Photographic Rut!!!!

Kim

Kim

Suspended / Banned
Messages
759
Name
Kim
Edit My Images
Yes
Ok so I have put it here as it is more of a "let of steam/rant" post if that is ok with you guys and girls.

Having a bit of a tough time with my photography at the moment. I seem to have sunk into a rut. I feel I am getting nowhere and feel like my skills are backwards more than forwards.

I seem to be putting huge pressures on myself to something constructive with my photography and I don't think this is helping. I don't know what to shot and I seem to have totally lost my eye for a shot.

I look at a lot of my stuff and think it is all rubbish (especially when I see some of the stuff on here that I wish I could achive shots like). I am starting to feel that dispondant that I considered taking down my site.

I would love nothing more than to be a "good tog" where people say to me "I like that" and "WOW"...........................................but I feel I will never be as good as I want to be. I would love nothing more that to achive something with my images.

Also two friends have decided that I am shooting their weddings next year (despite me saying I don't want to as just because I own a camera does not mean I can shoot weddings). So I have convinced myself I am going to let them down.

I am really hoping that attending the Whipsnade meet in January is going to boost my confidence and photographic spirit.

Sorry for whining, but I feel better for getting it off my chest. And thank you to anyone who actually read to the end.
 
Are you shooting because you want to, or because you feel that you should? It sounds like you're putting pressure onto yourself and you're not enjoying it as much as you should/could, because of all the pressure that you're putting onto yourself?

Alot of people on here are pro/semi pro and have been photographers for quite a while. However, in saying that, the images that I've seen on your facevook are beautiful (and some did make me do the "wow" thing :thumbs:).

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think that there's anything wrong/bad with your images, just maybe you're feeling a little disheartened at the moment?

About your friends weddings though, if you don't want to shoot them, don't! Explain to them that weddings aren't your thing and you won't be able to enjoy their day with them, if you're working for them.
 
I've done this twice now (seems to be annual) you can do it quick or slow, quick involves spending 12 hours on flickr through the night while grumbling slow means you do sets of a few hours but over time

I liked bashing it out :D
 
I shot because I want to not because I feel I have to. I guess because I have not been shooting my I feel like I am failing myself in someway (stupid I know).

But I look at so much on here (and not just the pro/semi pro peeps stuff) and I think "Why can't I do that".

I think you maybe right, maybe I am just feeling a little dishearted at the moment. Maybe I am just having an artisit block.
 
david1701 said:
I've done this twice now (seems to be annual) you can do it quick or slow, quick involves spending 12 hours on flickr through the night while grumbling slow means you do sets of a few hours but over time

I liked bashing it out :D
Click to expand...

I must admit I seem to have spells of feeling like this, then I seem to pull myself together and take some half decent stuff. I think my main problem is I want to do better, I want to be more than good and if I don't manage it first time I feel like I have failed. Think I need to be a bit easier on myself.
 
I call them crisis(s) of artistic integrity ;)

means you get to pull the tortured artist card for sympathy and strops though
 
I know the feeling........

going through a patch at the moment, not with photography but with Music Mixing, maybe like me your're looking into it too much.

Try to loosen up a little, for example not worry about the technical side too much

I've stopped recording my mixes now because of this nitpicking as I call it.
Now I just mix for the hell of it regardless of the outcome

more importantly enjoy your photography, everyone has their own style, it's about finding what works best for you :thumbs:


Kind Regards

Rob 80386
 
Go out without your camera for a while. The pressure will then be off and you'll see potential shots.
Sometimes a break helps.
I'd leave the weddings to professionals. Make a muck of those and you'll be as popular as a rattlesnake in a lucky dip.
 
Join the club...I once put my cameras away for three years because I just couldn't be bothered any more...

Sometimes it comes and goes...your 'Muse' will come along one day - be it a person, a subject, a location or a new peice of equipment...

Or maybe you'll be just walking along and the light will touch your heart and induce you to record it...
 
Going through a bit of a rut/hard time at moment.
Just sold the D80 and all the kit and moved to a GF1.
Illness has robbed me of motivation but hoping the move to a new camera will help me get it back.
 
Arkady said:
Join the club...I once put my cameras away for three years because I just couldn't be bothered any more...

Sometimes it comes and goes...your 'Muse' will come along one day - be it a person, a subject, a location or a new peice of equipment...

Or maybe you'll be just walking along and the light will touch your heart and induce you to record it...
Click to expand...

I had a 7 year break during which I sold my Nikon FM2, FE2 and lenses.
Got the bug again by which time the digital revolution happened and I struggled to catch up.
Lesson learned - keep your kit no matter what.
 
arclight said:
Go out without your camera for a while. The pressure will then be off and you'll see potential shots.
Sometimes a break helps.
I'd leave the weddings to professionals. Make a muck of those and you'll be as popular as a rattlesnake in a lucky dip.
Click to expand...

AnnaV said:
:lol:


I have to agree with that one.
Click to expand...

Oh I totally agree....................but they are not listening. BUt I will keep trying.

I am feeling a bit better today, going to try to go for a camera wander the weekend if the weather holds out for me.
 
Kim
What sort of shots do you want to take? My suggestion would be to give yourself an actual project / subject and try to work at that.
 
Splog said:
Kim
What sort of shots do you want to take? My suggestion would be to give yourself an actual project / subject and try to work at that.
Click to expand...

Things is I just don't know..................................I have always enjoyed animal photography and I like doing candid people stuff (but I get paroniod about seeing me do it)....................would like a go at a bit of land/sea scape stuff but I don't seem to be able to find any good "views" locally.

I have thought of a project but I worry I wouldn't stick to it. I did think about doing a 52 or 365 next year so that make a point of getting the camera out regularly.
 
Kim said:
Things is I just don't know..................................I have always enjoyed animal photography and I like doing candid people stuff (but I get paroniod about seeing me do it)....................would like a go at a bit of land/sea scape stuff but I don't seem to be able to find any good "views" locally.

I have thought of a project but I worry I wouldn't stick to it. I did think about doing a 52 or 365 next year so that make a point of getting the camera out regularly.
Click to expand...

I always find that if I go out looking to find a photo! I never do :D I would suggest that if your uncomfortable when taking shots then it's unlikely to get good results :thinking: If you enjoy animals then why not set yourself a goal such as a dog jumping for a ball or a cat playing with a toy :) and keep shooting and I bet you get loads of great shots and you'll enjoy it too .. HTH

Steve
 
It's perfectly normal. I lose interest every now and then for months at a time, I just can't be bothered. It's been on and off like this since 1964 :)

Don't worry about it, and DON'T be pressured into doing weddings and so on that you just don't want to do. Learn to say no, I did, and you'll feel better for it.

cheers
 
Splog said:
I always find that if I go out looking to find a photo! I never do :D I would suggest that if your uncomfortable when taking shots then it's unlikely to get good results :thinking: If you enjoy animals then why not set yourself a goal such as a dog jumping for a ball or a cat playing with a toy :) and keep shooting and I bet you get loads of great shots and you'll enjoy it too .. HTH

Steve
Click to expand...

mmmmm, I guess that makes sense, give myself little goals.............I am attending the whipsnade meet in January so that will feed my animal photography bug.

I guess I just need to bag up the camera and have a wander not looking for a photo but seeing what catches my eye.
 
Kim said:
hahaha...............now that is somerthing I am not very good at. I try to please everyone all the time :lol:
Click to expand...

You just can't please everyone all the time Kim. But then I turned into a grumpy old man some time ago :eek: :lol:
 
Kim said:
I feel I am getting nowhere and feel like my skills are backwards more than forwards.

I seem to be putting huge pressures on myself to something constructive with my photography and I don't think this is helping. I don't know what to shot and I seem to have totally lost my eye for a shot.

I look at a lot of my stuff and think it is all rubbish (especially when I see some of the stuff on here that I wish I could achive shots like).
Click to expand...

I said pretty much exactly the same thing yesterday to Mrs. OutLore. All my shots look like nothing more than snapshots, and I get defeated by it. In my mind I start looking for technical reasons why this is, and end up blaming my kit, the light etc etc. Truth is that I really feel like I've lost my "eye".

I took a break for a few weeks - didn't come on here at all, but it doesn't seem to have helped.

Agree on the weddings thing - not something I feel that I can do - so I simply make sure that everyone knows "I don't do people, too difficult to control."

Good luck :)
 
Kim I am going through a similar patch right now and for the last month or two so you are by no means alone. It happens to me after the summer when I am usually lucky enough to be away and have some amazing places to inspire me. When I get home and the winter sets in I just can't be bothered to take pics. I know it's being lazy but I just can't get the enthusiasm back at the moment.

One thing I have found is that I have been trying to take my photography to too high a level. I have looking at images on the net and trying to make mine as perfect as them, almost as if I am a professional, but I am totally not. I have been toying with the idea of taking my love of photography to a prefessional level if I could and this has led me to almost get sick of taking photographs. (I guess it's a bit like when pros say the lose some of the love of what was once their hobby). I have now decided that photography is really not a career for me (I also be it would never have made it anyway).

I think one of my major problems over the last few weeks is spending too much time on the internet. As I said above it's made me think all my pictures are no good. I have also got tired of the "arty" image a lot of people on the net try to put out (I hope I don't offend anyone with that comment as it's not directed at anyone here). I am NOT an artist and I hate all the people saying you have to bee like/live like/dress like and artiest/photographer just to take pics your are happy with. I just take photographs because I like what I see through the viewfinder. If someone thinks it's not any good, stuff 'em as the only person to please is yourself.
When I was at college there wasn't really any internet and I found the only people who judged my photographs were myself, my tutors my classmates and my girlfriend. I was totally happy with that and taking photos seemed more fun back then.

What I am trying to say is maybe try steering clear of things that might make you question why you do all this.


Sorry, I got a bit carried away there and it turned into a rant from me too. Sorry for hijacking the thread a little. ;)


Andy S
 
EMA747 said:
Sorry, I got a bit carried away there and it turned into a rant from me too. Sorry for hijacking the thread a little. ;)


Andy S
Click to expand...

Hijack away, to be honest it is kind of reassuring that I am not the only one who currently feels like this.

I am sure I regain my passion for picking up the camera again and will get back to a point where I am happy with what ends up showing on my laptop.
 
I'm sure we have all been in this position at least once, when the doldrums hit me a couple of years ago one of my nieces gave me a local history book of my village as a birthday present. The photo's in it were from the late 1890's up to 1980. I decided as a project to re-photograph these locations for the present day.

I visit each location at different times of day, time of year, weather conditions, etc and each time try to improve on the previous picture of that location. As it is a busy village, there are nearly always people in the pictures, I do not feel wary about including them now and they do not seem to be bothered either, they have just got used to seeing me around the place.

For me this is an ongoing project that I can learn from, and I do not have to go far from home to do it, just try to look at your local surroundings from a visitor's point of view, it's amazing what you can discover.

John :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top