[casil403]

Anybody have droughts of "Lost Photo Mojo"? Losing your inspiration...I'm sure we all do...what did you do to get past it? I tried the project idea (am out of ideas) and other than that not sure what else to do..no matter what I shoot I am not happy with the results these days. Once in a while yes but for the most part not so much...not sure how to get past this bump in the road right now....any advice would be helpful.

I had a friend of mine suggest finding other photographers for inspiration but not sure who to turn to right now.....I like landscapes and abstract architecture,I just for the most part felt I've shot pretty much all Calgary has to offer architecture-wise....at least not much else I've seen of late interests me.
Any advice here????

[alohadave]

It happens to everyone. Sometimes I take time off from shooting, until I get the itch again. Luckily, I'm in an area with lots of variety of things to shoot.

Other times, I just force myself to get out and shoot, even if I know that I'll get crap. Sometimes, just getting out there is enough.

Try shooting something that you've never shot before, or in a way you never have before.

[panoguy]

I like landscapes and abstract architecture,I just for the most part felt I've shot pretty much all Calgary has to offer architecture-wise....at least not much else I've seen of late interests me.
Any advice here????

Try a week in Chicago, you'd never run out of interesting architecture to shoot.

On a more cost-conscious note, do the "only one focal length" trick for a week and see what comes up. Lately I've tried "just one focal length at one aperture." Not crazy enough to fix the focus, but maybe someday...

[rparmar]

But Lisa, you've been shooting so many good photos! Or maybe I am not aware of the time frame. Have the ones you've been posting been largely from some time ago?

I think you have a point: if you want to shoot architecture and you're in a limited setting for it, then there is a difficulty. Perhaps the best thing to do is travel? Plan a special trip with photography as the main event, rather than an afterthought.

I would have thought that for landscapes you'd be in a very rich area... foothills of the Rockies. My two visits were some time ago but it seemed there was a lot of potential once you got off the prairies.

Or... look for the similarity in things and shoot a series of prairie shots, striving for perfecting the formal qualities of the photos.

Or... try something you've never done before. Time lapse, multiple exposure, portraits...

[Kingaircj]

I glad Im not the only one with shutter block. It sucks. I just dont feel like pushing the button. I have had my camera by myside for almost six months and I have only taken less then ten pictures. It really sucks

[casil403]

But Lisa, you've been shooting so many good photos! Or maybe I am not aware of the time frame. Have the ones you've been posting been largely from some time ago?

I think you have a point: if you want to shoot architecture and you're in a limited setting for it, then there is a difficulty. Perhaps the best thing to do is travel? Plan a special trip with photography as the main event, rather than an afterthought.

I would have thought that for landscapes you'd be in a very rich area... foothills of the Rockies. My two visits were some time ago but it seemed there was a lot of potential once you got off the prairies.

Or... look for the similarity in things and shoot a series of prairie shots, striving for perfecting the formal qualities of the photos.

Or... try something you've never done before. Time lapse, multiple exposure, portraits...

Thanks Robin...the ones I post are pretty much always recent but I dunno they just seem to me to be not good enough...maybe that is something within me I have to work out. Could be the time of year also...just so tired of no leaves on the trees and lack of colour around here...throw in snow in May and it gets a bit tired...lol!
I want to go to a place called Red Rock Coulee so I think I might plan a trip there soon...it is by Medicine Hat Alberta and the scenery is supposed to be fantastic!
Thanks for your input and support. I have friend of mine who can take me to his folks farm in Central Alberta and there is lots to shoot there. Kind of sucks not having a vehicle of my own.

[casil403]

It happens to everyone. Sometimes I take time off from shooting, until I get the itch again. Luckily, I'm in an area with lots of variety of things to shoot.

Other times, I just force myself to get out and shoot, even if I know that I'll get crap. Sometimes, just getting out there is enough.

Try shooting something that you've never shot before, or in a way you never have before.

Thanks Dave,,,that is what I keep trying to do...not sure at this point whether to take a break from it or keep plugging along trying.

I glad Im not the only one with shutter block. It sucks. I just dont feel like pushing the button. I have had my camera by myside for almost six months and I have only taken less then ten pictures. It really sucks

Yes, yes it does....I can completely relate these days.

[alohadave]

Thanks Dave,,,that is what I keep trying to do...not sure at this point whether to take a break from it or keep plugging along trying.

Have you thought about taking a sabbatical from photography for a while? Focus your energies on something else for a while?

[geauxpez]

A friend of mine had "shutter block" a while back. I sent him a ME Super with a pancake 40 and a roll of B&W film. I told him we're meeting up in a month and I will collect the spent film and do the processing and scanning for him. When we met up, I collected the roll and the lens & let him keep the camera body (he is a Pentax user). It seemed to help break him out of his rut by thinking about things differently.

[casil403]

I have a pretty intense school semester for the next 6 weeks (packing 3 months of school into one month and a 2 week practicum as well) so I think I might use that as a bit of a photo sabbatical. I also have a 500mb card that I might pack in the camera to force me to be more picky if I do decide to go out shooting. I have also thought about only shooting in BW for a while also.
Thanks for the advice and the support. I really appreciate it. If anybody else has any ideas by all mean throw them out there.

[slinco]

This has happened to me many times over the years, sometimes the drought even lasts a year or more. Sometimes I just walk away from it and let it come back naturally, when it wants to. But more often I just veer off in a more experimental direction. For example, I've been on an architectural kick for the last few months, but for the last week or so I've had no inspiration. So yesterday, on a whim, I spent about 15 minutes out in the yard shooting about 50 "blur portraits" (camera at arms length, .5 to 1 second shutter speed, spinning around and generally acting goofy in front of the neighbors. It's something I've never tried before, and now I've got a folder full of really interesting files to experiment with in Photoshop. I'll get back to the architectural stuff before long I'm sure, but for now I've had a real creative shot in the arm from a simple 15 minute "whim".

The other thing I've done over the years when "camera work" starts to bore me is to lose myself inside Photoshop. I forget about the camera completely, start with a blank "canvas", and just draw, paint, create. Learn what you can do with the text tool. Create some logo's for fictional businesses. Or drag out old images and rework them in new ways. Design a magazine cover using one of your images. Try your hand at digital collage using "found images" from the internet. It's all great fun, and very educational. The skills I've learned doing these things all translate back, in one way or another, to my photography. When I pick up the camera again I see things in new ways, and feel re-energized.

[TaoMaas]

I think that every learning experience is a series of plateaus with ever-increasing slopes to the next level. Keep pressing forward and eventually you'll break through. I kinda think that you're probably your own best critic. Pull out those pics that are unsatisfying to you and try to dissect exactly what it is that's missing the mark for you. Maybe that will give you a better idea of what sort of challenge you need to present to yourself next. Good luck!

[SpecialK]

Anybody have droughts of "Lost Photo Mojo"? Losing your inspiration...I'm sure we all do...what did you do to get past it? I tried the project idea (am out of ideas) and other than that not sure what else to do..no matter what I shoot I am not happy with the results these days. Once in a while yes but for the most part not so much...not sure how to get past this bump in the road right now....any advice would be helpful.

I had a friend of mine suggest finding other photographers for inspiration but not sure who to turn to right now.....I like landscapes and abstract architecture,I just for the most part felt I've shot pretty much all Calgary has to offer architecture-wise....at least not much else I've seen of late interests me.
Any advice here????

How about a 10-17 fisheye if you don't have one? It puts a new look in things.

Try something different. I hate tripods, but I will (try) to use one a lot more (macro lens and a 70-200/2.8 coming...). and I recently got a cheap 800mm....

[casil403]

Thanks...You folks are all great and love the ideas....


Funny you mention that SK about the 10-17 fish eye and tripod. oddly enough, I just bought that exact lens about 2+ weeks ago.
And a new tripod. _______ <-----insert "twilight zone" music here!

[axl]

it happens now and then... I usually buy new lens or "discover" new location to help me get through it...