Do you grow?

[Syb]

Hi,
Just wondering: a while ago a friend asked me if I am growing in photography. That is: if my current pictures are different from the ones I shot three years ago.

As a matter of fact: I don't know. Of course I like to say "Yeah, I am getting more technical experience and thus manage to get more precisely the images the way I want them to be"... but I am not convincing myself with that.
Of course I like to say that my new gear makes me more versatile in creating the images like I perceive the world, or want to reproduce it. But is that true?

First: two years ago I did not yet have most of the gear I have right now. I was more into macro photography than I am nowadays, but that may switch back any moment. I still want to go as close as possible. And then: closer.
No news there.

Second: I find that I like to make portraits. But I liked to do so four years ago, too. And my technique for it has barely changed. I want the model to be communicating, to express a genuine feeling that comes from the inside of him/her.

I want to see real people. This I know now. But it was part of a plan I had some years ago, too. I practiced on my friends.

For instance this picture on Flickr:



It was taken years ago. But I would still be most proud of a picture like this. So: did I grow? Dunno.

Do I make other images than I did before?
Dunno. Still try to capture the essential.
Still fail most of the times.

What may be different is that nowadays I have a clearer vision of "what is essential to me" basically.

Does this make any sense to anyone of you folks?

[hinman]

This is an outstanding question in which I don't have the clear answer. I have more gear and I have taken more pictures than two years ago when I upgraded from p&s to dSLR with Pentax and yet, I doubt if I ever actually grow in taking a better picture. That is difficult to measure. I would hope that I do better than before. But once in a while, I check back on old photos on certain scene and lighting, I don't think I can replicate that same picture easily.

There is no boundary in learning to improve. If you can set up goals that you can measure upon, you will know you are at least on the right track. It is much easier said than done. Last year, I set up simple goal to learn to use my flash and I only mange to fulfill that goal on a year end company party. And I am yet to feel comfortable in using flash. I think growth on the unfamiliar territory is easier to measure as you will feel more confident and competent when you grow in that area.

Will follow up with more ideas.....

[HowLowCanYaGo]

I've been in the game just over two years now. I've grown quite considerably. I only have two lenses more from when I started. Each teaching me new things.

[amicah22]

Even though my equitment is much better and my technical skills have grown, my eye for good pictures does not seem to improved much over the years - although I may just of increased my standards.

[Igilligan]

I have been at it almost 3 years... I think I have grown a little each year. It is painful to look at my 'keepers' from the first year... So on that level there may be some growth.
But the gear and its costs has grown exponentially, while my photography skills growth can be charted on graph with only a slight increase along the timeline
I am not sure my 'eye' for a photograph has improved all that much. The amount of pictures I take has increased, so the 'accidental' good ones track that..

But where I am really failing in terms of growth is in what I am shooting. I still shoot the same crap I was shooting 2.5 years ago. 85 to 90% of my shots are taken within within a 2 block circle... same bugs / flowers / cats / kids.

Oh now I need a drink!

[Jester_rm]

Do I grow? Yes, but only when provided with enough fertilizer, water and sunlight.

Oh, have I gotten better as a photographer? Yes, I like to think so, but then again I'm a biased observer

[AGW]

One of the reasons I came back to photography was because of the growth I experienced when I first started.

I'm not talking about technical growth, but something more important to me.

I learned, perhaps for the first time in my life, how to actually see.

So I would answer "yes" to your question.

Al

[newarts]

I shrank.

My photos are mostly depressing & the more I take the worse they seem.

So I buy lenses & do technical stuff instead. In that arena I also know less every day.

Sigh,

Old Dave

[rburgoss]

At my age, the only thing growing around here is my prostate.... others shrinking like my savings account... ohhhh.. wait a minute, you mean as a photographer? In that case, the answer is yes, especially since roaming this forum that teaches an invaluable wealth on knowledge and first hand experience with multiple photo situations.

[RioRico]

Do I have 50+ years' (intermittant) photo experience, or the same year's experience 50+ times? Well, my techniques have changed, but are they better? Dunno. Knee surgery preceded my K20D purchase by a couple months, so I'm not running around as much to get great shots. Maybe I had to use more imagination to grab images with my always-at-hand PNS cams. Maybe this last year, and especially the last 6 months, hasn't been long enough to master the new cam and the plethora of lenses. Maybe I've been distracted by other matters (life, etc) and just haven't focused on photographic thinking.

Which makes me wonder, have I grown much as a PERSON over these decades? I hope so - just getting better and better, so when I die I'll be damn near perfect, heh heh. So I look at my "career path" - raised in a darkroom; years as a laborer and streetcorner minstrel - radio engineer - wino - Army photographer - paramedic - songwriter - software engineer - internet guru - landlord - now, a gadabout. Does this add to my photographic vision? Sometimes I try to approach shoots artistically and professionally, and sometimes I'm just too tired to do more than snap at random. Am I growing or shrinking or just standing in place? Dunno...

[pop4]

I know that I've definitely grown as a photographer in the time that I've become interested in photography and got my K10D. I think if you have an interest in something, and practice that something a lot, inevitably, there will be improvements and you will "grow" so to speak. For example, my technical knowledge has grown, my PP skills have improved, I'm learning to "see' photos more and more, and of course, my collection of equipment has also grown too. And looking back, the photos I'm taking now are a lot better than the ones I used to take a few years ago. Of course, that doesn't mean the photos that I'm taking now are any good, just that they are better.

[Damn Brit]

I think my skill level and my knowledge has grown. Certainly my equipment levels have grown. As to whether there has been growth in other places, I find that harder to quantify. I have been taking pictures seriously for about a year now, the same length of time I've been a member on this forum. I still don't really know what my style is, I'm too busy enjoying taking pictures of anything and everything still.

[reeftool]

Like many in the forum, I have been shooting since I was a kid which gives me about 50 years of photography. I was always with a camera probably from my late teens on and always excited about shooting pictures of anything. I had converted our bathroom into a darkroom.

In the mid 70's I got laid off from work and had to sell all my stuff. I bought a new SLR a year or so later but for whatever reason things just weren't the same. I took pictures of the kids as they grew up, took pictures at parties, took pictures of my friends but I stopped taking pictures for myself, if that makes sense to anybody.

A couple of years ago after coming home from work on the night shift and feeling fine, I woke up with a terrible stomach ache a couple hours later which got worse by the hour and by the end of the day I had emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage. It was a real close call. It was while I was recovering, and also bored stiff because i'm somewhat of a workaholic, I picked up my camera and started shooting stuff for fun again. I bought my K10D. I charged it because I was on disability and couldn't pay cash. I would say I've grown because I love to go out and take pictures again. I take my camera to work with me and shoot sometimes. I don't know if my pictures are any better but I think that they will improve simply because i'm enjoying my hobby and excited every day about shooting pictures again.

[jmbradd]

I grow every time I forget I'm holding a Pentax k20d and remember I'm taking pictures.

I look back at my flickr photostream and old pictures and usually think "what the hell was I thinking" Especially now that I see how ridiculous some of them are but I leave them to sort of chronicle where i've gone as a photographer.

Today I posted some pictures I wouldn't have imagined taking even a few months ago so yes, I think I grow. I'm also forced to adapt, I live downtown but my primary passion in photography is wildlife/nature but since I love taking pictures i've tried to learn new techniques and form my own style...still nowhere near where I want to be but I keep trying to push myself to try something new.

In the past I never took pictures of people but I recently did some portraits for a friend of mine and had a blast.

Its not a bad thing to have a specific style you like to shoot, I just find I get more enjoyment when I'm trying other things and learning to be a more well rounded photographer.

[Clicker]

In my case i know what has to be done but being a lazy shooter and having a lack lustre eye for detail ...well