. Now I'm the boss again.

And that only happens with time, practice and familiarity. I had to learn the different controls and how that camera reacted in certain circumstances. It can feel like a chore at times but I agree totally with what some of the others have said, start on P and slowly move into the other modes when you start to feel limited on P. Set yourself little projects. "Today I'm going to explore depth of field with this one lens" Actually I did that for a fortnight. Shot everything I could get with a 50mm f1.8 and just played with depth of field until I know how to "see" it almost automatically. Then play with the different shutter speeds and explore what kind of shutter speed you need to freeze people walking, or traffic.

The whole time you are doing this you are learning and building up your own little encyclopaedia that is relevent to you and your camera.

Before you know it you start to visualise shots and you know just what to tell the camera to do to get what you want.

And lastly, it's a journey and many fellow photographers will tell you, it never ends. I don't think I will ever get to the point where I stop learning and stop absorbing, so may as well pull up a chair and get comfy :)
 
My daughter has just started a college course and the tutors insist for the first few assignments that they only use a standard lens, no flash, no tripod, black and white film only.

I know we live in a digital age but I think there is something to be said for forcing you to shoot like this as the main thing you concentrate on is the composition.
 
Don't worry to much, as i think i'm fairly safe in saying it's probably happened to 99% of people on here, it happens to me quite regular, like at the moment, although i think that's because i've just come from my hols, from 95 degrees of heat down to 10 (how bloody depressing), and am having the holiday blue's, the funny thing is when i went from a bridge camera to a DSLR i couldn't seem to get a decent photo, but it comes in the end, i think the advice put the camera in P mode and keep it simple for now, is sound advice, the weather is'nt helping right now either, but just stick at it and it will all come back ;)
 
Hey guys,

Thanks very much to all who have provided solutions to my dilemma. Nice to hear people have had similar experiences to myself, so thats reassuring. Right well its festive christmas market tonight so I'm sure I wont be short of inspiration. I have taken all of your advice on board and will give it a whirl! Hope to post some pics in the near future, will look forward to you tearing them to shreds ;)

Best regards.

FlyingTerrier
 
I think I would add, understanding the theory is only half of the story, and I think this could be where you are going wrong.

You also need to understand how to implement the theory. You do this by metering. Learn how to meter your shot, and then the theory will click into place. In other words, its no good knowing that you need particular settings for an effect. You need to be able to use your camera to tell you what the light levels are and adjust the settings accordingly. After some practice this becomes automatic and you can concentrate on the composition a lot more.

As suggested above, start by using AV mode - where you adjust the aperture and the camera will then pick the appropriate shutterspeed for you. Carry on like this for a while until you feel confident to turn the dial that last step to "M" mode.
 
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