Ok, so I know that everyone loses their oomph for their hobbies but i really wish i hadn't... I want to get out there and take photos... but working full time i leave the house when its dark, and by the time i get in its back to being dark again. The weekends have seen nothing but rain and I get no nice natural light in the house....
Does anyone have any suggestions?? Or perhaps a rocket??
Could you do some mundane shots of/from where you work? Paperclips, files, pencils, or paper bags, corners, doors etc? I think it is this time of year, it gets a bit busy and a bit oomphless (love that word!)
This from someone who rarely posts currently too, New Year Resolution already; to search for oomph:0)
Too, perhaps if you take a bunch of shots in a day and none the rest of the week, use the ones you like. have some in the bank and use them when you are not feeling it. My time of year is gross and I've been doing oodles of selfies and themes help, too.
@claireuk Lol love your use of the oomph Claire! I haven't posted since the end of the summer holidays... and working in a school sort of limits the amount of photography I can do... what with all the craziness there is now surrounding safeguarding and so on... ( i know its necessary but some times it pushes the boundaries of sense) I had to get permission for children's parents to use a photograph i took whilst on a residential trip with the kids. They were all in silhouette. Bonkers.
@amandal I am going to have to try something... even if its just a pic of the christmas tree!! LOLOL
Take advantage of the darkness - especially this time of year with all the Christmas lights - and do some outdoor night scenes.
Take advantage of bad weather on the weekend by doing some street photography! Photographing people going about their business is bad weather makes for fascinating compositions.
Also I take a trip to the library and check out the photography books there or a local bookshop and look the through photography section. It can be inspiring and give some ideas for trying something totally different to anything you have tried before.
What about some Christmas food shots - usually have a mince pie shot at this time of year and I see that last year I also featured cranberries and sprouts - I never photograph food any other time of year! Also when I get stuck for inspiration I change lenses (usually put my zoom on!) If you can drag yourself out you should get some lovely wet light street shots - my problem is in getting motivated!
@michael1947 ok, so as an avid reader can you explain to me why i have never thought of that idea before!! lol I swear i have rocks in my head!
@judithg to be honest I think its managing to get out without the kids.. other half works tip late and there always seems to be a reason not to go out... think I am going to have to push myself a bit more to get out there.. even if its to my old favourite haunts and see if i can rustle up some different shots. I have never tried to do food... always seems to be a certain sort of photo/lighting that i haven't managed to master yet lol... theres a challenge there really lol
No I'm rubbish at it but if you stick a few fairy lights around and throw a bit of icing sugar on (maybe not the sprouts) you can get away with murder!
@barneyone hahahahah phojo... love it I need a baby... not personally... but baby hands and feet... i love em... so cute!! my boy bites his nails and my daughter has verrucas! loll
Tori, know just how you feel, so Sunday a mate came round and we went into the garage and did loads of water splash photography........it was awesome fun and didn't matter about the dark nights/mornings and rain!
You might consider joining the get-pushed challenge list. I was intimidated, but have found it to be very helpful in focusing on a subject and working on that for the week.
When I don't have something, I choose an object in the home. Use word of the day. Try a new technique (low lighting? Use low-key effects). What did you eat? Choose one time of day for whatever you see that day. Anything. I say we all have ebbandflophojo; you are on ebb, but it will take just taking just about anything to get a shot. If this helps, here was one of the first days I "just did a shot" and I still remember it. :) It was based on word or theme of the day: "under." A million things exist right in front of us. Hope it gets better--have definitely been in your "shoes.' :)
I know what you mean, Tori! I'm in a huge slump right now. Over Christmas break (I'm a teacher) I hope to get out to some antique shops, which always have fascinating oddities to photograph. Good luck! May we both come out of the doldrums soon! (And, just think, after Dec. 21st the days will start getting longer! WOO-HOO!) ;)
Hi Tori
Know what you mean but how about using a lamp to light objects in the house. Then try to take them from a different angle. Could try night photos indoors plus the xmas tree must be good for a few shots . Local decorations around you.
Like you my photography seems to have hit rock bottom but keep at it I am sure the New Year will bring some ideas.
I have restraints around needing a wheelie walker or wheelchair - so many avenues for photography are closed to me. At times I enjoy thinking up still life shots in the house. It can be interesting to have backdrop materials, and create lighting with phone or iPad or torch.....where there's a will there's a way - if you have energy left after those busy days.
When stuck indoors during winter's limited light, macros are where I turn. If you don't have a macro lens, get as close as you can and then crop, crop and crop some more.
I usually try to keep a bouquet of flowers around the house during the winter. They are almost more fun to photograph when they start to die. Christmas lights (bokeh) and ornaments are fun also. They make great abstracts. I only have one flash so I use lamps for extra light if I need it.
This photo is a Christmas ornament.
@pixiemac@lstasel@timerskine@juliedduncan@nanderson@ethelperry@blueberry1222@padlock@kph129@homeschoolmom@miata2u@juliedduncan@byrdlip@darylo@darylo@creampuff@aecasey oh wow!! there are some fantastic ideas here thank you!! Get pushed scares me to death, but then so do most things... I am such a big baby. I have just the place in mind to go hunting interesting objects to photograph. We have an awesome place not too far away that is packed to the rafters with weird and wonderful stuff. I do have a tripod but i really suck at nighttime photography... i have tried and tried to do some astrophotography but just get continuous black screen after black screen which really hasn't helped my phojo (love that so much). I love Macro but don't have a lens... will have to try the close and crop method. .... argh... just seen the time... must run!! work... always in the way but mustn't complain... I have a job.
@tori_shaw ""astrophotography but just get continuous black screen after black screen "" A tripod, if you shot raw, try iso 800-1600 f8.0 for about 30 seconds. when you post process, up the exposure and play with the contrast. I assume will assume that you try astrop away from a city so that you aren't flooded with light pollution. Good Luck
@byrdlip I had the iso cranked up, but think i goofed it on the Fstop .. had it on bulb to start with but them changed to 30 secs. I was in the middle of a local national park area, but still managed to bugger it up. better luck next time lol
@jdowd I had a bash a light painting a while back... was great fun :D haven't tried it with my newer camera mind you... might have to pull the LEDs out again ;D
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This from someone who rarely posts currently too, New Year Resolution already; to search for oomph:0)
@amandal I am going to have to try something... even if its just a pic of the christmas tree!! LOLOL
Fish out some old loved photos and re-process them - colour to b&w etc?
Take advantage of bad weather on the weekend by doing some street photography! Photographing people going about their business is bad weather makes for fascinating compositions.
@kannafoot Gosh Ron, street photography is scary! I am always worried that people will come up to me and challenge me for taking their photo!
On the upside, I have been playing with the christmas tree lights and some bokeh... so will have a look and see what I have got so far :D
@judithg to be honest I think its managing to get out without the kids.. other half works tip late and there always seems to be a reason not to go out... think I am going to have to push myself a bit more to get out there.. even if its to my old favourite haunts and see if i can rustle up some different shots. I have never tried to do food... always seems to be a certain sort of photo/lighting that i haven't managed to master yet lol... theres a challenge there really lol
And I've had some great pushes lately that were dark friendly, including water drops, still life photography, and candle light portraits...
Good luck in finding your mojo!
Tori - I might soon also be doing some b&w conversions!!!
Know what you mean but how about using a lamp to light objects in the house. Then try to take them from a different angle. Could try night photos indoors plus the xmas tree must be good for a few shots . Local decorations around you.
Like you my photography seems to have hit rock bottom but keep at it I am sure the New Year will bring some ideas.
Macro.
When stuck indoors during winter's limited light, macros are where I turn. If you don't have a macro lens, get as close as you can and then crop, crop and crop some more.
This photo is a Christmas ornament.
@gozoinklings them suckers are scary!
@byrdlip I had the iso cranked up, but think i goofed it on the Fstop .. had it on bulb to start with but them changed to 30 secs. I was in the middle of a local national park area, but still managed to bugger it up. better luck next time lol
@jdowd I had a bash a light painting a while back... was great fun :D haven't tried it with my newer camera mind you... might have to pull the LEDs out again ;D
http://365project.org/byrdlip/365/2014-09-20