Lacking ideas!

[bildo]

I'm lacking ideas on what I could go out and shoot. I went to a local wakeboarding competition yesterday and enjoyed that but today I woke up with great weather really wanting to shoot something and literally had no idea where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do.

I enjoy all sorts of photography, but I struggle to just go out for a walk with the camera as I can't think of any fascinating places. A couple of times I have taken it I've taken hardly any snaps as there's just nothing of interest (to me, or others.)

I'm intending to get some pictures of my car tonight as it's going up for sale soon, waiting until the sun dies down. In the meantime my brain is quite literally dead for ideas.

Do any of you ever feel like this? Do you have a "go-to" place if you've not got any real "events" on or anything?

Any advice and ideas are greatly appreciated.

 

[DuncanDisorderly]

I think it's whatever works for you
But I can tell you what helps me.

It's not where or what I'm photographing; it's simply getting into the groove and feeling comfortable. Shoot something - anything!
Surprisingly, once the initial blank is out the way then I'm fine.

For example I was out yesterday shooting the rebuilding of our village monument, a stack of hurdles - the last one was destroyed by fire.
I deliberately stood back from the scene and took general shots from several angels - pure record shots. But it was enough to get my creative urge fired up and I was ready to wade into the group for some cracking candid shallow DoF portraits. There is no way I could have gone and taken those portraits 'cold'.
Also - those record shots are actually needed to compliment the portraits in order to tell the story of the day. So it's all good

 

[DNH]

I picked up a book in my local WH Smith that had routes for walks around my county. Perhaps a similar book on walks in Essex might give ideas? If I was in Essex today I wouldn't mind being at Maldon. Have had a couple of nice walks along the river bank & with the boats there is always something to shoot.

 

[bildo]

I think it's whatever works for you
But I can tell you what helps me.

It's not where or what I'm photographing; it's simply getting into the groove and feeling comfortable. Shoot something - anything!
Surprisingly, once the initial blank is out the way then I'm fine.

For example I was out yesterday shooting the rebuilding of our village monument, a stack of hurdles - the last one was destroyed by fire.
I deliberately stood back from the scene and took general shots from several angels - pure record shots. But it was enough to get my creative urge fired up and I was ready to wade into the group for some cracking candid shallow DoF portraits. There is no way I could have gone and taken those portraits 'cold'.
Also - those record shots are actually needed to compliment the portraits in order to tell the story of the day. So it's all good

That sounds interesting, the thing I struggle is knowing what's going on where and when I think. For instance around here I wouldn't have even known the monument was going up to be there!

I've given up trying with landscape photography, my area is just plain boring for it in all honesty! I only have a 35mm and a 70-300mm at the moment, so a little restricted in the lower range too. (I have the 18-55mm kit lens but I try to avoid it when I can, until I can replace it with something better!)

I have a Raynox DCR-250, and I've quite enjoyed using it and produced some decent shots using it. One of the things I liked about that is it made the garden more interesting getting it close up, but I feel like I've exhausted the garden now too! Searched for about 15 mins for a decent bug or anything mildly exciting to no avail!

I agree it's just a matter of getting out, I'm just useless at knowing where to start!

I picked up a book in my local WH Smith that had routes for walks around my county. Perhaps a similar book on walks in Essex might give ideas? If I was in Essex today I wouldn't mind being at Maldon. Have had a couple of nice walks along the river bank & with the boats there is always something to shoot.

That sounds interesting, was it a coincidence you found it or should my local smiths have a similar book for my area?

Only ever visited Maldon once as a kid, remember nothing of it so that may prove very helpful, thanks for the recommendation.

Thanks for the advice chaps.

 

[DuncanDisorderly]

Bill,
Where you go doesn't really matter.
I once challenged myself to stick to just 50ft of a beach for the whole day; once you get the obvious shots out the way, you start looking properly; and that's when better shots start appearing.
It's too easy to think you've got the shots and move on.
I got some crackers from that day I spent on a tiny part of a single beach

Your garden is the convenient option, if you want something different try heading to a conifer plantation and head off the path into a really dense part of the wood.
It's an alien world and really easy to dismiss as being nothing there to photograph. But there always is. The problem is getting past the initial mental block and despondency at the lack of subject interest.

Here's a link to an example I documented earlier this year where I tagged along with a friends quarry project.
A sanitised quarry is possibly one of the most uninspiring places I've ever photographed and the only reason I stayed was my friend was driving and I was there for the duration.
But the weird thing is that day produced some of the strongest images I've created in a while.
http://www.wild-landscapes.co.uk/Blog/2013-02-23-Quarry/28296618_8Wt8PH

 

[simonblue]

I think sometimes you can go through an dry period,i tend to carry a camera with me all the time,i would just go out take your camera and just see what capture your eye

 

[Tringa]

Have a look at the OS map of an area you fancy visiting, either online via Bing maps or the paper version. The detail will let you spot potential places - woods, hills, castles, rivers, churches, harbours, lakes, coastline.
Sunrise from a large amount of the Essex coast could be good, though you will have to get up very early at this time of year.

This is also very useful for landscape shots- http://photoephemeris.com/

Dave

 

[seriousrikk]

I have the 18-55mm kit lens but I try to avoid it when I can, until I can replace it with something better!

Don't get sucked into the trap of thinking that little kit lens isn't good enough, It's better than every other lens you have covering that range

Stop it down to F8 and you got yourself a landscape lens which will be plenty sharp enough. A better lens will not improve your landscape work, if you haven't first gone out and done some.

 

[kendo1]

There's a secret nuclear bunker at Epping, Beth Chatto gardens, Tilbury fort, RHS garden at Hyde Hall, Rainham Marshes, Chelmsford Cathedral. Constable painted in Essex, just find a wagon!
The list goes on, just get out there.

 

[bildo]

Sorry for abandoning this thread, been caught up with things the last couple of days.

I ended up cleaning the car up for a photoshoot as it's going up for sale, didn't feel up to going anywhere exciting as I've not been feeling up to much lately, but it was good to get it done and get the photographer in me at bay for a bit haha.

Bill,
Where you go doesn't really matter.
I once challenged myself to stick to just 50ft of a beach for the whole day; once you get the obvious shots out the way, you start looking properly; and that's when better shots start appearing.
It's too easy to think you've got the shots and move on.
I got some crackers from that day I spent on a tiny part of a single beach

Your garden is the convenient option, if you want something different try heading to a conifer plantation and head off the path into a really dense part of the wood.
It's an alien world and really easy to dismiss as being nothing there to photograph. But there always is. The problem is getting past the initial mental block and despondency at the lack of subject interest.

Here's a link to an example I documented earlier this year where I tagged along with a friends quarry project.
A sanitised quarry is possibly one of the most uninspiring places I've ever photographed and the only reason I stayed was my friend was driving and I was there for the duration.
But the weird thing is that day produced some of the strongest images I've created in a while.
http://www.wild-landscapes.co.uk/Blog/2013-02-23-Quarry/28296618_8Wt8PH

I found this to be really interesting, it really did show how much you can get from barely anything with a little imagination, thank you for sharing. One thing I did notice though is that you seem to have a good variety of lenses - something I struggle with at the moment.

Thank you for sharing, and for giving me an idea of just how much can be taken from such an uninspiring area.

I think sometimes you can go through an dry period,i tend to carry a camera with me all the time,i would just go out take your camera and just see what capture your eye

Not entirely sure it's a dry period as such, I know what you mean but it's more the mind that's dry but the photographer side of me is more eager than ever. I think it'll come with experience and I'll learn over time exactly what I like and can get a lot from.

I need to take a trip to the beach one evening, I think it could inspire me to do something a bit different.

Thank you for your advice!

Have a look at the OS map of an area you fancy visiting, either online via Bing maps or the paper version. The detail will let you spot potential places - woods, hills, castles, rivers, churches, harbours, lakes, coastline.
Sunrise from a large amount of the Essex coast could be good, though you will have to get up very early at this time of year.

This is also very useful for landscape shots- http://photoephemeris.com/

Dave

This is a really interesting idea, so thank you. Will definitely take your ideas on board and have a look at the site mentioned.

Don't get sucked into the trap of thinking that little kit lens isn't good enough, It's better than every other lens you have covering that range

Stop it down to F8 and you got yourself a landscape lens which will be plenty sharp enough. A better lens will not improve your landscape work, if you haven't first gone out and done some.

I think that happened some time ago, pretty much as soon as I got it, but you made a very valid point that it does cover a range I really don't have anything else to compete with it on. I think I'll pull it out and give it another go when I get a chance, as much as I want to hate it, it could be really useful. Some very valid points and also a bit of a slap round the face I needed, thank you!

There's a secret nuclear bunker at Epping, Beth Chatto gardens, Tilbury fort, RHS garden at Hyde Hall, Rainham Marshes, Chelmsford Cathedral. Constable painted in Essex, just find a wagon!
The list goes on, just get out there.

These all sound interesting, a couple I hadn't even heard of so I'll definitely research these more. Thank you very much for the suggestions!

 

[Ash.]

I think it depends on what you enjoy shooting / doing.

I've been rollerblading for years now, so I take photo's of that. I'm not into landscapes so I don't shoot them.

My point is; don't force yourself to shoot things you're not particularly interested in, just for the sake of shooting them. shoot what you enjoy, that's what makes photography fun.

 

[bildo]

I think it depends on what you enjoy shooting / doing.

I've been rollerblading for years now, so I take photo's of that. I'm not into landscapes so I don't shoot them.

My point is; don't force yourself to shoot things you're not particularly interested in, just for the sake of shooting them. shoot what you enjoy, that's what makes photography fun.

That's a very valid point, in all honesty landscapes aren't the one for me, not because I don't enjoy them but because around my way there's no real opportunities and I know anything I post up will be trampled on by someone who lives in an amazing place!

My main issue is the things I REALLY enjoy shooting aren't always readily available, my main interest is drifting and there's about 10 decent UK events a year, 3-4 of them which are within a 200 mile radius.

That being said, I do enjoy a number of things and I'm still learning and finding out what I really enjoy which was part of my reason for asking.

I think getting out there with the camera and just doing something - ANYTHING I enjoy is a good start, I'm sure the photo opportunities will come when I feel the moment is right.

 

[droj]

Try thinking along these lines - that the subject is esentially LIGHT. Don't go somewhere determined to take pictures, just go somewhere that you might go anyway & take the camera in case you see some interesting light. It could be backlight, juxtaposed light, reflections ... just relax into it, have fun & don't be reluctant to bin many of the results.

Apart from light, think about framing - framing EXTRACTS things, cuts out clutter and clarifies intention.

Then there's ... I could ramble on even more. Film is expensive to waste, but digital is almost free once you're up & running ...

 

[Ash.]

That's a very valid point, in all honesty landscapes aren't the one for me, not because I don't enjoy them but because around my way there's no real opportunities and I know anything I post up will be trampled on by someone who lives in an amazing place!

My main issue is the things I REALLY enjoy shooting aren't always readily available, my main interest is drifting and there's about 10 decent UK events a year, 3-4 of them which are within a 200 mile radius.

That being said, I do enjoy a number of things and I'm still learning and finding out what I really enjoy which was part of my reason for asking.

I think getting out there with the camera and just doing something - ANYTHING I enjoy is a good start, I'm sure the photo opportunities will come when I feel the moment is right.

Taking photo's of various things that you enjoy will help you improve.

However don't feel pressured to shoot anything for the sake of shooting, you won't enjoy it.

Also don't think that just because you've got the camera in your hand, you'll come home with amazing pictures, or even anything worth showing.

There's been tonnes of times I've been out and not even pressed the shutter button. The main reason (in my opinion) is that I forced myself to go out and shoot for the sake of it.

 

[bildo]

Both really valid points here chaps, thanks.

Try thinking along these lines - that the subject is esentially LIGHT. Don't go somewhere determined to take pictures, just go somewhere that you might go anyway & take the camera in case you see some interesting light. It could be backlight, juxtaposed light, reflections ... just relax into it, have fun & don't be reluctant to bin many of the results.

Apart from light, think about framing - framing EXTRACTS things, cuts out clutter and clarifies intention.

Then there's ... I could ramble on even more. Film is expensive to waste, but digital is almost free once you're up & running ...

Interesting, a different take on it all which really got my mind working a bit with thinking! Thank you for the ideas and suggestions, and you're too right, digital makes this whole process a whole lot easier than it would've been some time ago!

Taking photo's of various things that you enjoy will help you improve.

However don't feel pressured to shoot anything for the sake of shooting, you won't enjoy it.

Also don't think that just because you've got the camera in your hand, you'll come home with amazing pictures, or even anything worth showing.

There's been tonnes of times I've been out and not even pressed the shutter button. The main reason (in my opinion) is that I forced myself to go out and shoot for the sake of it.

I have actually been to places and not even taken the camera out of the bag so definitely get what you mean there. Definitely taken what you've said on board, thank you.

 

[Rob 80386]

how about going somewhere and shooting the obivious things, however do so from a different angle, change the perspective, go higher or lower, sit on the floor and shoot.
I'm not saying you have to put your ankles behind your ears, just change the position of the camera, you'll be surprised.

 

[BruceMo]

I went out for a walk with the grand daughter yesterday while she was having a sleep in her pram, which was a bummer as I wanted to play with a new lens
So I took the camera, and ended up shooting flowers and some abstracts for a few hours, which surprised me a bit, as I usually shoot people almost totally but really had fun practicing and checking out the backdrop/lighting and hunting bees etc
Or maybe I'm just getting old and boring
Either way, I had great fun

 

[AgentG]

Join a TP meet. Being with others might inspire you.

 

[Dorsetsnapshot]

Bill,
Where you go doesn't really matter.
I once challenged myself to stick to just 50ft of a beach for the whole day; once you get the obvious shots out the way, you start looking properly; and that's when better shots start appearing.
It's too easy to think you've got the shots and move on.
I got some crackers from that day I spent on a tiny part of a single beach

Your garden is the convenient option, if you want something different try heading to a conifer plantation and head off the path into a really dense part of the wood.
It's an alien world and really easy to dismiss as being nothing there to photograph. But there always is. The problem is getting past the initial mental block and despondency at the lack of subject interest.

Here's a link to an example I documented earlier this year where I tagged along with a friends quarry project.
A sanitised quarry is possibly one of the most uninspiring places I've ever photographed and the only reason I stayed was my friend was driving and I was there for the duration.
But the weird thing is that day produced some of the strongest images I've created in a while.
http://www.wild-landscapes.co.uk/Blog/2013-02-23-Quarry/28296618_8Wt8PH

This has helped me as well. I'd never think of doing something like that (the beach idea).

Out of interest, how long do you classify as "the day"? Was it a full day, sunrise>sunset, or just the time you were out with your camera that day?
I live in Bournemouth, so may challenge myself to something similar myself at some point.

 

[DuncanDisorderly]

Thank you both
The beach is two hours drive from me, so the trip was timed to make the most between high tides - so it was kinda 10am to 4pm.
I also cheated slightly as I'd already taken an image I loved on that stretch of beach, so I knew there was stuff to get inspired about.
So the challenge was getting myself in the mood to look properly and make images instead of just stumbling across them.

Here's the earlier image I was referring to:

As shot apart from an increase in contrast (not as big as it looks as it was already a contrasty subject) and clone out a fragment of shell that was distracting.
When you see this printed big, you can see grains of sand and other things that give it a bit of scale.

Edited to add: my photobuddies have joked I could spend an entire day photographing a single rock on that beach and still feel I hadn't done it justice

Also edited to add: here's some links to more photos taken from the same beach; not all within 50ft of the last image, but not much more than that....
It shows how much variety it is possible to get when you start looking.
http://www.wild-landscapes.co.uk/Ga.../i-V4G5ZQR/0/L/20080920-132050-IMG_9309-L.jpg
http://www.wild-landscapes.co.uk/Ga.../i-ww9XWhH/0/L/20080920-132823-IMG_9329-L.jpg
http://www.wild-landscapes.co.uk/Ga.../i-VGG2wwc/0/L/20080928-104050-IMG_9742-L.jpg
http://www.wild-landscapes.co.uk/Ga.../i-6n5s4ZC/0/L/20080928-125240-IMG_9951-L.jpg
http://www.wild-landscapes.co.uk/Ga...-LQW8qbz/1/L/20070908-092616-img_8124-B-L.jpg

 

[Dorsetsnapshot]

Love it!

I'm just starting out getting back into things now my health has recovered, and although I feel like a newbie again who wants to be out all the time, and despite living in an amazing place (Dorset) I often don't make the most of it. I'm going to do the sort of challenges you set yourself above soon, i.e. head to the beach, or to Durdle door, or something similar and see what I can do in a 5-6 hour period!

 

[DuncanDisorderly]

On a related theme....
Many moons ago I went on a seascape workshop with Marie Stirling - fantastic day.
We had a pre-workshop questionnaire asking what we wanted out of the day, and I wrote something about being challenged to do something different being a good way to learn.
So they set me a challenge.
I had three lenses with me, so the challenge was to spend an hour taking exactly one image on each lens. They noted my shutter count so I wouldn't be tempted to cheat.
I added an extra constraint on myself where I used the long end of the telephoto zoom and the wide end of the wide angle zoom, plus the prime.

The lessons this taught me were really interesting.
For example, I found a decent composition with breaking waves in the foreground and a sweeping tide line going off into the distance.
Normally I would have taken a few shots to try different timings of the waves, then moved on to shoot something else.
However, because I only had the one shot I had to sit and watch the wave patterns for a few minutes and work out what I liked about them so I could capture it.
While looking, I also spotted the far horizon had an abandoned pier in it that was very distracting and would have probably killed the image or at least always being a flawed image.
So I walked down the other end of the beach and shot the other direction. Perfect

Like I said - normally I would have felt that I'd taken enough surf shots and moved on to something else - and missed the far better shot from the other end of the beach.
That was a valuable lesson.

 

[Dorsetsnapshot]

Sounds a really good idea. I think one thing i've thought about this evening when I had the time, is that when I'm out taking photo's, I don't spend the time I should on them. I'll see something I want to shoot, take the picture, then i'm off again. As opposed to looking around more, spending more time seeing what I could do/see differently.

I'm sure I read some article online/mag somewhere about a guy who set himself a challenge to go out for an hour or two, and he could only take one lens, and only take 20 pictures or so. Really made him focus on what he took and where, changed his perspective etc.