How do you get out of a slump

**UncleVanya** · 08-16-2018, 05:49 AM

Originally posted by Cerebum

Web site saved to favourites

thanks Almighty Vanya (your new title BTW

)

thanks for the title. Glad to help.

drumhead · 08-16-2018, 01:29 PM

Time to take a trip.

**BigMackCam** · 08-16-2018, 01:44 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by drumhead

Time to take a trip.

For the record, the moderating team does not recommend the use of mind-altering substances as a source of photographic inspiration.

Wait a minute... that's not what you meant, is it?

**Cerebum** · 08-16-2018, 02:05 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by BigMackCam

For the record, the moderating team does not recommend the use of mind-altering substances as a source of photographic inspiration.

Wait a minute... that's not what you meant, is it?

It worked for Yoko Ono!

**UncleVanya** · 08-16-2018, 02:10 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by BigMackCam

For the record, the moderating team does not recommend the use of mind-altering substances as a source of photographic inspiration.

Wait a minute... that's not what you meant, is it?

Not recommending and not prohibiting are not the same.

Mark Ransom · 08-16-2018, 02:12 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by UncleVanya

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 also bought a DA 15 hoping it would inspire a new kind of shooting for me, but I discovered you need to work at it. I tried mine a couple of times until the novelty wore off, now it mostly sits in my camera bag. I thought for sure it would come in useful at the Grand Canyon, but even there I didn't find much for it.

**BigMackCam** · 08-16-2018, 02:27 PM

Originally posted by Mark Ransom

I also bought a DA 15 hoping it would inspire a new kind of shooting for me, but I discovered you need to work at it. I tried mine a couple of times until the novelty wore off, now it mostly sits in my camera bag. I thought for sure it would come in useful at the Grand Canyon, but even there I didn't find much for it.

It's almost heresy to say that around these parts, Mark... but I'm going to add my agreement (to some extent)

The DA15 is a really excellent lens - however, if you're not used to shooting so wide, it takes some dedication to get used to it.

I'm a little unusual in that my preferred wide end on APS-C starts at a rather long 28mm. The DA21 snaps me out of that limitation quite frequently, and is my favourite Limited lens. But I have to push myself to use the DA15. I like it when I use it, but it's not a natural field of view for me to work with. That's on me, of course - not the lens. But I totally understand where you're coming from.

All I'd say is, give it another try and stick with it. And don't just think "landscape"... Use it up close to make nearby objects seem big compared to their backgrounds...

wstruth · 08-16-2018, 02:54 PM

A different lens is always a good choice to work on getting out of a slump I saw some suggestions for trying the Single-in or Daily challenges here on PF. Definitely a good thing to get involved with here. I've been doing one or the other pretty consistently now and if you saw my posts you would see that many are from the same 1.5 mile section of dirt road while 40% are from my kitchen. I switch up the lenses, when I get in a slump from wide to macro to fisheye to what ever.

**Cerebum** · 08-16-2018, 03:23 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by wstruth

A different lens is always a good choice to work on getting out of a slump I saw some suggestions for trying the Single-in or Daily challenges here on PF. Definitely a good thing to get involved with here. I've been doing one or the other pretty consistently now and if you saw my posts you would see that many are from the same 1.5 mile section of dirt road while 40% are from my kitchen. I switch up the lenses, when I get in a slump from wide to macro to fisheye to what ever.

I am doing the single in with a manual 50mm lens

like you say, fish eye next, then a 135mm, then a 35mm, then my 100mm macro and then.......my lovely 21mm limited

**UncleVanya** · 08-16-2018, 05:05 PM

The diagonal on a Pentax APSC is about 28mm (just over it) which makes that the "normal" lens in some people's eyes. (Like a 43mm for FF - not by crop factor but direct diagonal measure). @bigmackcam

That's astonishingly narrow to my mind. But once upon a time I was there too... 35 was as wide as I went on film for a long long time other than 6mm fisheye...

**BigMackCam** · 08-16-2018, 05:11 PM

Originally posted by UncleVanya

@bigmackcam

That's astonishingly narrow to my mind. But once upon a time I was there too... 35 was as wide as I went on film for a long long time other than 6mm fisheye...

For sure

I have plenty of wide angle options, including both modern and vintage lenses, prime and zoom - and I do shoot wider on occasion. But over time I've found that my favourite range on APS-C is (approximately) 28 to 80mm.

Hey, I never claimed to be conventional nor wise

**UncleVanya** · 08-16-2018, 07:11 PM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by BigMackCam

For sure

I have plenty of wide angle options, including both modern and vintage lenses, prime and zoom - and I do shoot wider on occasion. But over time I've found that my favourite range on APS-C is (approximately) 28 to 80mm.

Hey, I never claimed to be conventional nor wise

That is not unwise. You know your favorite focal length and you know enough to know you can go past but you don't want to. Not a bad lesson. I'm a lens whore. If it fits my camera - I can be talked into making pictures with it and I'll try to make them the best I can.

**savoche** · 08-17-2018, 12:08 AM

Oh yes, the one piece of kit that can get me going sometimes is the fisheye. It quite literally makes me see things in a different way

Originally posted by Cerebum

Oooh, not the app, the website

Yes, that is rather annoying. The tool that Uncle linked to is a workaround, but I still don't get why they won't provide BB links in their app.

**iheiramo** · 08-17-2018, 12:39 AM

Originally posted by Cerebum

I am doing the single in with a manual 50mm lens

like you say, fish eye next, then a 135mm, then a 35mm, then my 100mm macro and then.......my lovely 21mm limited

Welcome to the challenge. On some months it's been a bit low on participants, so it's nice to see new faces there.

**Cerebum** · 08-17-2018, 01:02 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by iheiramo

Welcome to the challenge. On some months it's been a bit low on participants, so it's nice to see new faces there.

I am loving it. I have my lens choices mapped out til Christmas

and I have some prospects in the bag for today

its a mileposts day

08-16-2018, 02:54 PM	#68
wstruth Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: at my kitchen table Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,294	A different lens is always a good choice to work on getting out of a slump I saw some suggestions for trying the Single-in or Daily challenges here on PF. Definitely a good thing to get involved with here. I've been doing one or the other pretty consistently now and if you saw my posts you would see that many are from the same 1.5 mile section of dirt road while 40% are from my kitchen. I switch up the lenses, when I get in a slump from wide to macro to fisheye to what ever. Last edited by wstruth; 08-16-2018 at 03:00 PM.

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08-16-2018, 05:49 AM	#61
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Originally posted by Cerebum Web site saved to favourites thanks Almighty Vanya (your new title BTW ) thanks for the title. Glad to help.

08-16-2018, 01:29 PM	#62
drumhead Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 71	Time to take a trip.

08-16-2018, 01:44 PM - 1 Like	#63
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,670	Originally posted by drumhead Time to take a trip. For the record, the moderating team does not recommend the use of mind-altering substances as a source of photographic inspiration. Wait a minute... that's not what you meant, is it?

08-16-2018, 02:05 PM - 2 Likes	#64
Cerebum Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: Lancaster Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,828 Original Poster	Originally posted by BigMackCam For the record, the moderating team does not recommend the use of mind-altering substances as a source of photographic inspiration. Wait a minute... that's not what you meant, is it? It worked for Yoko Ono!

08-16-2018, 02:10 PM - 2 Likes	#65
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Originally posted by BigMackCam For the record, the moderating team does not recommend the use of mind-altering substances as a source of photographic inspiration. Wait a minute... that's not what you meant, is it? Not recommending and not prohibiting are not the same.

08-16-2018, 02:12 PM - 1 Like	#66
Mark Ransom Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 498	Originally posted by UncleVanya 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 also bought a DA 15 hoping it would inspire a new kind of shooting for me, but I discovered you need to work at it. I tried mine a couple of times until the novelty wore off, now it mostly sits in my camera bag. I thought for sure it would come in useful at the Grand Canyon, but even there I didn't find much for it.

08-16-2018, 02:27 PM	#67
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,670	Originally posted by Mark Ransom I also bought a DA 15 hoping it would inspire a new kind of shooting for me, but I discovered you need to work at it. I tried mine a couple of times until the novelty wore off, now it mostly sits in my camera bag. I thought for sure it would come in useful at the Grand Canyon, but even there I didn't find much for it. It's almost heresy to say that around these parts, Mark... but I'm going to add my agreement (to some extent) The DA15 is a really excellent lens - however, if you're not used to shooting so wide, it takes some dedication to get used to it. I'm a little unusual in that my preferred wide end on APS-C starts at a rather long 28mm. The DA21 snaps me out of that limitation quite frequently, and is my favourite Limited lens. But I have to push myself to use the DA15. I like it when I use it, but it's not a natural field of view for me to work with. That's on me, of course - not the lens. But I totally understand where you're coming from. All I'd say is, give it another try and stick with it. And don't just think "landscape"... Use it up close to make nearby objects seem big compared to their backgrounds...

08-16-2018, 03:23 PM - 2 Likes	#69
Cerebum Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: Lancaster Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,828 Original Poster	Originally posted by wstruth A different lens is always a good choice to work on getting out of a slump I saw some suggestions for trying the Single-in or Daily challenges here on PF. Definitely a good thing to get involved with here. I've been doing one or the other pretty consistently now and if you saw my posts you would see that many are from the same 1.5 mile section of dirt road while 40% are from my kitchen. I switch up the lenses, when I get in a slump from wide to macro to fisheye to what ever. I am doing the single in with a manual 50mm lens like you say, fish eye next, then a 135mm, then a 35mm, then my 100mm macro and then.......my lovely 21mm limited

08-16-2018, 05:05 PM	#70
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	The diagonal on a Pentax APSC is about 28mm (just over it) which makes that the "normal" lens in some people's eyes. (Like a 43mm for FF - not by crop factor but direct diagonal measure). @bigmackcam That's astonishingly narrow to my mind. But once upon a time I was there too... 35 was as wide as I went on film for a long long time other than 6mm fisheye...

08-16-2018, 05:11 PM	#71
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,670	Originally posted by UncleVanya @bigmackcam That's astonishingly narrow to my mind. But once upon a time I was there too... 35 was as wide as I went on film for a long long time other than 6mm fisheye... For sure I have plenty of wide angle options, including both modern and vintage lenses, prime and zoom - and I do shoot wider on occasion. But over time I've found that my favourite range on APS-C is (approximately) 28 to 80mm. Hey, I never claimed to be conventional nor wise

08-16-2018, 07:11 PM - 2 Likes	#72
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,401	Originally posted by BigMackCam For sure I have plenty of wide angle options, including both modern and vintage lenses, prime and zoom - and I do shoot wider on occasion. But over time I've found that my favourite range on APS-C is (approximately) 28 to 80mm. Hey, I never claimed to be conventional nor wise That is not unwise. You know your favorite focal length and you know enough to know you can go past but you don't want to. Not a bad lesson. I'm a lens whore. If it fits my camera - I can be talked into making pictures with it and I'll try to make them the best I can.

08-17-2018, 12:08 AM	#73
savoche Master of the obvious Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Lowlands of Norway Posts: 18,311	Oh yes, the one piece of kit that can get me going sometimes is the fisheye. It quite literally makes me see things in a different way Originally posted by Cerebum Oooh, not the app, the website Yes, that is rather annoying. The tool that Uncle linked to is a workaround, but I still don't get why they won't provide BB links in their app.

08-17-2018, 12:39 AM	#74
iheiramo Unoriginal Poster Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Espoo Photos: Albums Posts: 3,182	Originally posted by Cerebum I am doing the single in with a manual 50mm lens like you say, fish eye next, then a 135mm, then a 35mm, then my 100mm macro and then.......my lovely 21mm limited Welcome to the challenge. On some months it's been a bit low on participants, so it's nice to see new faces there.

08-17-2018, 01:02 AM - 1 Like	#75
Cerebum Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: Lancaster Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,828 Original Poster	Originally posted by iheiramo Welcome to the challenge. On some months it's been a bit low on participants, so it's nice to see new faces there. I am loving it. I have my lens choices mapped out til Christmas and I have some prospects in the bag for today its a mileposts day