A Zen master of photography once said,
"When you begin to practice photography, cameras are cameras, film is film and prints are prints. As you perfect your practice of photography, cameras are not cameras, film is not film and prints are not prints. When you master your practice, cameras are again cameras, film is again film and prints are again prints."
Lars, what do you think of Ansel Adam's pre-visualization techniques? He did a lot of thinking when making his pictures...your words seem to romanticize and the idealization comes through, but in practice I cannot understand what you wrote. It seems to me that best art I've seen is nearly always thought out by the artist. Perhaps I missed something in your words...
buy a 4x5 or 10x8 and contact print, no more if onlys. contacts are the best quality no question.
then concentrate on a few good pictures instead of a roll of crappy ones
oh well , bad paulie for trying to help.
this tortured sole is getting hung up on tech issues and needs to simplify, contact printing is the cure to this problem
decolorante,
So many of us have been there--you are certainly not alone. My photography background was very saturated in the "art" and passion-and very light in the "technical". So when I found apug, I felt like a dry sponge thrown into the sea... more to take in than I could ever manage. For a while I was incredibly discouraged looking at the breathtakingly beautiful work here and knowing I'd likely never be able to shoot and print like that. Over time we realize that it is just a phase... persevere and you will come out the other side a stronger photographer. The fun and passion returns.
One of the things that helped me was a cd by Clarrissa Pinkola Estes called The Creative Fire. (Directed toward female artists, but so much that is relevant to all artists). And pick up a Holga, Brownie, etc!
That room is still vacant, waiting for you to occupy it. And why try to reconstruct the same river you once stood in? They say you cannot step into the same river twice. What matters is that this river continues to flow. And does flow. No Niagra, but calmer waters now, which is nice too!What my gripe is, there could have been room for both. As film now is making a comeback. I won't say it's going to blossom like it once did.
It's a dystopian direction all manufacturers are going today. You are renting, not owning stuff today, so the attitude, outlook and services change accordingly. "You will not own anything and will be happy". Times have changed, this timeline sucks.My problem now with computer photography. In years before, if you had a tech problem with Nikon. You could talk to a tech. specialist and get an answer. Now, don't even bother to call. There is not one person there who can help. Canon was a company up until recently you could also speak to someone, who would do a remote session. And fix the problem. Not anymore
Thank YouTube algorithms for preferring easily to digest "commercials" over "essays". There is a channel called The Art Of Photography which started out just awesome, but HAD to devolve into salesman to stay afloat on the platforms. Digital is current, you can easily put sheaple on the hype train for new cameras, as if anything changes, as if that's what makes a good photo good. Thank YouTube for this.The other gripe is, trying to find something from a you tube channel. To realizing that all they are, are salespeople trying to sell cameras.
Hahaha. I haven't earned a cent over the 10+ years I shoot film. Just one person offered to buy my print on Instagram, for which I was surprised. I don't let this be a measurement of my pictures. I don't even try to sell my work, to make it more sellable. Do you try to sell yours actively, promotion and stuff, engage in all that marketing bullshit?When it comes to shooting images now. I only shoot for myself. Reason being? I shot a multitude of events last year, with no recognition. There was not one person who offered to buy my images. Which leads me to believe, that maybe i just am not good enough
I'll be on the agreeing side, but that's probably just me as I do the learning on my own the most. But remove all the know-how of film and introduce "spray and pray" of digital, and you have little left to teach, because all can be sprayed into submission and all tends to devolve into techtalk rather than techniques in photography. Just my 2 damaged cents.And stay away from Photography Schools. They do not teach anything anymore.
If you can already make a technically decent print and have already established a good "eye" for composition based upon feedback from peers whom you respect, I too think you need to step back for a bit and decide what mystical "thing" you feel is missing. If you're already a competent printer, all you can do to further that skill is keep printing and keep layering in more minutia to the process so that ultimately you will be able to churn out a breathtaking print. If this road sounds horrible to you at this point, definitely take a break from the darkroom at least.
Try not to assign any hard goals to your shooting sessions for a bit. Just go out and grab frames that interest you. (I know a few others have said this same basic thing). Perhaps you could walk around and not take pictures? Still have your camera ready, but don't go out with the mindset that you "have to" make any images. Take some notes too. Perhaps you will see something that deserves a visit during better lighting or while something else has changed within the scene.
I was just back in my hometown for a few days. I carried my camera around 80 percent of the time. I exposed 3 frames. I didn't see any of the old haunts that spoke to me this time around and I am ok with that. What helps me right now too is that I can detach myself a bit from final output thoughts. I don't currently have a darkroom going, so I expose and process and sometimes scan. That's it.
As almost everyone else has said, don't give up.
Have your files digitized. Buy yourself a Canon printer, some Fine Art paper. And transform your images back into Art. You can tweak the images to your liking. It may be the spark. That re-ignites the flame.
You do realize you're replying to a 13-year-old post, right ?
And OP hasn't been seen here since 2012... Moving post nevertheless. Wonder if he moved on from photography or realized that this wasn't the place to help him rekindle his inspiration...
Hi to all fellow shooters.
I feel the same way as a lot of you, in losing interest in photography. What i would like to say in my rant. I was shooting medium format, which produced some really great images. Then suddenly, where i was buying film. It had been phased out. So, i started to go digital. Wasn't bad, it was giving me an image as close to medium format. What my gripe is, there could have been room for both. As film now is making a comeback. I won't say it's going to blossom like it once did. But there are folks that are looking at that medium. With digital, i have seen many stores go under because of it. I even bought a Canon printer, and some fine art paper to print on. There is a difference with photo papers. General paper being not bad. To Fine Art Paper, being superior. My problem now with computer photography. In years before, if you had a tech problem with Nikon. You could talk to a tech. specialist and get an answer. Now, don't even bother to call. There is not one person there who can help. Canon was a company up until recently you could also speak to someone, who would do a remote session. And fix the problem. Not anymore. What those two do not realize, is that 3rd party companies are creeping in the back door. The other gripe is, trying to find something from a you tube channel. To realizing that all they are, are salespeople trying to sell cameras. As they always start off with what they are shooting with. Nothing about exposure metering, or flash exposures doing location portraits. When it comes to shooting images now. I only shoot for myself. Reason being? I shot a multitude of events last year, with no recognition. There was not one person who offered to buy my images. Which leads me to believe, that maybe i just am not good enough in what i do. Funny thing though. Most all, who have looked at my images all said they were of a very artistic image. So now I just shoot for me. But the other thing it is not really treated as art anymore. It has become a very technical way of producing an image. I post process my images in Light room, as I have no idea as to how Photoshop works. And if an image is post processed heavily. Is it really an original image? Or just a manipulation. I use older Nikon D lenses as they give me an original look of film. But for people who want really sharp images. I use the newer optics. I do not buy just to buy. But for producing a different image. And stay away from Photography Schools. They do not teach anything anymore. All i really want to do is just to take some images. But it has kind of become a reluctance in doing so.
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