[clickclick]

In addition to many of the other good suggestions, you might find it fun to have "assignments". These can be interesting since you don't pick what you are doing, but are challenged into figuring out how. There's a post on the homepage here right now about this:

Daily Assignments - PentaxForums.com

Beyond what's on this site, you'll find other photography sites have these types of challenges. A friend of mine enjoys the weekly assignments at fredmiranda.com - can't vouch for it personally, but know he has found it a good source.

[Cerebum]

I "mostly" agree with this. The one caveat is that if you lack a certain range and have shots you want to try or a new perspective you want to try - this is needed. But don't buy the best and most amazing gear - just buy what you need to determine if this area needs more exploration. I say this as someone who rarely used wide angles and thought they were only so so until I bought a DA 15 and then I learned a lot about how to see wider and compose for that perspective. It was an area I wouldn't have explored had I not gotten the lens and started exploring with it. The same can be said of the 8mm Rokinon/Samyang - I knew I had played with fisheye perspective in my youth but didn't know how to really work with their strengths and weaknesses. I know of people who went the other way - finding they loved telephoto when they hadn't really shot it much before.

I don't suggest buying a new camera body, changing formats, or getting better lenses unless you have specific shots you just can't take without them. Then I suggest renting if possible and testing that way if this is the path you think you need to take - but it isn't for most people the way to get out of the funk. For most this is part of the normal exploration not funk busting.

I went through an LBA phase. One upside is I am really well covered and can try most things. I have the 10-17mm fish eye, 21mm limited, 1x24mm, 2x28mm & 2x35mm manual lenses, a 35mm AF, a mir 1b 38mm, a 40mm manual andf a 40mm af, 8x50mm, 1x55mm, a100mm macro, 3x125mm, a 200mm, a 500mm mirror, my 18-55 &18-135mm wr, a 50-200 & a 55-300 plus a couple of others. Part of the reason for buying was so that if I found myself struggling I had the gear to have a go at something new. I don't know why I didn't think of themes. Garstang may be small but it is old and interesting. There are milestones, hanging baskets, weinds(alleys) and all sorts of stuff. I have a river and countryside too. I have been photographing larger scale, it never occurred to me to photograph the detail. choosing a focal length and working with that is something I love, it makes me think, much like your time with the fish eye. I think that will be my salvation. Thank you

---------- Post added 08-14-18 at 01:37 PM ----------

In addition to many of the other good suggestions, you might find it fun to have "assignments". These can be interesting since you don't pick what you are doing, but are challenged into figuring out how. There's a post on the homepage here right now about this:

Daily Assignments - PentaxForums.com

Beyond what's on this site, you'll find other photography sites have these types of challenges. A friend of mine enjoys the weekly assignments at fredmiranda.com - can't vouch for it personally, but know he has found it a good source.

Yeah, I saw that

---------- Post added 08-14-18 at 01:39 PM ----------

Try single in or daily in groups? Or try a break. Or take a topic list and figure out what fits and what you can accomplish weekly.

What is a single in? Is it Just using a single lens in any given session?

---------- Post added 08-14-18 at 01:42 PM ----------

My suggestions, based on personal experience

1) study the work of William Eggleston, and in general, look at art and photography books.

2) try to have a project, for yourself or for others, for example volunteer to take pictures somewhere.

3) don't buy gear for "inspiration"

1) I will
2) my local orchard need calendar shots. I was talking to a committee member and he asked if I had any. I have a project
3) if I buy anything else my wife will gut me like a fish

[BigMackCam]

Brilliant. I tend to go out with one lens anyway and have a host of manual lenses. I love the idea of signs. Also I travel through beautiful country and could easily apply a theme I also like the idea of taking photos and ageing or cleaning them. I have light room on my tablet! Time to go nuts. I am going to pin this and keep referring back. Thanks for a brilliant and incredibly helpful post

You're very welcome

Given that you picked up on the idea of street signs, I'll say a little more on the general subject...

One of the best lessons I learned was to look deeper into the scenes I was photographing and start looking for interesting details within them... In a town, don't just see the street - notice the signs, door handles, knockers, iron railing tops, stonework, etc. and think of ways to photograph them. Look for variations of the same thing elsewhere. If you're walking in the park, look at what's on the ground, in the grasses at the edge of the pond or riverbank... When you see a tree, look at the details - pine cones, berries, interesting bark formations, that kind of thing. An old car in the street? Don't just see the car - see the chrome badges, stickers, rusty wheels, shape of the headlights etc. It works with so many different things. You'd be absolutely amazed, I think, by the number of things you've missed in your own town. They might not even seem interesting, but you can make them interesting by photographing them in different ways.

@UncleVanya mentioned the "Single in" and other challenges. These are also great ways to make yourself shoot and be creative. I only ever joined one of them, and I did so at a time when the weather in my locale was pretty dreadful (it was December 2015!), so - contrary to my "hard Northerner" reputation - I decided to stay indoors on many days and find things to photograph around the house. None of the shots I took was particularly impressive, but I had a great deal of fun, and there were a few keepers - some examples below, all taken with the Q7 and a positively-dreadful cheap Chinese CCTV lens I combined the photography with some fairly aggressive post-processing, but it was all part of the fun :

























... and here's the kit I used :

[limestonecowboy]

(Blasphemy mode) - Get a Fujifilm 3d Camera and go for a wander with that (/Blasphemy Mode)


Macro stuff - as BigMackCam suggests.

Get a Pentax Q7/Q-S1 and try that, get a wide angle zoom, get bored with that, then sell it to me for a discount price ;-)


Have fun!

[Cerebum]

I have photographed bollards and tree trunks but not as part of a themed challenge. Same with cars. My biggest problem may be picking a lens I have ones which are really sharp, others which are just fun to use. There are textures all over the place your photos are wonderful. I sometimes wonder if my occasional funks are caused by being solitary. I would love to be part of the local lancaster photographic society but I am perpetually pressed for time. I have a lottery ticket, maybe retirement beckons. I am currently Schroedinger's millionaire and I don't want to open the box and end the dream . Whereabouts in the north are you? Part of my reason for choosing Pentax in the first place was its ability to deal with a Lancashire winter. I can't wait for it to return as all this sunshine is deeply unnatural for this Lancastrian

[BigMackCam]

I have photographed bollards and tree trunks but not as part of a themed challenge. Same with cars. My biggest problem may be picking a lens I have ones which are really sharp, others which are just fun to use. There are textures all over the place

Just pick one (a prime, not a zoom) - seriously, don't put much (or any) thought into it

I believe from some of your posts that you like vintage lenses at least as much as newer ones (something we have in common), so don't think about optical quality unless your chosen subject absolutely demands it. Just pick something... anything; go with it and work with it, at least for the purposes of this slump-breaking exercise.

As I mentioned before, in these circumstances, it can be useful to choose a focal length you're not comfortable with (this doesn't always work out, but it's worth a try). It makes you look at things differently, and you have to move to different distances than you're used to in order to get a perspective and framing you're happy with. There will be times when you wish you'd chosen a different lens - but stick with it. Over the course of one or several days or weeks, you'll learn to see with that lens. That alone can be satisfying, but you'll also find you can capture things in new and different ways. What starts off as a restriction can wind up being very liberating

your photos are wonderful.

I don't think so, but thank you - I really appreciate you saying that What's important is that I wouldn't previously have taken shots like these, but a combination of the weather and a commitment to posting something each day for the "Single in" challenge made me throw all sorts of ideas around, and - sometimes desperately, I'll admit - look for subject matter I could play with. As a result, I ended up having loads of interesting fun, I got a few keepers that I'm quite happy with, and I learned to be a little more creative into the bargain. Had it not been for the challenge, I doubt I'd have taken these shots - but now, this kind of thing is part of my "repertoire"

I sometimes wonder if my occasional funks are caused by being solitary. I would love to be part of the local lancaster photographic society but I am perpetually pressed for time. I have a lottery ticket, maybe retirement beckons. I am currently Schroedinger's millionaire and I don't want to open the box and end the dream .

I'm a fairly solitary guy myself. I'm not a member of any photography clubs or groups, other than PentaxForums (and I realise that's quite different). I've toyed with the idea of joining my local society, which I believe is small but clearly very active from the exhibitions I've seen. But I'm wary of becoming directly involved with - and committed to - groups that expect my involvement and contribution. I like my own space, and I need to be my own boss 100%

Of course, I'm in direct competition with you for the lottery win I haven't checked my ticket from tonight... I hope I won it, but if I didn't, I sincerely hope you did. GBP £80M wouldn't be a hardship, now, would it?

Whereabouts in the north are you? Part of my reason for choosing Pentax in the first place was its ability to deal with a Lancashire winter. I can't wait for it to return as all this sunshine is deeply unnatural for this Lancastrian

I'm just outside Durham

Though I have my friends (and highly valued they are too), I am - as I already mentioned - a relatively solitary person these days... very much in contrast to, and because of, my old professional environment and work-related social life which was extremely "full on" But I'm not beyond the odd meet up for a day or weekend of photography, so long as beers are involved at the end of the "working" day Lancaster's not so far away

Have you ever been to Piel Island, off the coast of Barrow? I'm a fairly regular visitor there... initially for photographic reasons, but now - more than anything - socially. Steve - offically, King of Piel Island, but also the landlord of the Tavern - shoots a K-30. Or, at least, he did. It had aperture block failure. I've had his camera for months and have tried filing the solenoid down, and even replacing it with one from an old MZ film camera. Sadly, I'm defeated

[DeadJohn]

Suggestions that have worked for me:

1) Explore someplace new. It can be a roadtrip to a national park, train ride to a nearby city, or just a walk in a new part of town.

2) Bring your camera on a hike. Don't take many photos and wait for potential keepers. The whole day might pass with zero photos if the skies/foliage/wildlife don't cooperate; that's okay because I still got exercise.

3) Try to arrange shots of the sun and moon rising and setting next to other objects. Use The Photographer's Ephemeris (as a website, or inexpensive paid app), Sun Surveyor, Photo Pills, or similar tools to plan things. Find a lighthouse, cathedral, or other landmark and line up your shot. Some samples below.

4) Do some street photography. Most of these photos come out boring for me, but there are some keepers and I enjoy the process of people-watching.

5) Reprocess some of your old photos. Find a tutorial to learn a new aspect of Photoshop.

6) Astrophotography. You need clear weather and get away from city lights to see the Milky Way. Read about astronomy to see if there are upcoming meteor showers, interesting alignments of planets, etc.

7) Urban exploring. Be safe; look out for structurally unsound floors/stairs and be aware of trespassing laws.

[Cerebum]

Suggestions that have worked for me:

1) Explore someplace new. It can be a roadtrip to a national park, train ride to a nearby city, or just a walk in a new part of town.

2) Bring your camera on a hike. Don't take many photos and wait for potential keepers. The whole day might pass with zero photos if the skies/foliage/wildlife don't cooperate; that's okay because I still got exercise.

3) Try to arrange shots of the sun and moon rising and setting next to other objects. Use The Photographer's Ephemeris (as a website, or inexpensive paid app), Sun Surveyor, Photo Pills, or similar tools to plan things. Find a lighthouse, cathedral, or other landmark and line up your shot. Some samples below.

4) Do some street photography. Most of these photos come out boring for me, but there are some keepers and I enjoy the process of people-watching.

5) Reprocess some of your old photos. Find a tutorial to learn a new aspect of Photoshop.

6) Astrophotography. You need clear weather and get away from city lights to see the Milky Way. Read about astronomy to see if there are upcoming meteor showers, interesting alignments of planets, etc.

7) Urban exploring. Be safe; look out for structurally unsound floors/stairs and be aware of trespassing laws.

I like the reprocessing idea you have some wonderful compositions here this thread has yielded some tremendous pictures

[Cerebum]

Just pick one (a prime, not a zoom) - seriously, don't put much (or any) thought into it

I believe from some of your posts that you like vintage lenses at least as much as newer ones (something we have in common), so don't think about optical quality unless your chosen subject absolutely demands it. Just pick something... anything; go with it and work with it, at least for the purposes of this slump-breaking exercise.

As I mentioned before, in these circumstances, it can be useful to choose a focal length you're not comfortable with (this doesn't always work out, but it's worth a try). It makes you look at things differently, and you have to move to different distances than you're used to in order to get a perspective and framing you're happy with. There will be times when you wish you'd chosen a different lens - but stick with it. Over the course of one or several days or weeks, you'll learn to see with that lens. That alone can be satisfying, but you'll also find you can capture things in new and different ways. What starts off as a restriction can wind up being very liberating



I don't think so, but thank you - I really appreciate you saying that What's important is that I wouldn't previously have taken shots like these, but a combination of the weather and a commitment to posting something each day for the "Single in" challenge made me throw all sorts of ideas around, and - sometimes desperately, I'll admit - look for subject matter I could play with. As a result, I ended up having loads of interesting fun, I got a few keepers that I'm quite happy with, and I learned to be a little more creative into the bargain. Had it not been for the challenge, I doubt I'd have taken these shots - but now, this kind of thing is part of my "repertoire"



I'm a fairly solitary guy myself. I'm not a member of any photography clubs or groups, other than PentaxForums (and I realise that's quite different). I've toyed with the idea of joining my local society, which I believe is small but clearly very active from the exhibitions I've seen. But I'm wary of becoming directly involved with - and committed to - groups that expect my involvement and contribution. I like my own space, and I need to be my own boss 100%

Of course, I'm in direct competition with you for the lottery win I haven't checked my ticket from tonight... I hope I won it, but if I didn't, I sincerely hope you did. GBP £80M wouldn't be a hardship, now, would it?



I'm just outside Durham

Though I have my friends (and highly valued they are too), I am - as I already mentioned - a relatively solitary person these days... very much in contrast to, and because of, my old professional environment and work-related social life which was extremely "full on" But I'm not beyond the odd meet up for a day or weekend of photography, so long as beers are involved at the end of the "working" day Lancaster's not so far away

Have you ever been to Piel Island, off the coast of Barrow? I'm a fairly regular visitor there... initially for photographic reasons, but now - more than anything - socially. Steve - offically, King of Piel Island, but also the landlord of the Tavern - shoots a K-30. Or, at least, he did. It had aperture block failure. I've had his camera for months and have tried filing the solenoid down, and even replacing it with one from an old MZ film camera. Sadly, I'm defeated

I have been to walney, my friend runs a post office there. My last trip was pre photography. I use to travel for the post office and even spent time in Durham but that was pre photography. I started my obsession about three years ago. I need to revisit where I am is great. Lancaster is a university town, so things happen here also we have lots of history, both human and natural, including a nice castle, Garstang (also in the Domesday book ), where I work is 25mins south past an old dock, a canal and great scenery so I have no excuses. I have plumped for a lens and its a challenging one. I like wide angle so I have gone for a 135mm lol. I haven't really used my Schneider kreuzach edixa xenon f3.5 m42 because it makes my k30 misbehave, so I have screwed it onto my k3 its a stunning looking lens, it will be interesting to see how it performs. It narrowly beat my e Ludwig meretor 50mm into second

[pepperberry farm]

I tend to shoot my way out of slumps - take a day trip, switch lenses, pick up one that I haven't mounted in a while....

I also shoot in the Single In Challenge, along with the Daily Challenge, so I do shoot every day, even if it is just for those two reasons...

I am grateful to live where there are four seasons and that I live in the country where the seasonal changes hold a host of interesting topics for me to catalogue....

[BigMackCam]

I have been to walney, my friend runs a post office there. My last trip was pre photography.

I stayed with some of my Piel Island friends at their home on Walney late last year for a combined 60th birthday and retirement party... It took me a couple of days to recover

I use to travel for the post office and even spent time in Durham but that was pre photography. I started my obsession about three years ago. I need to revisit

County Durham is, in general, a lovely place. Since coming "home", I've realised how much I took it for granted as a child, and - when I left - as a teenager. Where I am is semi-rural, but right on the edge of some very rural and quite beautiful countryside and coastline. Four years after my move back here, I'm not only re-discovering, but discovering for the first time, some fantastic places. Like anywhere else, it has its not-so-nice parts... but after an adult life spent in and around London and the "commuter belt", I have no complaints

where I am is great. Lancaster is a university town, so things happen here also we have lots of history, both human and natural, including a nice castle, Garstang (also in the Domesday book ), where I work is 25mins south past an old dock, a canal and great scenery so I have no excuses.

I've been to Lancaster. It was quite a few years ago, but I remember liking it. Lots of history, for sure. You're a lucky guy to live in that region

I have plumped for a lens and its a challenging one. I like wide angle so I have gone for a 135mm lol.

Yes!! Good man! That's exactly what I'm talking about... Outside your comfort zone... perfect!

Those shots of mine that you were so kind about were taken with a 35mm CCTV lens, which - on the Q7 - equates to roughly 165mm on full frame. My comfort zone on APS-C is around the 28 to 80mm range, so 42mm to 120mm on full frame. 165mm - especially indoors - was completely wrong for me. But it forced me to work differently, and I was happier with the results than I expected.

Have fun and, if you like, let us know how you get on

[ramseybuckeye]

You have loads of good suggestions and I may be repeating some

Go out and shoot at night.

Go somewhere with a tripod and take a lot of time to compose, maybe shoot the same scene differently each time.

Look at some of your previous photos and go attempt to make better photos of the same.

The challenge groups have been mentioned several times and they can help you out.

I belong to some meetup groups that I can occasionally go to a shooting event with, it can get you to shoot things you may never have thought of, and also get you into places that you would not have been able to on your own. You don't have to attend every event, just when you can and want to.

Hop into a car, a train, or ride a bike with no destination and see what you may find, in fact, I'm going to take a camera out for a walk right now, good luck

[pakinjapan]

I work in a small market town and I have photographed so much of it. I try to mix things up by using different lenses but I still find myself uninspired. It could just be me. What do you guys do to get yourselves out of the doldrums?

I am photographing Tokyo for years and sometimes I feel the same. A few things I have been doing to keep my self out of the doldrums.
- long exposure day or night
- go out during it rain or snow
- go up high. if you can fly a drone in your city, that will be interesting.
- go at a different time of the day
- go with friends
- just get lost in the town with no map, I can always get lost in Tokyo even I has been to most of the places already. the city is just too big to know every small road in town.
- go out with one prime
- Try the impossible, Now I am trying to find a place I can take milkyway "in urban Tokyo area".

[clackers]

Great advice from everyone to Cerebrum!

The key is change what you're doing currently.

I heard a pro advising other pros that for their own sanity, they need to not just do their work of actor's headshots, weddings and product photography, the gigs that put food on the table, but out of their own pocket or TFP once a month or so they need to hire a model and do a stylish shoot that pleases themselves, not just deliver what the art director or editor or client wants.

Annie Liebovitz cancelled her work schedule and went off to become a photojournalist during the 1990s Balkan wars.

So this is a challenge that even the Masters face.

[C_Jones]

Wildlife preserves usually contain a variety of natural subjects. Usually ones near water have a number of birds living there.