When will I get my mojo back ????????

Briony

Briony

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Nicki.
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The first time I have been out with my camera for ages took up the offer of wandering around the local manor grounds, beautiful, sat by the lake , family of buzzards, kingfishers, geese, birds, ducks, coots, wildlife of all sorts and do you know what............................ ????????????????????

I was to frightened to get my camera out of the case in case I took a bad shot. :bang: so just sat there for a couple of hours and observed everything that was going on.

Eventually took the camera out of the case (the 7d) and could not remember a thing what to press, set or anything, I was a really scary feeling that I was not in control :gag:

What the heck is wrong with me. :shrug:


Perfect opportunity and missed it.

Did not take 1 photo :(
 
Oddly, this is a good thing. It shows that it's your artistic nature that drives you to shoot and not the drier aquisitive aspect of just collecting images.

Your passion and drive to shoot will come back when it's ready but if you get bored waiting, spending time with passionate photographers wont do any harm at all. :)
 
Any passionate photographers out there please ;)
 
What do you mean by passionate .......;)

Not far from Oxford if you need a mojo boost ........... could do with one myself to tell you the truth ............:shrug:
 
I lost my mojo earlier in the year after not using my camera for a few weeks over the winter. I had been on a roll late last year and was very excited, so suddenly losing my creativity made me feel really bad, and like you, I was scared of touching the camera or even taking shots for a long while.

I am a perfectionist at heart so I felt I wasn't good enough, and all my friends were going through a stage of creating some amazing images (well, thruth be told, they still are) which made me struggle more, but like dazzalj said, I managd to turn it around and they inspired me to try, and try and try harder!!

My mojo bounced back after I started a few photographic projects, and now I have over 12 different ones on the go which I work on regularly. I found taking shots of subjects that excited me the best way to rediscover your passion and creativity. And yes, also going out with other photogs is a good start too! If you're ever down Guildford way, there are a bunch of us down here (some of which are also on TP) who'd be more than happy to meet and use it as an excuse to head out with the cameras!

Mark.
 
Chazza,

P.M. me if interested in togging sometime
 
wavefront said:
I lost my mojo earlier in the year after not using my camera for a few weeks over the winter. I had been on a roll late last year and was very excited, so suddenly losing my creativity made me feel really bad, and like you, I was scared of touching the camera or even taking shots for a long while.

I am a perfectionist at heart so I felt I wasn't good enough, and all my friends were going through a stage of creating some amazing images (well, thruth be told, they still are) which made me struggle more, but like dazzalj said, I managd to turn it around and they inspired me to try, and try and try harder!!

My mojo bounced back after I started a few photographic projects, and now I have over 12 different ones on the go which I work on regularly. I found taking shots of subjects that excited me the best way to rediscover your passion and creativity. And yes, also going out with other photogs is a good start too! If you're ever down Guildford way, there are a bunch of us down here (some of which are also on TP) who'd be more than happy to meet and use it as an excuse to head out with the cameras!

Mark.
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Thank you ;)
 
Nicki, am I right in thinking you just got the 7D fairly recently and i's taking some getting used to? Also that you have had a load of help/support re taking photo's of the birds? I've read a load of your posts and the responses, but get muddled sometimes! I thought you were really doing well before you had the dry spell before your holiday.

Maybe it's less a lack of mojo and more that you still don't feel confident with the new camera? :thinking:

I've had a terrible dry spell recently. I am not a great photographer at the best of times. Dare I say it, a hobbyist, but I normally get one or two I like. Not recently.

I occassionally say to the OH I'd be better off back to my P&S or just shoving settings to Auto and be done with it and get a severe (metaphorical) smack to the back of the head for that!! :D

However, I refuse to do that with my (entry level) DSLR as I might set myself back. But, I did start to take the P&S with me when I went to work and keep an eye out for interesting shots - JPEG, of course, and using auto settings, but it got me back into composition, framing and just enjoying it.

Maybe a day out 'snapping' will let you remember why ou got so into photography in the first place? :thinking:

Also, maybe I am totally off track here, so feel free to ignore me trying to give an opinion after a 10 hour day at work and 2 vodkas!! :eek:

Good luck with the mojo!! :)
 
Any help?

mojo_chews.jpg
 
all my friends were going through a stage of creating some amazing images (well, thruth be told, they still are) which made me struggle more, but like dazzalj said, I managd to turn it around and they inspired me to try, and try and try harder!!
Click to expand...

It's double edged sword isn't it. On the one hand we all get inspired by great photographers and it can lift us to greatness...... But......

At the same time it's almost impossible for our own images to have the same impact on us as those of our peers. Often leaving us feeling like we'll never reach the standards we see elsewhere.

It's in my sig but I don't think that many folks understand the question in the way it's meant. Shooting for the destination is all well and good and for my living I do it most days. The result is all that matters and everything is geared to deliver the goods.

Much more important though is the stuff where the passion to create images gets me off my backside and out into world needing to make images of it. Whether those images are any good or not matters not one bit. As long as the passion to go and photograph still takes me out, I'm happy. Shooting for the journey.

As for finding pasionate photographers, I'll have tw........

no that's just greedy, I'll have one aswell please. :D
 
~Sam~ said:
Nicki, am I right in thinking you just got the 7D fairly recently and i's taking some getting used to? Also that you have had a load of help/support re taking photo's of the birds? I've read a load of your posts and the responses, but get muddled sometimes! I thought you were really doing well before you had the dry spell before your holiday.

Maybe it's less a lack of mojo and more that you still don't feel confident with the new camera? :thinking:

I've had a terrible dry spell recently. I am not a great photographer at the best of times. Dare I say it, a hobbyist, but I normally get one or two I like. Not recently.

I occassionally say to the OH I'd be better off back to my P&S or just shoving settings to Auto and be done with it and get a severe (metaphorical) smack to the back of the head for that!! :D

However, I refuse to do that with my (entry level) DSLR as I might set myself back. But, I did start to take the P&S with me when I went to work and keep an eye out for interesting shots - JPEG, of course, and using auto settings, but it got me back into composition, framing and just enjoying it.

Maybe a day out 'snapping' will let you remember why ou got so into photography in the first place? :thinking:

Also, maybe I am totally off track here, so feel free to ignore me trying to give an opinion after a 10 hour day at work and 2 vodkas!! :eek:

Good luck with the mojo!! :)
Click to expand...

I actually took both cameras out today and yes the 7d does take alot of getting used to but I used to snap at anything and everything, now I have no inclination to do so incase it turns out cr*p, just a huge hurdle I have to get over I guess :thinking:

Ki I user, they are a great help Thank you I like them :lol:
 
Briony said:
I actually took both cameras out today and yes the 7d does take alot of getting used to but I used to snap at anything and everything, now I have no inclination to do so incase it turns out cr*p, just a huge hurdle I have to get over I guess :thinking:
Click to expand...

Just think, if we all felt like that, none of us would take any photos (leaving the instinctive desire to put a ' in that word after recent threads!:D ) at all - and look at the comments made on some of the forums - especially any involving settings/subjects that can't be controlled such as wildlife/birds/motorsport) and you will see comments about how many were taken and how many were 'keepers' - it's a disproportionate percentage. Those great photos aren't always the one shot taken. Rarely, in many cases.

Problem is, you can't improve on nil. (edit - of course you can! What I mean is, if you don't get out there and try/practice, you won't improve OR find your enjoyment in the skill/hobby).
 
Briony said:
I actually took both cameras out today and yes the 7d does take alot of getting used to but I used to snap at anything and everything, now I have no inclination to do so incase it turns out cr*p, just a huge hurdle I have to get over I guess :thinking:
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If they turn out crap, then so what? .... It's why cameras have a 'delete photo' function ;) ...... Keep snapping it'll all come back :cool:
 
I am in the same boat at the mo. I purposely leave my camera at home cos I can't get any of my technical juices, yet alone artistic juices flowing at the mo. I know why this is though, and can't discuss here as it is very personal. As soon as I get over some hurdles I'm facing I will be very happy to get out and start togging again.
 
Splog said:
If they turn out crap, then so what? .... It's why cameras have a 'delete photo' function ;) ...... Keep snapping it'll all come back :cool:
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For longer lasting cards I've always been advised not to delete in camera but to format a card. Sorry, off subject I know, but thought I'd mention it none-the-less.
 
go out and shoot something else...

don't really care what... but something different, something not wildlife.... wildlife, it strikes me that there's a hell of a lot of waiting around for something very small and brown, a long way away, to move, followed by hours more of waiting.... go shoot some people or something... get a model off purestorm or MM, go take photos at a protest, whatever, something different.

just.keep.shooting.
 
Nicki, I am going through this with my Wildlife stuff at the moment, since getting back from Scotland just cant get motivated with it, don't even seem to want to go to CWP and you know how much time I normaly spend there, think we will have to organise somthing see if we can motivate each other, getting expensive going to the studio all the time for my photography fix :D
 
NigelPaul said:
For longer lasting cards I've always been advised not to delete in camera but to format a card. Sorry, off subject I know, but thought I'd mention it none-the-less.
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:thinking: I was saying delete individual shots that she is not happy with! ... There is not a problem with deleting shots 'in camera' .... however, I do agree that formatting the card after the shots have been uploaded is the best way to go for a clean memory card .... ;)
 
I hear you have to go back to the 60s may be that it just metaphorically though.

Picking up an old SLR and a role of film is never a bad idea if you want to just get your brain thinking picture making. you have to think about the basics. In the digital age taking out a film camera can be some what like spiritual cleansing.
 
Still up for coffee and cake next week sometime if you're up for it...
 
cosmix3 said:
Nicki, I am going through this with my Wildlife stuff at the moment, since getting back from Scotland just cant get motivated with it, don't even seem to want to go to CWP and you know how much time I normaly spend there, think we will have to organise somthing see if we can motivate each other, getting expensive going to the studio all the time for my photography fix :D
Click to expand...


Yep up for that wil have to think of somehwere to go :thumbs:

Arkady said:
Still up for coffee and cake next week sometime if you're up for it...
Click to expand...

When you here again?
 
What do you want to shoot? will see if I am working then as I usually work week ends but have got a bit busy and has spilt over into the week?
 
People ideally, as it's well outside your comfort zone. Central Oxford can occasionally be OK for that...
 
Bloody hell the last time I tied to shoot people in Oxford I got Bo****ked by the police and "Yes" it is well outside my comfort zone, will try and meet for a coffee anyway and watch you, and get some tips :thumbs:
 
I have a twitter account and follow a few TPers. After almost a year of abstinance I noticed via one of them a meet was being arranged in my neck of the woods. It turned out to be a disaster, (thats another story), but gave me the nudge I needed to get out with my camera again. Is any thing being arranged near you? Being with others who share the same hobby can work wonders.

I have plenty of mojo but no talent. Now if I could find some of that life would be sweet. :)
 
Maybe I set my sights a little too low but I take photo's for "ME" and I take lots of them too. I don't worry about how they are going to look as i'm out taking them but I do often get a few that make me happy to have taken my camera out in the first place. I went out Kingfisher hunting with purpleclouds last year and I would have been happy to have caught a little blue blur to be honest. If I get a bad shot of something I try to improve it the next time I'm out, I have a long list :lol:

My advice is to take your camera out and shoot away if you get home and see something you don't like you can always delete it :shrug: Most importantly I would think you will have in the back of your mind that you could have missed something special. As for the Policeman giving you a telling off just put it all at the back of your mind they are not all like that and enjoy your photography :)

Best of luck :thumbs:
 
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