......immediately upon joining 365 in my opinion. I used to just snap away with scant thought of lighting, composition or even exposure. It has given me a bit of a push and the encouragement gained from a nice comment when you put out a shot someone appreciates is a further little nudge. I am even trying some of the challenges now. Anyone else find this??
@kporte that is exactly how I felt 6 months ago..and still feel.I found this site on accident searching for "online photography course" for a pawny 20 dollars a year ace membership I am inspired everyday by awesome helpful experienced photographers.encouraged by supportive friends,and pushed out of my comfort zone by participating in every challenge I can. I learn something new every single day.
I remember joining a camera club in the early 90's(when I last really used a camera) and every single shot was ruthlessly torn apart by the top guns there. Not one shred of positivity. I think this is great if you are a fantastic photographer but for someone such as myself who simply wants to enjoy the process and improve my photography it wasn't really very nice. Folks here are nice......
@kporte as a retired preschool teacher my motto for learning here is the same as it was in my classroom....learning through play and appreciating all that is good. I learn the same way the kids did! And I like it that way!
@kporte@grizzlysghost oh and Aaron is one of the experienced helpful technically adept photogs I was talking about. You should follow him if you don't already.
what amazed me the most is I have had a Canon 500d for 2 years and I have only really learned to work it in the last 2 weeks. It was really only the green rectangle before, now it's never on that setting!
I joined as a basic member and within a week moved to Ace -- I'd learned more in that first week than in years of 'playing with' my camera on my own. It's a great site and so positive even when people are offering suggestions.
@kporte That is my experiece in one camera club. I don't participate in competitions or judge them there. Another of my camera clubs offer critques that are helpful about what was good and suggestions of doing it different.
@chapjohn Absolutely. This makes me realise it looked like I was dismissing Camera/Photography clubs. Most camera clubs will be fantastic places to improve and immerse yourself in photography. I was unlucky!
@kporte A lot depends on the people running the club. This club has changed leaders, but there still is too much about competition. However, camera clubs or groups that get together to learn and shoot are great and should be encouraged.
@jankoos very kind of you to say so! My photos prior to starting here were really quite awful mostly. I am thinking about it now...... I don't mind people seeing my photos now because even a bad one has SOMETHING right! lol
@kporte I agree! Maybe it's the pressure of a public forum haha it's funny thought, still I cannot gauge the public reaction. Sometimes I love a shot but others fancies aren't tickled!
Totally agree - although I don't think I will ever be as amazing as some of the photographers are on here, and that in itself is one of the things I love about 365 - so much talent.
@joeymc I think the best photographers, here or anywhere else, just have that natural creativity and flair that all the effort and education in the world can't bring. I am only competing with myself here because the best on here are just too good! When I take an image that I like and derive pleasure from, it kinda gives me the same buzz I get from a far superior shot taken by a far superior photographer. It's a bit like enjoying seeing your kid play soccer even if he is never going to make it as a player. He is taking part!
@amyamoeba I still do stuff like take 10 shots before I realise the flash isn't on. I last really shot on film years ago and the ability to review shots still trips me out!
I don't think there's many environments where you can feel comfortable learning and at the same time be constantly inspired by the enormous talent of other people - this is an unusual place!
I completely agree. It would be very easy to be daunted by the talent of some of the people on here, but the positivity and generosity of spirit (and knowledge) make it very easy to not feel too inhibited, and so grow as a photographer. Most of us who have been here for a while just need to look back at our earliest shots and compare them to more recent work to see what I mean.
@kporte I'm with you. I took some shots the other day with a tripod leg in the corner. How did I not see that? Well, I'm trying to learn to think more before I take the shot. The thing I like about 365 is how much I learn. Even if the photo i post on a given day isn't that good (life intrudes!), if there was more time in the day, I learned enough to go back and try a reshoot. And your macro shots are great! Interesting subjects, good photography.
It's amazing how we view normal,everyday things around us,and natures small wonders,after starting 365.We'd never have dreamed of taking such shots,previously,and there's so much we learn along the way.
@kporte be warned though, you may find you can never leave....lol. I just finished my first year, and renewed my membership right away, this is such a wonderful , helpful, inspiring community. Enjoy !!
I absolutely agree, Keith. When I first started, I was excited to get a picture to post each day but didn't think about lighting and angles and seeing the world in a closer way or even about processing the pictures. After seeing the awesome shots on here it really opened my eyes and helped me to strive harder.
@lisabell
I'm heading into my 4th year in the middle of January, Lisabell, and I still feel I have a lot to learn. It's nice to see someone else has been on here as long as I have.
I can't even begin to put into words how much my photography improved during my first year as a 365 participant. All you have to do is look at my first photos and compare them to my last to see the difference. At the request of friends, each time I posted a photo, I shared it to my Facebook page. As the year progressed, my FB friends began to encourage me to teach classes or begin a photography club so that they could learn from me. Now please understand, I am by no means a professional photographer, so this was very daunting for me. But, I took their advice and started a local photography club that meets once a month. We've been meeting for two years now, and I'm excited to be entering my third year with them. Would this have been possible BEFORE 365? Not a chance. So YES, your photography does improve "a bit."
@kporte yes! It does, I used to just snap and snap and it would take so many frames to come up a good photo. Then ...years I to the project, I noticed something funny/weird. I would stand in front of my subject quite a while, moving this way and that, changing camera angle or lens, etc..I would put the card in the laptop expecting ALL these photos and it would be maybe two or three. I was like WHAT? But I figured out that I may feel like I am snapping a lot of pics as I look through my camera, but I don't always...because I can SEE that the photo that will result is not what I was wanting. That is a huge step for me.
Yep. Completely agree. I used to just snap too and then hold my breath when uploading and then sigh with disappointment. Well I still do the disappointed sigh from time to time but not as much!
@grizzlysghost@kporte@abirkhill
I've always found that for me, "desire drives technique." So my eye, my processing, and my ability to navigate the bleeping menus the geeks at Nikon put on my D40 are improving slowly but steadily as I actually use a camera every day.
I'll never post photos that are wonderful in the way that Aaron or Alexis's are. But that's not to put me down or to deify them. I don't prethink shots like they do and what's more, I don't WANT to do that much planning, it would just make me anxious and make the photos work, not fun. And it would be work, not fun, to me to do the processing they do.
The great thing about this site is that the whole spectrum of photographers, from "happy snappers" to people who do professional quality work, can all coexist, improve at our own paces, and relate to each other as photographers.
@kporte That sounds a bit brutal, but I wish 365 was a bit more like that sometimes. Getting criticism of any kind here is hard, even constructive criticism.
@kaesebiscuit Good point. That constructive criticism is definitely part of the journey if one wishes to become good/great. They do have a critique forum here though don't they? Or is everyone too nice?!
Write a Reply
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
Tweets ahoy!
Join the Group
Pin With Me
You definitely never stop learning though!
I'm heading into my 4th year in the middle of January, Lisabell, and I still feel I have a lot to learn. It's nice to see someone else has been on here as long as I have.
I've always found that for me, "desire drives technique." So my eye, my processing, and my ability to navigate the bleeping menus the geeks at Nikon put on my D40 are improving slowly but steadily as I actually use a camera every day.
I'll never post photos that are wonderful in the way that Aaron or Alexis's are. But that's not to put me down or to deify them. I don't prethink shots like they do and what's more, I don't WANT to do that much planning, it would just make me anxious and make the photos work, not fun. And it would be work, not fun, to me to do the processing they do.
The great thing about this site is that the whole spectrum of photographers, from "happy snappers" to people who do professional quality work, can all coexist, improve at our own paces, and relate to each other as photographers.