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08-14-2016, 11:43 AM   #46
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QuoteOriginally posted by micromacro Quote
It has been about 3 weeks since I stopped shooting.
My Lightroom catalogue is the total mess, with about 22K pictures, and about 80% of them is the total rubbish. And I still don't know how to organize it efficiently.
An easy way to organise is to do folder by date. here is what i do :

"Year - month - date - what-was-i-shooting-this-day-and-the-location"

You can name me "captain obvious" here, i know.
But, this will help you to really memorize what you shot, the purpose, and the location. obviously.
With time passing and multiple folders, you'll see what you shoot the most, what you like the most too. It will help you think "i should start this project", and create some personnal work, and challenges.

QuoteOriginally posted by micromacro Quote
I can't judge my own work, I don't see where is good, and where is not really a winner.
When you see the thumbnail, if you can see quickly that there might be something interesting, then you have already selected the good pictures.

I'm back from Greenland, after 3 weeks of expedition to climb some mountains and cliffs. We have like 7k photos. If the thumbnail is not encouraging, then most of the time, the picture ain't good enought. And it also help to make the hard choices : delete the useless pictures.

QuoteOriginally posted by micromacro Quote
I still don't know much, and don't use much photoshop elements, just very basics.
You use it only a little because you don't find it intuitive to use, or because you don't need to post process ?

If it's the first, have you ever tried something like Lightroom ? It can be frightening and seem very complex, but in fact it's very very well thought and quite intuitive. And the name of things are quite self explenatory.


QuoteOriginally posted by micromacro Quote
I don't use my strobes, and don't use flash when I should.
Some people live and shoot well without strobes and flash. Somehow, playing with the only light available is quite challenging sometimes, but it really help to understand the next thing you listed : the lightmeter


QuoteOriginally posted by micromacro Quote
I still don't understand how the heck to use light meter.
THIS is very important to understand. Because understanding how to mesure light, will help you to take photos that render what you have in mind.

You want harsh contrast ? You want an evenly lit face for a portrait ? You want to have saturated colors or muted colors ? All this depends on how light interact with things, and how your DSLR captures it.

Really, once you start to get it, you'll have a lot less difficulties with shooting things and expose it, the way you want it.


QuoteOriginally posted by micromacro Quote
I don't know how to pose people.
you mean to shoot people protraits and stuff ? Because it's not only about posing people, it's also about communicating : how to gently direct them, make them relaxed, laught even, to catch a moment.

Or you mean, when you document something and want the people to look at you, are move a bit, etc ?

QuoteOriginally posted by micromacro Quote
Have you ever get the similar feeling? Have you ever stopped like you needed a break to recharge and start all over? If so, for how long?
Most athlete, at the end of a sport season, just go on vacantion, and don't practice, or even speak about there own sport. Because they need to disconnect a bit, so when they come back to training, they remember why they do love what they do, and then, they can give everything for training.

Sometime photography is the same : you need to stop, to come back later super-motivated !

Reading is a great way to stop a bit. Thinking about a project*, technical problem it raise, how to overcomes it, trying to visualise the picture you want to obtain, writting it on a scratch book, is also a good way to take a break.

*I like portraits, my long term project is to shoot many friends, family, in very specific moments. Often it implied rock climbing, or snow, dust, dirt, and many other thing not really related to urban life. It will take me maybe 2 or 3 years to get the 20 pictures i want, but it's a great oppoprtunity to have fun, and getting better by solving slowly little technical problem i may encounter.

08-14-2016, 06:08 PM   #47
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QuoteOriginally posted by micromacro Quote
I can tell for sure the wish to shoot less started building up when got K-1. After the first excitement and crazy lens testing I started feeling like the camera is changing me.
I still don't understand how, but the more I've been shooting with K-1, the more I felt like I have to slow down. Like the camera itself has been pushing me to stop.

It has been about 3 weeks since I stopped shooting.
My Lightroom catalogue is the total mess, with about 22K pictures, and about 80% of them is the total rubbish. And I still don't know how to organize it efficiently.
I can't judge my own work, I don't see where is good, and where is not really a winner.
I still don't know much, and don't use much photoshop elements, just very basics.
I don't use my strobes, and don't use flash when I should.
I still don't understand how the heck to use light meter.
I don't know how to pose people.
I don't like just chase lucky shots anymore, it became too boring.
I have an amazing camera, and we don't match. It pushes me to improve.

So, suddenly I love reading (specified- reading photography materials) instead of shooting. Love the fact that I understand much more than before. I enjoy it, but... I don't shoot. Three weeks is the longest time ever I've not been out with the camera.

Have you ever get the similar feeling? Have you ever stopped like you needed a break to recharge and start all over? If so, for how long?
I absolutely have had that feeling. In fact I have it right now. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Since I came back from my trip a couple months ago I haven't snapped a single photo. Part of it is I am trying to get back into the work force, trying to manage finances, trying to learn a new job and two or three other things all at the same time. Basically I am overwhelmed.

In short to be honest I think taking a break is a GREAT thing. You don't want to get to the phase of burn out or going out when it's just not there. It can and does happen. It's important to keep photography as a fun pass time. You're running a marathon not a sprint.

For me one thing that I have done that has helped me improve is to focus on the basics. 22,000 pictures?! Try being more selective and slowing down. The ease of clicking the button has it's downsides.

Even though I have a flashy digital camera I pretend like I am walking around with a roll of film and it needs to last me all day. Is it a good subject? Is the light right? How is the composition? Is the image compelling? Basically focus on quality over quantity.

Even though right at this minute I am not out regularly shooting photos I still look around and try to be observant to my surroundings. I look for light and balance of light as well as compelling subjects. Seeing the light and seeing the shadows and knowing what will be blown out and what won't be is something you can do as you walk around during the day.
08-14-2016, 06:53 PM   #48
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QuoteOriginally posted by micromacro Quote
Sorry, I did not mention in previous post that I started enjoying not just reading, but reading about photography.
Before I was so "hungry" to go and shoot, to try explore different glass, gear. I've been forcing myself to read and learn, but never liked that.

Then, when I got K-1, it started changing. No more LBA, I don't need so many lenses. I don't like just to shoot anymore. Suddenly I don't get that fun, drive, or satisfaction from just shooting as before.
Instead I don't need to force myself into reading, or learning techniques, manuals- all about how to shoot. Probably for the first time ever since I got into DSLR, I stopped running, and slow down.
It's a weird feeling, and it's hard to tell, is not the end, or just another stage?
For sure, K-1 is somehow responsible for this switch.
Definitely another stage...tortoise and the hare...In the end if you are diligent about reading you will find that is just as much if not more valuable than running around clicking the shutter without thinking through your process.

There is a big difference between a clicker and a photographer. Depending on what you are doing the more thought you put into a photograph the better. In fact on one of my previous threads CreationBear pointed out some of the most excellent stuff I've seen in ages in regards to photography.

I would encourage you to click the link and read the comments.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/12-post-your-photos/323998-black-white-maasi-man-child.html
08-14-2016, 06:53 PM   #49
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For my dad the enui is lifited with new equipment and with a goal of a weekly shot - not just one image taken but one image fulfilling a goal that week. We shall see if this lasts.

08-14-2016, 07:05 PM - 3 Likes   #50
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My wife writes novels (she's an academic). Her pen was dry for five years. Last winter she started again one day. She wrote a single sentence.

Last edited by monochrome; 08-14-2016 at 07:29 PM.
08-14-2016, 07:05 PM - 1 Like   #51
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QuoteOriginally posted by micromacro Quote
Yes, something like that, I'm not happy shutter release button person anymore, and suddenly got bored to shoot, and get lucky shoots.

---------- Post added 08-06-16 at 01:29 PM ----------


Carol, not at all. I just wanted K-1 for full frame vintage lenses. Somehow that camera disagrees to be only for that purpose. Surprisingly, it's teaching me.
I have shared this story before.... and I will share it again in hopes that it helps.

I have a few friends that are old school and excellent photographers. "Good" isn't a strong enough word. But needless to say us guys get to going back and forth from time to time...

One of these awesome photographers and I were talking one day and I made the mistake of complaining about gear. The rebuke was swift and harsh.

I was told in no uncertain terms to quit complaining about my gear. I was told 'your gear doesn't suck. You suck!'. And then I was told a story... this particular person went on an around the world trip with an old film camera (this was back in the 80's or 90's) Before he left he loaded a single roll of 35mm black and white film and then set off around the world.

When he came back they asked for his pictures and he rolled up an unfinished roll of 36 exposures and handed it to the guy who had some incredulous look on his face. It was like 'that's it?!'... He hadn't even finished that whole roll of film he started with...but before it was all said and done three of those shots on his roll were published in National Geographic.

It's just insane to think about it, but it's true.

I think before it's all said and done you will be more than glad that you slowed down.
08-15-2016, 04:10 AM - 1 Like   #52
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QuoteOriginally posted by aurele Quote
When you see the thumbnail, if you can see quickly that there might be something interesting, then you have already selected the good pictures.

I'm back from Greenland, after 3 weeks of expedition to climb some mountains and cliffs. We have like 7k photos. If the thumbnail is not encouraging, then most of the time, the picture ain't good enought. And it also help to make the hard choices : delete the useless pictures.
I have to disagree with this. At least look at the photos full screen. Some photos work well as thumbnails, some need to be viewed in full screen to work. Some can be cropped to something great. etc. I usually work with stars when going through photos. Terrible photos get a negative flag (as in completely blurry, terrible exposure, ...). They can be deleted... just apply a filter later and delete them. The rest is flagged after how much I like them... maybe if there is a certain crop I have in mind I might already do it at this point. Usually I keep all photos, just the ones I don't care so much about get compressed as lossy DNG, so they don't take up much space.

As for taking very, very few photos... I admire those people, but for me the photos are also substituting my memory. I have a rather... selective memory and tend to forget many things, so my photos replace that. Some photos may be junk, but I still like to look at them, and remember things, be reminded of things I've seen. Would these ever get published? No way in hell. I've also got thousands of photos of my late father. They may not be good photos, but I'd be destroyed if I lost them.

08-15-2016, 08:48 AM   #53
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QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
My wife writes novels (she's an academic). Her pen was dry for five years. Last winter she started again one day. She wrote a single sentence.
That must have been one hellofa long sentence! ;-)
10-03-2016, 04:26 PM - 2 Likes   #54
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It have been almost two month since I opened this thread, and now I can tell that it was a transition from snapping to taking pictures.

I let it flow, and now I don't have LBA as before , and don't expect get lucky with shoots. Instead I pay more attention to the location, and figure out what exactly I want as a final result.
It's like totally different state of mind, and I enjoy it even more than with random shooting. I slow down when it's needed, and speed up when it's needed. I spend more time trying different angles, I "see" the light better than before because I pay attention. I explore the lenses I have from different perspectives now. I think before I push the shutter release button. I shoot less, but keep more pictures than before.

Seems like I passed the milestone, and all that frustration was for a reason before entering to another stage of this journey.
Just letting you know
Thank you!

Last edited by micromacro; 10-03-2016 at 05:18 PM. Reason: spelling
10-03-2016, 05:01 PM - 1 Like   #55
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Cool! I'm glad you're over the hump. We all learn in plateaus. We have a period of growth, which is the slope leading to the plateau...then we ride that plateau for a while until we're ready to climb up to the next plateau. What gets frustrating is that the more we grow, the shorter the slopes to the next plateau. Eventually, it feels like we're not making progress. But if we keep hammering away at it...we are.
10-03-2016, 11:09 PM   #56
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QuoteOriginally posted by micromacro Quote
It have been almost two month since I opened this thread, and now I can tell that it was a transition from snapping to taking pictures.

I let it flow, and now I don't have LBA as before , and don't expect get lucky with shoots. Instead I pay more attention to the location, and figure out what exactly I want as a final result.
It's like totally different state of mind, and I enjoy it even more than with random shooting. I slow down when it's needed, and speed up when it's needed. I spend more time trying different angles, I "see" the light better than before because I pay attention. I explore the lenses I have from different perspectives now. I think before I push the shutter release button. I shoot less, but keep more pictures than before.

Seems like I passed the milestone, and all that frustration was for a reason before entering to another stage of this journey.
Just letting you know
Thank you!
Now you're getting somewhere!!! This is when you can make some real progress in your photography. Study what others put out that you like and walk around 'seeing the light' and thinking through your composure and whatnot and pretty soon you will have a number of great shots...

More thought and planning= a whole lot more keepers...
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