[Mikey Floyd]

So do you have any good theme's or projects in mind that would make shooting these same old sceneries meaningfull again? It's not like I'm giving up on photography, but it might fall back to gategory I do when something special is happening and not be daily habbit. I'm really not satisfied with the effort I have put into daily shooting in last few months.

My prescription is to get yourself a dedicated Image Printer. For me, an image on the screen is no longer the final result, just a stage on the way. A print is a photograph. Something to savour, something to allow to settle into your conciousness over a period of time and to grow in it's offering to you - either as a great thing to be proud of, or as something that didn't quite hit the mark but that shows clearly where and how the mark was missed.


I'm a bit 'Born Again" about this I admit. (no offence intended to any people of faith) However, printing regularly and at home is really focussing my intent, while at the same time cutting a whole load of chaff from the equation of what's actually important.

One other thing I'm discovering: Friends love being randomly handed a print as a gift, they end up on fridges and walls for many eyes to see.

---------- Post added 05-27-22 at 02:29 AM ----------

May '22 must be World Navel Gazing Month or some such thing as I have been considering long and hard since my 'lens list' post from a few days ago.

I've decided to stop procrastinating, to stop twiddling my thumbs with a lack of conviction about getting my gear reduced.


I've flipped the whole thing on it's head - rather than: what can I do without from this list of gear that I own? I've turned the question into: if I was buying again from scratch with what I now know, in what order would I buy things? and at what point would I stop buying?

The new list looks like this: General item first, specific to me item in brackets.


Stuff by order of aquisition.

- Camera, plus spare battery. (GFX50R)
- Normal prime lens. 40-60mm. (P645-A 75/2.8, on helicoid adaptor for semi-macro)
- Camera bag. (Tenba BYOB10)
- Computer. (Dell laptop)
- Raw editing software. (Capture One)
- Image Printer with ink and paper. (Canon Pro-300)
- Tripod, ballhead and L-Bracket. (Leofoto LS-254C)

I could actually stop there and be happy. That's what I've been using this month. I've rarely been feeling the need for a different focal length, sure it would open possibilities and creative outlets but need? Nah.


-


What would I add next?

- Tele prime 100-135mm. (P645-A 150/3.5)
- Wide prime 28-35mm. (I own a few possibilities, none are perfect. I have a great 28equiv, but much prefer 35.)

This is where I reckon I stop aquiring and sort out the wide prime thing.


So, that makes my task a whole lot easier. Tomorrow I'm going to put everything away, well packed away, a bit difficult to get at - except the above and the options for the wide prime. I'll solve the wide prime uncertainty, add the winner to the keepers and deep freeze the losers.

Then I'll just get on with shooting and printing with that kit. If I feel a real need or desire for something else, chances are that I've got something that will fit the need - out it comes, welcome to the kit.


After a year or so, I'm reckoning if I haven't pulled it out of storage I'm probably just as happy without it, whatever it is.



I like this plan.


So I guess at the end of this month I'll turn to bouncing between the wide options, and the next SIC I do will be with whichever lens gets the nod.

---

Last edited by Mikey Floyd; 05-27-2022 at 02:54 AM.

[iheiramo]

My prescription is to get yourself a dedicated Image Printer.


- Image Printer with ink and paper. (Canon Pro-300)

I do like the sound of this, as in my experience the photos look better on paper. Is that Canon what the doctor recommends? Looking at the price I think it would be wise to try to buy prints more actively from commercial providers before jumping into it. I would like to have more prints, but the big question for me has always been what to do with those prints? I feel like I should need some place to show them to justify the expense. Or at least a proper method to store them so that they can easily be viewed. This need to be pondered more, but certainly it would be nice to be in charge of the printing procedure as the last part of the imaging pipeline.

But to me this looks like a move towards chasing better photo opportunities than supporting daily shooting habbit.

[Mikey Floyd]

I do like the sound of this, as in my experience the photos look better on paper. Is that Canon what the doctor recommends? Looking at the price I think it would be wise to try to buy prints more actively from commercial providers before jumping into it. I would like to have more prints, but the big question for me has always been what to do with those prints? I feel like I should need some place to show them to justify the expense. Or at least a proper method to store them so that they can easily be viewed. This need to be pondered more, but certainly it would be nice to be in charge of the printing procedure as the last part of the imaging pipeline.

But to me this looks like a move towards chasing better photo opportunities than supporting daily shooting habbit.

Yes, I agree. It feels very much to me about getting better photographs, rather than just more photographs - I'm about to push the shutter... 'Would I print it?' is my silent question to myself.. I also agree that if you have a printing lab near enough to outsource the printing that could certainly be an option, or at least a way to begin to see how it all feels for you. For me everything has to come by post and for some reason the photo labs charge a crazy amount for the postage, it was just getting too expensive.


The general consensus seems to be that Canon and Epson are the only real players for enthusiastic amateurs. Prices for the printer and the inks are variable by region, so you'd have to see what the situation is in your part of the world.
Big thing is that it is an ongoing expense. You have to keep using these machines otherwise they clog up, at least once a fortnight. It is the ink that is the real cost, and the less often you print the greater percentage of your ink gets used by the machine to keep the jets clean. So the equation to work out a costing is a bit hazy.

I've resolved to print the equivalent of 3 or 4 A4 sized prints each week and have costed that out over a three year period. Sometimes that might be half a dozen smaller A5 prints to tack up on the the wall where I can see them throughout the day, let them settle in my mind and thoughts, appraise them over a longer period of time. Other weeks I might make one A3 print and one A4 one, ones that I previously printed smaller and have decided they are worthy. I'm not thinking that if I make a print it has to be framed behind glass and placed somewhere special, maybe one or two a year for this. Mostly up on the wall like a poster, on the fridge, leaning up on the window, anywhere - to be replaced at some stage with a different print when I feel I've looked at it enough. I've started a folder of the ones that have seen their time on the wall.

There's also a bit of a learning curve, monitor calibration and such things so that your screen reasonably represents the print, not necessarily a given.

Definitely worth spending a good while researching the whole process before leaping in. This is a fabulous source of information: https://www.northlight-images.co.uk/

[iheiramo]

For me everything has to come by post and for some reason the photo labs charge a crazy amount for the postage, it was just getting too expensive.

For me post would be the convenient way and really no issue, as it starts from 3€ for small set of photos. I only looked from one provider, so I need to study which would be the best service provider for me. From this one 13x19cm shots are still reasonable 0,58€, but 20x30 which I would prefer are 3,56€, so they don't really make sence. Maybe I find a place that doesn't charge so much for bigger shots.

The Canon printer was 950€ and I found a price for ink set at about 250€. It would give me bigger shots, but think it better to start by ordering shots and feel out how I feel about it.


I've been thinking that it would be nice to print more, but hasn't really gone for it. Maybe I should set a goal for myself. Like if I get 10 printable shots in a month I order them. Still this doesn't support my participation in SIC, but rather encourages me to look for opportunities armed with a set of my best lenses. ...Unless I start going thru my best lenses per focal length again with printing purpose on my mind... That might be worth a consideration, but somehow feel like DIC would be preferred approach

[pepperberry farm]

I have a little existential crisis with my hobby. Not photography in general, but just this daily shooting thing. ATM it feels pointless as all my points have been conquared. I need to find a new point into it and I've been thinking of taking more time of the challenge while I search for it.

At first I joined in as I wanted to learn to use my lenses, but very quickly that turned into learning about the set of lenses. In my case it was the M series primes, as it was what I already had and was relative inexpensive to fill the gaps. So I shot 17 M series primes first in APSC and then in FF. This project was success and I indeed learned a lot about the differences between lenses. Also learned to see the difference between different versions in same focal length. But that's done and there's really no point to go back to it or restart in some other serie.

Then there were my personal skills to upgrade. Again I have learned a lot during my years in SIC. While in the beginning I was stumbling a lot with my settings and testing different options, nowadays I have solid view to settings I want to use when I find the target and also I know sacrifices I'm willing to make if light doesn't permit the optimum settings. I might even say I have found the way I like to shoot or should I say my style. Also manual lenses turned me into control freak and unable to rely on auto features, as there is so often the risk that camera makes a decicion I would not and that is totally unacceptable. Easier to go manual all the time than correct the camera when it makes bad choices. Anyway it feels like there ain't much to learn in here.

During my SIC years I have tried to learn a lot about post processing. I feel like I have honed my process quite well. I go with pretty constant set of adjusts to the shots. There's small variation and some shots have such challenging light that they need more attention, but all in all I can edit a large patches relatively fast. Also stitching, stacking or pixelshift doesn't add too much work. Photoshopping is still something I haven't studied, but it's something I'm not interested to venture into. So I think also here I'm already where I want to be.

I did go thru some interesting lenses I had bought to upgrade my lineup and some lenses I had bought just to play in SIC. There are a couple left, but I have zero interest to shoot them, as I have no great expections of them. I have also lost all interest to buy new lenses to shoot unless I can go for something meaningfully better than what I already have. There apparently is limit even with DFA*85 on how many months you wanna shoot with it. So also this road feels like it's done, as I don't have money to go for DFA*50 ATM and I think I need new a sail (and mast) before new lens.

The things where I need I would need more practice are lighting and portraits. Especially lighting in portraits. But lights feel like a lot of work and I'm not too keen about clinical studio work. I don't really want to dwell too deep into that world. Portraits would mean working with people and for an introvert that is something really dreadful I do like shooting friends doing sports and proper portraits among friends might be fun too, but I don't have eager model for that among my friends. Trying to find a stranger to shoot with feels like way too much work.

So do you have any good theme's or projects in mind that would make shooting these same old sceneries meaningfull again? It's not like I'm giving up on photography, but it might fall back to gategory I do when something special is happening and not be daily habbit. I'm really not satisfied with the effort I have put into daily shooting in last few months.

yowza, buddy.... I've had these same thoughts from time to time and wondered about the why of it all (the SIC and DIC)...

my 'boredom', for lack of a better word, in shooting daily has been overcome usually by making it a challenge, by making it more difficult (again)...

for example - this 12 Months of Takumar project of mine - this is a stiffly-bound, rigid project that requires a daily/weekly/monthly commitment on my part to stay the course....

in addition to this, I've decided to use my Fuji bodies for the Takumar project - mainly, because they are better/easier to use for adapted lenses, but I've still had a learning curve with them to get the Takumars inline with my photography goals....

I also play with vintage lenses a lot - which require a certain amount of dedication to pull promising images from old glass....

and if any of that wasn't enough of a challenge, this coming week I have rented a Sigma SD Quattro camera & lens from LensRentals to see if my curiosity can't be quelled about using a Foveon-sensor camera....

I don't know if any of this helped other than to say - I think I know where you are coming from... and you aren't alone in it...

[AggieDad]

I have never been a "carry the camera everywhere" kind of guy. But I have always enjoyed getting out and doing things. And I do like having projects. I have found that the hobby of photography has been a wonderful environment to fold in sub-hobbies.

In 2017 after having 1/2 of my lung removed and being housebound, I built a macro set-up and found myself doing macro photography – a new avenue of interest. Then I took it all a step further and automated my focusing rail, which required me to learn some coding skills and some electronic assembly skills.

Back on my feet and out of the house again, I became interested in doing panoramas. Exactly why, I do not know as the coastal plain of Texas is not a place of overwhelming vistas. But this led to designing and building an automatic tripod pano head, building on the electronic and coding skills I learned with my macro rail.

This past August (2021) my heart went out from under me. I couldn't walk from the family room to the kitchen without taking 30 seconds to catch my breath. I was not going outside except for doctor visits. But while sitting, everything was fine. So all my sitting meant I had a lot of time to work on the computer. First I designed and built a new website for my photos (I don't do any of the commercial social media). Then I put a lot of time into working on my post-processing skills, specifically Camera Raw and Photoshop. Again my photography hobby provided me with alternate opportunities to keep my brain active and give me a focus when things could have become bleak.

Another thing I did while I was housebound was think about and plan some photo projects to give me a focus. Will I start and finish any of the eight projects I have outlined? Maybe. I hope so. But I don't know. I do know that they will give me a reason go out with my camera if I get bored or lose interest.

Finally, I am now back in action, at least temporarily as I may have to have one more "procedure." I am out and about again. I used to carry my camera in my hand – I don't like neck straps – with a wrist strap for safety, but now I use a Cotton Carrier as my hand is now usually carrying a cane. No big deal. In fact I am actually enjoying the Cotton Carrier.

This "Single in May" exercise is my first foray out with my camera since late last summer. I probably picked the wrong lens. It was a lens that I have not used much and 85mm is not necessarily in my comfort zone. It has been a bit frustrating, but it has been challenging, and it has been fun. My thanks to those of you who organize this activity and to everyone who has participated. I have enjoyed myself immensely.

I look forward to doing this again in June. I am just not sure whether I will take the easy way out with an auto-focus 35mm or 50mm lens or stay out of my comfort zone with a manual focus 135mm Pentax-A lens.

[Minimonster]

For me, an image on the screen is no longer the final result, just a stage on the way. A print is a photograph. Something to savour, something to allow to settle into your conciousness over a period of time and to grow in it's offering to you - either as a great thing to be proud of, or as something that didn't quite hit the mark but that shows clearly where and how the mark was missed.

I've been printing and framing quite a lot over the last 18 months and selling things at various markets. I've made a bit of money to spend on new kit but more importantly I've found that other people like my shots enough to put them on their walls in their homes which is great. I really enjoy setting up the stall and seeing framed pictures hung. I generally go up to A3 although I have some much bigger frames that I need to fill. I've used decent quality commercial printers and usually wait until I've got a few things I want to print to keep the postage costs down. TBH, the cost of prints isn't very big and I get my frames from charity shops which works for me on different levels. I keep my costs down, I'm donating to charity and I'm recycling stuff. And it keeps the cost of my final product reasonable.

There is something about seeing a really nice framed print of a favourite shot that means so much more than looking at it on a computer screen.

Photobooks can be a good way to get physical copies of your work too.

---------- Post added 27-05-22 at 12:03 PM ----------

And my M 85 arrived.

[Chris_K]

And my M 85 arrived.

Looks super cool and it's not even taken out of the case!
Have fun

[Minimonster]

Looks super cool and it's not even taken out of the case!
Have fun

Lol! I took it out of the case to take the shot of the case...

[babywriter]

Hey all - sorry for the delay. Wife has been sick and I had a job interview yesterday. Will post the June thread later tonight.

[bigted]

I've been printing and framing quite a lot over the last 18 months and selling things at various markets. I've made a bit of money to spend on new kit but more importantly I've found that other people like my shots enough to put them on their walls in their homes which is great.

My mind was blown when people, who weren’t family (because family will say nice things about your photos because they are family) expressed interest in seeing my work printed. I started small using inexpensively framed 8X10s of my prints for a couple of charities to use as Silent Auction Prizes. In the beginning I’d say I was lying if I didn’t say it felt weird to have my photos on stranger’s walls. From there when people have asked I have sold about half a dozen prints also in inexpensive frames. Seeing others like my work is wonderful but I still want my photography to be fun for me so I shan’t be launching into a new career.

[babywriter]

June thread is up:

Single in June 2022 - PentaxForums.com

[Chris_K]

June thread is up:

Single in June 2022 - PentaxForums.com

Thank you!

[Cerebum]

June thread is up:

Single in June 2022 - PentaxForums.com

Diamond geezer. Thank you

[iheiramo]

And my M 85 arrived.

That is good news. I like mine. It's the perfect companion to weighty eighty, as it's exactly opposite in design. And based on my recent test @f8 it might even be better in landscape work.