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For the love of art….
- Thread starter kenoh
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Many things.
These days, it’s often the kiddo. Taking frequent pics to document him growing up. Capturing his expressions and how they change over time. Documenting the physical changes that happen so gradually that I don’t often notice them until I look back at earlier pics.
Outings we take together as a family. Reviewing the pics take me back to the moment and I experience a rush of memories that weren’t necessarily captured in the image the moment I pressed the shutter. Or holidays, for the same reason. In a similar vein, being aware that some family members are getting older and won’t be around forever. Capturing them while they are still with us.
Noticing something in my daily environment for whatever reason that I usually don’t notice and take for granted. I often can’t explain why I suddenly noticed them or why I felt the need to photograph them. These often fall into the macro category, but not always.
Noticing that my camera is feeling lonely (as another member posted above). Getting in the mood to shoot something, anything.
Or noticing that a certain lens is feeling lonely. Mounting a specific lens on the camera and then looking for things to shoot with that lens. For example, it’s going to be a 135mm day. Or a 14mm day.
Revisiting places I’ve shot before but I’m not totally happy with the results. Experimenting with a different focal length, different shooting position, different exposure. Or different weather/light.
Or exploring new locations. My wife loves my photography hobby/addiction because it means I am always willing to travel or take day trips. COVID kind of threw a wrench into things, but hopefully that is changing back closer to normal.
Less commonly, I get a specific idea/inspiration about something I want to shoot. Some of these are still on the “to-do” list—for example I have some specific ideas for water drop photography that I keep putting off….
Photography can sometimes be a mindfulness activity for me. Forgetting the stresses of the world and losing myself in the photographic moment. Sometimes the resulting images reflect a creative clarity. Sometimes they don’t. There are times I really care about the final image, but there are also times I’m content to just get lost in the photographic process. If I don’t get a keeper out of the day, that doesn’t mean it was a waste of time.
"Mindfullness" that's a good one, never thought of it that way, but indeed it is. Thanks <3
1. Part of it is like a challenge and seeing if I can achieve the same effect and shot on my own on what other people do. For instance, someone shoots a drop of water, macro shot of a flower etc… I want to see if I can do it too in my own environment. Also helps when someone shares the camera settings, lens, etc.
2. Sure, there’s also a million photos of the same beautiful sunset in Hawaii but I want to capture it on my own and be there for the moment too. The feeling of being happy with the photo I took myself with what I had on me is a great sense of accomplishment.
3. I like playing with gear. I may not have the highest budget or the best camera equipment but I’m pretty happy with my combination of my A7III with my two Tamron zoom lenses (17-28 F2.8 and 28-75 f2.8), Sony RX100 V, and iPhone 12 Pro. Combining the two reasons above to power on the camera so I can play with my bigger cameras encourages me to go out and shoot which is a lot of fun for me. Also seeing how far phone cameras have come along is also pretty amazing.
Hope that all made sense ?
2. Sure, there’s also a million photos of the same beautiful sunset in Hawaii but I want to capture it on my own and be there for the moment too. The feeling of being happy with the photo I took myself with what I had on me is a great sense of accomplishment.
3. I like playing with gear. I may not have the highest budget or the best camera equipment but I’m pretty happy with my combination of my A7III with my two Tamron zoom lenses (17-28 F2.8 and 28-75 f2.8), Sony RX100 V, and iPhone 12 Pro. Combining the two reasons above to power on the camera so I can play with my bigger cameras encourages me to go out and shoot which is a lot of fun for me. Also seeing how far phone cameras have come along is also pretty amazing.
Hope that all made sense ?
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All younger people become older people. Tolerance is a mental state open to anyone of any age and one of the keys is an elastic mind and the ability to focus and learn. It's a noisy world. There's a house across the street that has a massive TV that we can practically watch from our own home. Any given TV show (it seems) only dwells on a particular scene or angle in a scene for 3-5 seconds, on average. I've timed it on their TV 
. It's more apparent because there's no sound and I can only focus on those changes. Scene change....scene change...scene change. I don't know why I've fixated on it, but it does illustrate noise and the fact that attention spans become shorter and shorter.
Which brings me back to photography and the comments on mindfulness. While I do my fair share of fast-paced wildlife, over the last year or so, I've been working a lot with a very manual camera that takes quite a bit of time to set up, take a shot and take down. It may take 10 minutes to get a shot. But...it forces me to slow way down and focus on what's around me, composition, the camera settings (manual), focus (through really bad live view or a ground glass or even laser+hyperfocal). I use a light meter and always need to "read a scene". There are considerations on sensor rise or fall for perspectives, maybe a little horizontal shift here and there. Maybe a little tilt or swing depending on the situation and a whole host of other little decisions that create something pleasing to me or... (perhaps more often) not. But I come back from these hikes and walks very refreshed, regardless of the image quality. I feel it is giving me that elasticity and that ability to focus. And I can focus on getting better images the next time out.
It's why my wife and I love to read books or listen to long radio plays. It's one of the reasons I do photography. Exercise that mind!
. It's more apparent because there's no sound and I can only focus on those changes. Scene change....scene change...scene change. I don't know why I've fixated on it, but it does illustrate noise and the fact that attention spans become shorter and shorter.Which brings me back to photography and the comments on mindfulness. While I do my fair share of fast-paced wildlife, over the last year or so, I've been working a lot with a very manual camera that takes quite a bit of time to set up, take a shot and take down. It may take 10 minutes to get a shot. But...it forces me to slow way down and focus on what's around me, composition, the camera settings (manual), focus (through really bad live view or a ground glass or even laser+hyperfocal). I use a light meter and always need to "read a scene". There are considerations on sensor rise or fall for perspectives, maybe a little horizontal shift here and there. Maybe a little tilt or swing depending on the situation and a whole host of other little decisions that create something pleasing to me or... (perhaps more often) not. But I come back from these hikes and walks very refreshed, regardless of the image quality. I feel it is giving me that elasticity and that ability to focus. And I can focus on getting better images the next time out.
It's why my wife and I love to read books or listen to long radio plays. It's one of the reasons I do photography. Exercise that mind!
Have you seen instagram? That can be something like wall to wall 15 second clips. It would drive me mad.All younger people become older people. Tolerance is a mental state open to anyone of any age and one of the keys is an elastic mind and the ability to focus and learn. It's a noisy world. There's a house across the street that has a massive TV that we can practically watch from our own home. Any given TV show (it seems) only dwells on a particular scene or angle in a scene for 3-5 seconds, on average. I've timed it on their TV
Which brings me back to photography and the comments on mindfulness. While I do my fair share of fast-paced wildlife, over the last year or so, I've been working a lot with a very manual camera that takes quite a bit of time to set up, take a shot and take down. It may take 10 minutes to get a shot. But...it forces me to slow way down and focus on what's around me, composition, the camera settings (manual), focus (through really bad live view or a ground glass or even laser+hyperfocal). I use a light meter and always need to "read a scene". There are considerations on sensor rise or fall for perspectives, maybe a little horizontal shift here and there. Maybe a little tilt or swing depending on the situation and a whole host of other little decisions that create something pleasing to me or... (perhaps more often) not. But I come back from these hikes and walks very refreshed, regardless of the image quality. I feel it is giving me that elasticity and that ability to focus. And I can focus on getting better images the next time out.
It's why my wife and I love to read books or listen to long radio plays. It's one of the reasons I do photography. Exercise that mind!
Yes! That would get tedious very, very fast
. I'm a very limited Instagramer.
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The agenda...what can I do today.
Today it was video. While had been discontinued for months, the Sunday Farmer's Market was again active. Grabbed the camera and go. When set up, I don't like to flip the camera between video and photo modes. Was kicking myself that left the old Kodak with the roll of 120 B&W at home as the weather cleared and saw some great photo opportunity of swans in the lake. Didn't set the camera up for video until I arrived at the park and got a nice photo of a hibiscus on 2 block walk from the parking area. However, the one I missed...On the drive to the park with the camera in photo mode, noticed the Goodyear blimp tied down on the tarmac out close to the control tower as I passed the Executive Airport. I had my telephoto but decided to catch it on the way home. It took off in the meantime!
I was an overcast day, so only getting B-roll today. Plan to make a full video of the park so will return (with the Kodak as well) on weekday morning when less people to deal with as the eastern sun lights everything up nice, then perhaps another trip for sunset and the fountain lights.
Today it was video. While had been discontinued for months, the Sunday Farmer's Market was again active. Grabbed the camera and go. When set up, I don't like to flip the camera between video and photo modes. Was kicking myself that left the old Kodak with the roll of 120 B&W at home as the weather cleared and saw some great photo opportunity of swans in the lake. Didn't set the camera up for video until I arrived at the park and got a nice photo of a hibiscus on 2 block walk from the parking area. However, the one I missed...On the drive to the park with the camera in photo mode, noticed the Goodyear blimp tied down on the tarmac out close to the control tower as I passed the Executive Airport. I had my telephoto but decided to catch it on the way home. It took off in the meantime!
I was an overcast day, so only getting B-roll today. Plan to make a full video of the park so will return (with the Kodak as well) on weekday morning when less people to deal with as the eastern sun lights everything up nice, then perhaps another trip for sunset and the fountain lights.
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finally getting around to this. has been interesting to read over the past few days but i just haven't had time to get to a computer.
my original inspiration was the stereotypical mwac/mom with a camera. i just wanted to record my kids growing up. and then from there it kind of grew. i've long been interested in macro and would go outside while my kids napped to shoot nature-y stuff around the house. before that though (long before) i was on my high school newspaper and yearbook staffs (editor for both) and always was shooting candids. yes, i just used old film point and shoots, but it was still trying to record moments. i bought my first slr in college, and while i did not learn it properly at the time, i think shooting is just a part of me, but it took awhile to find.
as to why i shoot right now... and what inspires me. golden hour would be a huge thing for me if i lived in a different spot but i have too many trees here to really see the setting sun. as a teen i would sit and stare out my bedroom window as the leaves turned from green to gold. i was mesmerized by the changing light and setting sun, but i didn't realize it at the time. being able to see that is non-negotiable in wherever we move in our next stage of life. i still love my flowers and i find great inspiration in the different textures and colors there.
there was a comment about mindfulness above and that definitely plays a part for me, but it is more than that. my IG tag line has long been "seeking all the flowers and quiet moments" and that is so true for me. the world quiets when i hold a camera and i find a real sense of focus (no pun intended) and my anxiety goes way down as soon as i start shooting, and also to a large extent editing.
i've been working on a 365 so i was forcing myself to shoot everyday but i intentionally gave that up about a week ago because i was getting stressed about shooting and i wanted to get back to my quietness with shooting. i think i'm about ready to shoot again. ?
i don't think i'm particularly inspired to "make art" but i do enjoy when it all comes together every once in awhile. when i take those personality tests (myers-briggs, etc) I always come out nearly evenly split on analytical vs artistic. i'm a really good generalist, but photography seems to be a perfect melding of both sides of the coin for me, and as i get older, i'm starting to really embrace the artistic side a bit more. my husband is solidly analytical/financial and i wouldn't have met him if i hadn't started off in that world, but the older i get the more bohemian i'm getting. i think it's supposed to go the other way around, but i kind of like where i am right now.
my original inspiration was the stereotypical mwac/mom with a camera. i just wanted to record my kids growing up. and then from there it kind of grew. i've long been interested in macro and would go outside while my kids napped to shoot nature-y stuff around the house. before that though (long before) i was on my high school newspaper and yearbook staffs (editor for both) and always was shooting candids. yes, i just used old film point and shoots, but it was still trying to record moments. i bought my first slr in college, and while i did not learn it properly at the time, i think shooting is just a part of me, but it took awhile to find.
as to why i shoot right now... and what inspires me. golden hour would be a huge thing for me if i lived in a different spot but i have too many trees here to really see the setting sun. as a teen i would sit and stare out my bedroom window as the leaves turned from green to gold. i was mesmerized by the changing light and setting sun, but i didn't realize it at the time. being able to see that is non-negotiable in wherever we move in our next stage of life. i still love my flowers and i find great inspiration in the different textures and colors there.
there was a comment about mindfulness above and that definitely plays a part for me, but it is more than that. my IG tag line has long been "seeking all the flowers and quiet moments" and that is so true for me. the world quiets when i hold a camera and i find a real sense of focus (no pun intended) and my anxiety goes way down as soon as i start shooting, and also to a large extent editing.
i've been working on a 365 so i was forcing myself to shoot everyday but i intentionally gave that up about a week ago because i was getting stressed about shooting and i wanted to get back to my quietness with shooting. i think i'm about ready to shoot again. ?
i don't think i'm particularly inspired to "make art" but i do enjoy when it all comes together every once in awhile. when i take those personality tests (myers-briggs, etc) I always come out nearly evenly split on analytical vs artistic. i'm a really good generalist, but photography seems to be a perfect melding of both sides of the coin for me, and as i get older, i'm starting to really embrace the artistic side a bit more. my husband is solidly analytical/financial and i wouldn't have met him if i hadn't started off in that world, but the older i get the more bohemian i'm getting. i think it's supposed to go the other way around, but i kind of like where i am right now.
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The section I bolded resonated with me big-time. Years ago I did a 365-day POTD project and burned out totally, didn't finish the year out.....and it took a very long time before I finally picked up a camera again. I learned from that! Any time one feels that he or she is "forcing" themselves to shoot on a daily basis, then it's either time to modify the situation or to stop it altogether. When a project isn't feeling rewarding or pleasurable, something is wrong.
Last year as the year 2020 started with the annual drop of the crystal ball in New York's Times Square, I decided that, yes, I would take the suggestion of a couple of friends on Nikon Cafe and do an annual project along with others who were intending to do the same and share the results on the Cafe -- but NOT a 365 one, and instead decided to try doing a 52-week one instead. I was not at all sure in the beginning that I would finish out the year but thought I'd at least give it a try. I'm happy to say that I actually did achieve the goal and what's more am doing one again this year! Probably in 2022 I'll take a break from any projects.
What made the difference for me? Well, first off, I set a few loose rules for myself, including that I did not need to shoot every day, just needed to have something to share at the end of each week, so that if one day I got out and shot up a bunch of images and didn't pick up the camera the other six days, fine. If I were motivated to shoot two or three times a week, maybe only editing one image each time to share out of, say, 30, that was fine, too. If I actually did shoot something every day in a particular week, that worked, too. I also did not restrict myself to one particular camera or lens, so that while most of the time I shoot with the mirrorless ILC, other times I'll grab the RX!0 bridge camera or even the iPhone. That worked for me last year and it is still working for me this year as well.
I shoot what strikes my fancy, not limiting myself to one particular subject or style, but sometimes being very spontaneous and at other times having an idea in mind with which I experiment. This prevents boredom on my part and stimulates my interest in finding something new, fresh and fun.....this strategy doesn't always work, of course, since I do have certain favorite subjects [ahem, can we say Alfred, anybody?!] or types of subjects. I enjoy exploring the mundane as well as seeking out the interesting and unusual.
Having the POTD thread here at MR has also been a huge help, as it has also kept me moving forward, shooting regularly and then sharing here so that by week's end I have images from which to choose to include in the final summary of a given week. I appreciate the flexibility of our POTD in that I can share something fresh out of the camera, something I shot yesterday or last week or dip into my archives from time to time, too. If for some reason I can't post an image -- say, am away from home and my regular computer or some other situation -- not a problem, either; we are not required to participate in that thread each and every day. This flexibility has been very helpful to me both in doing this 52-week project and just in general.
I don't consider myself an artist or particularly artistic at all, but I simply do love just picking up a camera and seeing what I can create with it......
I did one full 365 a few years ago, and I was happy that I did complete it. For the past few years I've done what I consider a "project mostly 365." I officially started this 365 as of January 1st, but I am pretty sure it actually started in October or November of last year. And even this go round, sometimes I would shoot for an Instagram or blog project a day or two in advance and not shoot on a specific day, but I would have a new image to post every day, that was was fine by my rules.
But this year I am unexpectedly exploring film and writing a class that will come out in September, so I am still fully engaged with photography, but just in different ways than I anticipated in January. So I am allowing this shift and embracing what I can do on any given day. ?
I just needed some breathing room, and frankly I think that is why I wanted to take up film. I can be slower and more deliberate, but yet more engaged.
There's no prize for taking 365 days worth of photos consecutively, and some days I take 50 (like at my kids' swim meets or on a vacation) that more than make up for missing a day or two here and there.
But this year I am unexpectedly exploring film and writing a class that will come out in September, so I am still fully engaged with photography, but just in different ways than I anticipated in January. So I am allowing this shift and embracing what I can do on any given day. ?
I just needed some breathing room, and frankly I think that is why I wanted to take up film. I can be slower and more deliberate, but yet more engaged.
There's no prize for taking 365 days worth of photos consecutively, and some days I take 50 (like at my kids' swim meets or on a vacation) that more than make up for missing a day or two here and there.
Yeah, it’s a bit like hunting or fishing. You can go out some days and come back with nothing, while other days are abundant enough to satisfy the 365-day need.
Shooting a lot on one day which would more than cover a missing day here-or-there: that was the part which eluded me during my 365 project all those years ago -- I was attempting to do the project "perfectly," with trying to shoot a stellar image each and every day and sharing it online. It's not surprising that this took its toll on me after a while! Just not possible to shoot every day in the first place -- life gets in the way at times -- and also certainly not possible to shoot something absolutely stellar each and every day, either! If I were ever to tackle another 365 POTD again, I'd definitely be a whole lot more flexible and relaxed about it than I was that other time!
Yeah, because while you may have several good shots in one day, you still need to process them. Depending on how involved that is (and how much life gets in the way), you might be processing for weeks to come. You could still really run yourself ragged by the end of the year if you have very demanding standards for such an endeavor.
Exactly! Yeah, the editing and processing piece added more pressure and stress, especially since I was not and still am not all that skillful with that anyway -- it's definitely not my favorite part of photography! Thankfully the software has improved a lot since then and in doing a weekly project I have flexibility in getting to the editing, too, even if it is a day or two after I've done a shooting session. Sometimes I'll just review all the images and process only one or two, then get back to others later on, especially if the end of the week is nearly upon me and I don't have too many images ready to share!
With the pandemic back in June 2020, I became Housebound (as most of the world was) and wanted to get out to a safe space to photograph. Found a local 30-acre park. I thought I would keep it lean, and outfitted my Pixel 3a phone with a Moment (lens case), an add on lens, filter holder, phone grip and safety wrist band attachment - what a beast. Took about 10 minutes to assemble in the car. Worked great to shoot with, but too much work. Then one day was looking at pre-owned gear and found MPB out of the UK. They had a mint Fujifilm X100T; always wanted the X100 series when it came out in 2011. I ordered the camera, MPB has a distribution outlet in New York. And after 15 years of non dedicated camera use - I was in love again.
Great question!
I’m struggling to find an answer though. I just don’t know for certain, which isn’t very helpful! The best I can think of is that:
I just enjoy it.
I’m struggling to find an answer though. I just don’t know for certain, which isn’t very helpful! The best I can think of is that:
I just enjoy it.
It probably boils down to something like that… plus very personal things.
When I really think about it, my enjoyment of photography is multi-faceted. I can’t really nail it down to one main reason though. It also depends on how I am feeling and where I am with everything. Some aspects can take more of a back seat then in a few days/weeks/months they become more prominent and become a major focus - if that makes sense? ??♂️