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09-02-2017, 10:37 PM - 1 Like   #16
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It begins with not wanting to take photographs for the sake of pressing the shutter, instead, being primarily interested in seeing something new, visiting a new place etc.

09-03-2017, 02:24 AM   #17
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Sorry if I've repeated what's been said already. I've just grabbed my little nifty and gone for a walk in town. With only one lens to think about it kind of helps to see things differently. I'm also very lucky to also have a MX-1. Just taking that out instead, if I don't want the weight of of a dslr, provides a bit of entertainment. Hope you get your mojo back soon. All the best.
09-03-2017, 07:22 AM   #18
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Have a look through your past photos and for each one ask yourself why you took it in the first place.

The biggest lulls I've been in are when I was just photographing stuff for the sake of photographing stuff. For example, there are fireworks tonight so lets all grab our tripods and photograph the fireworks because... fireworks and camera ownership imply that's the thing to do. Fireworks involve excessively loud noises and excessively bright things and usually crowds, three of my most hated things, so why on earth did I ever do it? I've mostly stopped photographing things just for the sake of photographing them if I couldn't come up with a good reason for doing it.

I have several sets of subjects that I'm invested in learning about, understanding, and communicating my interest with other people (both visually and with those word things). This time of year is feeding my caterpillar obsession - the transition from egg to caterpillar, through the successive molts, to the pupa to the moth at the end is just a phenomenal thing to watch. That I can use a camera to share with other people the parts of the process I find so amazing is what drives my photography. It won't all be high art (ok, none of it will be!) but I'm more at a lack of time to make all the photos I want than a lack of photos I want to take/make.

In short - a subject or project I'm passionate about does way more for me than a general interest in photography for photography's sake. YMMV

Best of luck whatever path you end up on.
09-03-2017, 08:50 AM   #19
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You live in Seattle. Visit new neighborhoods. Revisit old neighborhoods. Search for interesting architecture or abandoned buildings. Try street photography. If you've photographed mostly during the day, go out after sunset.

Visit a museum. Photograph the building and visitors, rather than documentary photos of the art on the walls.

Road trips and hiking usually cure my photographic boredom. There's a lot of interesting wilderness surrounding Seattle.

09-03-2017, 09:50 AM - 1 Like   #20
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Grab you camera and any one lens you own. Go out drive a stake in the ground. Attach a 5 meter chain to it. Attach the other end to your ankle. Now that you are pretty much stuck in place take 36 photographs. A friend of mine called it his ball and chain theory of photography. He always maintained that there is at least one very good to great photograph that can be taken from wherever you are currently standing.

Years ago he volunteered to teach photography at a local reform school and that is where he got the name from. The students loved the name of his theory. He allowed one roll of film (36 exposures) per student. And most of the time the best photographs came towards the end of the roll.
09-03-2017, 10:20 AM   #21
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There used to be a time when I felt fairly often that way. Since I went digital, it hasn't really happened in years. While I love exciting locations, I have become happier with rather mundane subjects, too, which means that I rarely run out of things to photograph.

Anyway, some time ago I stumbled upon this video by the professional photographer Sean Tucker, which I found spot-on and quite uplifting:

09-03-2017, 10:43 AM   #22
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try any of these:

10 Easy Steps To Overcome Photographer's Block

09-03-2017, 12:18 PM - 1 Like   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by troika Quote
Ever get the feeling that there's just nothing to photograph? I guess I have the photographic equivalent of writer's block. Is that a thing?

Any thoughts on how to break through?
Yes, that has occurred to me quite a bit lately. But there are also life changes that have occurred to me that have pushed photography to the back burner, so one thing you can do is a quick check on your personal situation and see if there are any other reasons for a change in your photography or how you view it. Others have provided good suggestions such as some new equipment, or a trip, or a monthly photo challenge. It might also be possible to develop enhanced skills that may provide new inspiration, such as more photo editing skills. One thing I have thought of but not done is to take an art class, to get a better understanding of things like perspective, line, light, and angle - in other words, to develop a better eye for composition.
09-03-2017, 12:41 PM   #24
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Yep, been there several times. There are several things I feel help me find back to the fun of shooting. I think they've ll been covered above, but...

- Go different places. Doesn't have to be across the world (but could be, of course), just taking a different route to work can be inspiring.
- Take a break. Just leaving the camera at home for a while usually make me want to start again.
- Buy something new. Yes, it works, but doesn't necessarily last for long.
- Find a photo buddy. Going on a photo walk with someone can be very inspiring.
- Make a small project for yourself. Could be joining a challenge like the Single In, or Daily In, or just go out to find yellow objects, or triangles, or... fountains?

That last point, though... I've found that for me three months of Dailies tend to burn me out and I need a break from photography. I guess we all work in different ways
09-03-2017, 01:32 PM - 1 Like   #25
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It's Autumn.

Autumn leaves, autumn colours, wildlife finally done with the tedious effort of breeding and getting together in groups, fungi, ice on the pond, frogs, the bare bones of a tree unshrouded in greenery - and this time of year, every day is different. Make your own ruts in the mud, breathe the crisp air, watch the patterns of the flocks of birds - then home to a hot meal and a relaxing evening.
09-03-2017, 03:58 PM   #26
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Just take a few selfies.
09-03-2017, 04:02 PM   #27
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QuoteOriginally posted by troika Quote
Ever get the feeling that there's just nothing to photograph? I guess I have the photographic equivalent of writer's block. Is that a thing?

Any thoughts on how to break through?
Go to a national park at a sunset, take a tripod, nd filter and shoot things reflecting in still water. It's an easy and satisfying exercise.
I bet grand tetons are magnificent right now.
09-05-2017, 09:06 PM   #28
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I haven't tried it myself but for some interesting creative shots, buy an inexpensive copper pipe and the hardware store and shoot through that. Or through a plastic bag or a used dryer sheet or buy a prism and shoot through that. Some really interesting creative effects can come from shooting with things like that.


09-06-2017, 02:41 PM   #29
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This community continues to surprise and delight me. Thank you all for your thoughtful responses.

I have a project in mind. It will involve lighting and staging and things that I don't normally do and things that I don't do very well. The pieces are not quite in place yet, but look for posts in a month or so and please give feedback.

Also, I'm going to clean my sensor and camera carefully and repleace the eyepiece, which has been broken for a while.
09-06-2017, 03:07 PM - 1 Like   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by troika Quote
This community continues to surprise and delight me. Thank you all for your thoughtful responses.

I have a project in mind. It will involve lighting and staging and things that I don't normally do and things that I don't do very well. The pieces are not quite in place yet, but look for posts in a month or so and please give feedback.

Also, I'm going to clean my sensor and camera carefully and repleace the eyepiece, which has been broken for a while.
Good luck and I applaud you for your efforts and taking action about the situation.

If it were me I would start a fresh thread explaining what you would like to accomplish and see if others can help. You don't have to go through this alone.
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