I am impressed by the range of photographs and the skills with which they are executed. As a newcomer to this project, I am interested in exploring a couple of things:
—how do people choose what they photograph? Do people generally set out with a theme in mind, or choose what looks photographically interesting?
—I have been keeping a written journal most of my life. In that journal, I reflect, vent, record. My book of 'scribblings' is my constant companion. In it, I link photographic ideas, photos I have taken etc. I wonder if other people have similar systems??
—I am conscious that my photography serves a number of purposes. Sometimes I take photographs as a record of events and happenings. Sometimes I take photos with the express intent of capturing something beautiful. Sometimes I play with my camera. I wonder how other people use their cameras???
—I am relatively new to post-processing or editing. I wonder how people choose what they want other people to see and how much this differs from what the original intention of the photograph??
—I wonder what guides other people's choices about which photographs to post every day??
I couldn't find whether this had all been discussed before. If it has, please direct me. Otherwise I would welcome ideas
I think what you photograph depends on many things... like you sometimes I take photographs as a record of events and happenings, other times I take photos with the express intent of capturing something beautiful, sometimes I play with my camera and sometimes I am taking a photo with a particular challenge or theme for 365. It is you behind the camera - take whatever works for you in that moment.
Well I would take fantastic portraits, edgy street photos and fine art images all the time if i could just decide to do that, , in my head i do! , but realistically i dont travel far from my home and small town or mix with a lot of people so my photography is about being in the moment and finding beauty around me, i like variety and trying all sorts of things out at least once, usually with little to no equipment, improvising and drawing on my artistic side . Simply playing with the camera everyday and with basic editing skills i have made really diverse images , I am still discovering things my camera(s) can do after posting almost daily here for over 7 years now.
Taking part of the challenges here has broadened my ideas of what i can shoot especially the get-pushed challenge where someone else gives you a prompt for the week. Best advice for getting the most out of this community is to dive into the challenges which are listed each week , and comment and follow others to get a rapport going, seeing what everybody is up to all around the world is so inspiring .
My journey on this site has been through many phases in enthusiasm , after the first yer i didnt insist that i posted photos taken on the day of so i give myself some leeway there, some days i might shoot a few different favourite images and then go days without any photos i like. , i have learned a lot and its my happy place as the community is so supportive and friendly, this has spurred me on to use photography as a way of expressing myself and connecting with others .
When choosing what to post I will select the photo that best captures my intention, which will vary depending on the scene in front of me, I dont often post things i dont like. i dont know from one moment to the next sometimes and surprise myself often. Sometimes its a matter of playing with photoshop post-processing until something works.
Basically I just have fun !
I have committed myself to post one a day for 365. Sometimes it is a struggle and I look around me and snap the mundane. Strangely enough, shots that I think are boring and poorly presented seem to the most popular!
I have found that I have a greater awareness of the detail in small things around me. Weeds in cracks in the wall for example are fascinating and perhaps a theme in some of my photos is developing.
I rather selfishly post material for me rather than an audience. I may take several pictures and agonise over which one I like the most. But 365 limits me to one only (yes I know I can utilise other albums, but I've not bothered yet).
What I have learned in the last six months or so is that you can't always find that best picture. It will find you!
For me, it's all of the things you mentioned. I live in the country, so most of my shots are of nature. I rarely get to town and around other people. In many ways, my images document what grows on or around my patch in the woods. In other ways, I have a love for what I shoot. I try to learn different techniques and improve as I can, where I can. I try to vary my images from macro to landscape and everything in between. Sometimes, I have fun with it and sometimes, it's a struggle to get the camera to see what I see. I think it's what you make it - attitude. There are a few folks here who consistently post super shots every day - I am not one of them, but it doesn't stop me from trying. =)
I mostly just take a camera with me everywhere I go and photograph whatever catches my eye.
I will occasionally do a proper set up shot but only for things like challenges or for proper portraits.
I like to post as varied a selection of images as I can so try not to specialise too much. But my big love is street photography. I set myself up in a good spot and wait for colourful or animated characters to appear in my viewfinder.
I am so interested in the responses to my questions. I have always taken photographs but this project, even though I have only been doing it for a while has me really thinking about photography and the way I do it. Like Swillin' Billy (I do love that name!) I have my camera with me all the time. As I also carry my journal with me all the time I mostly wear a small pack.
Like Jeff, I am interested in the small details, the small details that illuminate or illustrate the wider scene. Landscapes are gobsmacking—the view from the mountain or across a lake for example—but are really hard to convey. I am interested in how you convey the large by a capture of the detail.
I like Jeff's point about the picture finding you!
Generally, I don't have a plan when I take pictures. I don't think they have risen to the level of photographs yet, however, one theme I am working on, just because it is relatively new to me, is my landscaping project around my home. I invested in three species of Elephant Ears. I have been documenting their growth, all the while experimenting with my cameras using different apertures, shutter speeds and ISO. I have owned a Canon T3i for years and just recently acquired a Canon 5D Mk II on the secondary market, with which I also am experimenting. Depending on my mood, I will post images from both just to compare and hone my skills. That's all we all can do. Let the moment dictate what you photograph. The simplest images sometimes can be the most profound.
I typically go through phases. I love nature photography, so I look for a lot of nature to photograph - flowers, birds, butterflies,...... I also take a lot of photos to document events (I started out as a newspaper photographer). I really like doing the challenges here on 365, especially Get Pushed, because I get challenged to do things outside my wheelhouse. Mostly, I just do it for fun.
I haven't done any of the challenges yet. I am new to this Project although I have been taking photos all my adult life, much to the irritation of my family at times! I shall investigate the challenges.
What a great question.
I started here as a real low level amateur, and I'm now a really comfortable amateur photographer.
I have multiple albums as I use my main album to post a photograph of a koala from my property every day because this site is where I have learned to photograph them. I am a citizen scientist researching their response to habitat regeneration so am out there every day recording information about them. Through being a member here, I try not to just record them, but record them beautifully and artistically.
Then in my xtra album I often choose to participate in a monthly theme, sometimes I do a month of my own theme, sometimes I just do no theme.
Almost every single photo I take is taken on my own property, it is rare I photograph anywhere else. My interest is in nature photography, including macro, and with a wildlife sanctuary I have so much I can find here that I always feel it is important to search out and learn just how much biodiversity I have right in front of me.
I loved seeing what is behind other members and their choices because the best part about 365 (after how awesomely kind this community is), is the scope of variety of style and content type.
Hope you love it here, it is my happy place and I've learned so much in my time here so far.
Thanks for sharing the kinds of photos you take and the way in which you organise your albums. I am new to this project and learning so much. I appreciate particularly the willingness with which members like yourself share their ideas and respond to questions. So far I agree with you about it being a happy [lace that I enjoy visiting each day. I am interested, if it's not intrusive where roughly you are as it seems so interesting from looking at your photos?
@ankers70 glad you are enjoying and this thread has been great to read!
I'm at Tuckurimba, on the far north coast of NSW. If you search Koala Gardens on google maps it will pin my property so you can see exactly where I sit.
You will find your own way here. I didn't do a single challenge of any kind for the first few years. Now I love some of them in particular the flash of red in Feb and Rainbow in Mar. Happily doing the plants and trees this month.
Remember it is your project and you can do what you want how you want - enjoying is the very best way to learn things 😊
I shall look it up. I lived on Bruny Island, Tasmania, for quite a few years and a bit like you photographed a lot on my own property so your comments felt very familiar. Thanks for the advice.
One of the questions I posed originally was about the ‘journal’ aspect of a project like this. I am a journaler. I write every day but I also include in my journal photographs and watercolour images, sometimes just blotches of ink (either deliberate or from my pens; dribbling among the scribblings so to speak). I also paste in tickets and memorabilia of all kinds. And I link photos I have taken or liked to my scribblings. I wonder whether other people have similar (even slightly obsessive perhaps) ways of using and musing on their photography??
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Taking part of the challenges here has broadened my ideas of what i can shoot especially the get-pushed challenge where someone else gives you a prompt for the week. Best advice for getting the most out of this community is to dive into the challenges which are listed each week , and comment and follow others to get a rapport going, seeing what everybody is up to all around the world is so inspiring .
My journey on this site has been through many phases in enthusiasm , after the first yer i didnt insist that i posted photos taken on the day of so i give myself some leeway there, some days i might shoot a few different favourite images and then go days without any photos i like. , i have learned a lot and its my happy place as the community is so supportive and friendly, this has spurred me on to use photography as a way of expressing myself and connecting with others .
When choosing what to post I will select the photo that best captures my intention, which will vary depending on the scene in front of me, I dont often post things i dont like. i dont know from one moment to the next sometimes and surprise myself often. Sometimes its a matter of playing with photoshop post-processing until something works.
Basically I just have fun !
I have found that I have a greater awareness of the detail in small things around me. Weeds in cracks in the wall for example are fascinating and perhaps a theme in some of my photos is developing.
I rather selfishly post material for me rather than an audience. I may take several pictures and agonise over which one I like the most. But 365 limits me to one only (yes I know I can utilise other albums, but I've not bothered yet).
What I have learned in the last six months or so is that you can't always find that best picture. It will find you!
I will occasionally do a proper set up shot but only for things like challenges or for proper portraits.
I like to post as varied a selection of images as I can so try not to specialise too much. But my big love is street photography. I set myself up in a good spot and wait for colourful or animated characters to appear in my viewfinder.
Like Jeff, I am interested in the small details, the small details that illuminate or illustrate the wider scene. Landscapes are gobsmacking—the view from the mountain or across a lake for example—but are really hard to convey. I am interested in how you convey the large by a capture of the detail.
I like Jeff's point about the picture finding you!
I am enjoying all the posts.
I started here as a real low level amateur, and I'm now a really comfortable amateur photographer.
I have multiple albums as I use my main album to post a photograph of a koala from my property every day because this site is where I have learned to photograph them. I am a citizen scientist researching their response to habitat regeneration so am out there every day recording information about them. Through being a member here, I try not to just record them, but record them beautifully and artistically.
Then in my xtra album I often choose to participate in a monthly theme, sometimes I do a month of my own theme, sometimes I just do no theme.
Almost every single photo I take is taken on my own property, it is rare I photograph anywhere else. My interest is in nature photography, including macro, and with a wildlife sanctuary I have so much I can find here that I always feel it is important to search out and learn just how much biodiversity I have right in front of me.
I loved seeing what is behind other members and their choices because the best part about 365 (after how awesomely kind this community is), is the scope of variety of style and content type.
Hope you love it here, it is my happy place and I've learned so much in my time here so far.
Thankyou again, for responding.
@koalagardens
I'm at Tuckurimba, on the far north coast of NSW. If you search Koala Gardens on google maps it will pin my property so you can see exactly where I sit.
You will find your own way here. I didn't do a single challenge of any kind for the first few years. Now I love some of them in particular the flash of red in Feb and Rainbow in Mar. Happily doing the plants and trees this month.
Remember it is your project and you can do what you want how you want - enjoying is the very best way to learn things 😊