You know those days? We all have them - you were awake multiple times during the night, you were up early, the boss has been on your back all day, you come home to fighting kids and an angry wife... those days aren't really conducive to creative photography.
So what do people do in these situations? Where do you get your motivation, your inspiration and most importantly, what do you snap pictures of?
This is actually a great Idea... sometimes you just arent in the right frame of mind... maybe photographing the annoying thing would offer some humour !!!
I resorted to taking a picture of dinner the other night. Not my most stellar choice, but then it's what happens when you don't give a damn. Taking a picture of the "angry wife" could be suicide.
I'm in an uninspired slump right now! So I started a thirty days thing from one of the discussion threads. This gives me an assignment I have to try instead of leaving me to my own devices to come up with a picture. Yesterday was the first day and it was "anything I want" which didn't help with the slump bit. Today is "something that makes me smile" tomorrow is "something you collect". For thirty days there's something different but a clear idea of what I'm to do. I'm hoping it drags me out of the slump.
Now I have images of a fist heading towards the lens, with a commentary saying this will be the last post because of broken lens. Sometimes I just go back to some old photos i never tinkered with and photoshop the crap out of them...often disasterous, but gets my creativity flowing.
I have several "emergency photos" I use for those days. My reason being that if I post a photo of my big toe or some other uninspired something--it will only make my day worse.
I read an article in a photo magazine where the author advocated holding your camera over your head and snapping random pictures to help change your perspective. I also watched a show on PBS once about a gentleman who put his camera up on a portable pole and would snap pictures from high above. I have also heard of camera tossing (not recommending) and of course your basic laying on the ground to get the crawling baby's or insects angle. So I think of all these things when I am just uninspired or desperate for a photo, and take pictures without looking through the viewfinder, allowing myself to use the autofocus. I don't always come out with a usable shot, but what I do get is a unique angle that often points out to me something I hadn't noticed before. And then I concentrate on photographing my new find, even if I have to stand on a chair to do so.
loving the thread..... and I MUST try that "photographing what annoys the heck out of me" sometime...
when am at this state though, I find myself just doing the point and shoot thing... just let the camera do the talking.... and see what gets captured...
You can always try dailyshoot.com, that has helped me a few times when I haven't had an idea or didn't want to go through the steps to enact the elaborate ideas I do have.
lol glad we all have the same challenges! Living in London I may also add 'Too eeeeeeek outside to remotely thinkg about taking the cam outside' to the list of reasons for not getting any usable shots. I sometimes watch an episode of photoshop user tv and try to do the effect that they introduce http://kelbytv.com/photoshopusertv/
Everyone has challenging days, everyone. Sometimes nothing is clicking in the brain. Changing your perspective to the absurd and creative editing can help turn a so-so picture into something unique. When all else fails ... get some blood to your head. ;-)
Sometimes I post "emergency" photos but if I don't have any, I skip the day and make up for it once I'm OK. Normally that would be after a day or 2, so I need to shoot different subjects to keep up.
i agree with @clarissajohal I feel better if I go back through my old photos and post something I've taken in the past rather than just a random last minute thing in my house (although some people take amazing shots of random last minute things in their house!) @indiannie_jones you make me smile!! :)
I usually resort to something around the house... usually in low light, f1.8... when I'm lazy. It's led to a few good ideas sometimes, and gives me a chance to play around with weird editing. I gotta try the whole "thing you're pissed off at," though! Could be fun, tee hee hee
Hi Everyone - thank you SO much for your input. @justkariherself, thanks so much for the excellent idea :)
Last year our local radio station ran a competition where listeners had to send in photos of their partners when they've just woken up. I did that & was about to be murdered, but then she found out that I'd one her a complete makeover. Go me!
@icywarm, I tried photographing a glass & bottle of gin today, along with a few blocks of chocolate. The photos didn't turn out real well & the chocolate kept disappearing...
and I thought I was cheating all this time....Sometimes I just decide not to take a shot today and make up for it tomorrow with two. I'm still waiting for my creative juices to really start flowing...I'm hoping it will happens soon!
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Maybe I should take a picture of what annoys me most... hmmmmm
" Maybe I should take a picture of what annoys me most... hmmmmm "
But that might make the angry wife angrier :P
This sounds like a pretty great suggestion to me, @timtam_adams
I don`t know,but let me know,when you find out. Yesterday I wasn`t able take one decent photo...
Here's what I did:
More often than not, it's something I'm cooking/have cooked ... or a random piece of junk sitting on my insanely disorganised computer desk ...
when am at this state though, I find myself just doing the point and shoot thing... just let the camera do the talking.... and see what gets captured...
@msk1p2 This looks great - I think I'll try it.
Sometimes I post "emergency" photos but if I don't have any, I skip the day and make up for it once I'm OK. Normally that would be after a day or 2, so I need to shoot different subjects to keep up.
Last year our local radio station ran a competition where listeners had to send in photos of their partners when they've just woken up. I did that & was about to be murdered, but then she found out that I'd one her a complete makeover. Go me!