Can't handle photography anymore (rant to self)

[Alan Edward Klein]

Sounds like a mid-life crisis. "All is vanity. What's the point?"

A good read of Ecclesiastes might help.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

I really hope i did not offend you. And thanks for pointing it out. I thought i was just giving some insight. Be well.

Not offended at all. I mostly didn't want you to waste time trying to solve a issue that seems to have been solved, one way or the other, a long time ago.

As I said, I found the original 2010 post very moving. We all go through periods of stalled creativity — even Beethoven wasn't able to compose for four or five years —, but the fact that decolorante hasn't been seen here since 2012 makes it look like he never really got his mojo back. Impossible to know. What makes this old thread even more poignant is that almost everybody that was trying to help him out back then has also left APUG, as it was known...

Tempus fugit.

 

[aparat]

Not offended at all. I mostly didn't want you to waste time trying to solve a issue that seems to have been solved, one way or the other, a long time ago.

As I said, I found the original 2010 post very moving. We all go through periods of stalled creativity — even Beethoven wasn't able to compose for four or five years —, but the fact that decolorante hasn't been seen here since 2012 makes it look like he never really got his mojo back. Impossible to know. What makes this old thread even more poignant is that almost everybody that was trying to help him out back then has also left APUG, as it was known...

Tempus fugit.

I also found the thread very interesting and moving. I joined Apug in 2007, and I miss some of the people who were very active on the forum back then, but have since left. I also miss some of the conversations from around that time. Today's Apug/Photrio is different. Not better or worse, just different, and so is film photography.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I also went through what the OP did. After 5 years, I just suddenly stopped. This was mid 90's, in Japan. Six months rolled by and still nothing made with camera, or prints in the darkroom. I just lost interest. Eight months passed. I went to an art store and bought some pencils and big sketchbook, thinking that I would go back to drawing (my first passion and what I'm formally trained in...along with printmaking). Sitting at a large desk in my darkroom, there was a binder of negatives...mostly medium format and some 4x5. I flipped through them and wouldn't you know it, the photo bug bit me...bit me real hard! With a project in mind and loaded holders, out the door I went. There was a slight relapse when I moved back to Canada 20 years ago, but it's been pretty much go, go, go.

 

[Nikonlens]

Nikonlens, thanks for your thoughts on a range of issues that have affected you and probably most of us in one form or another. What I wasn't so clear about was whether you have now switched back to film at least partially as a result of your experiences or remain a 100% digital photographer.

pentaxuser

Hi pentaxuser. I have gone all digital. But i do miss the old days. I had a situation where i needed a roll of 120 film. I visited my local camera store, and although they were not shooting film any more. They would not sell me a roll. I asked why, they simply said they did not sell film anymore. Another main reason that i switched.

 

[Nikonlens]

Pentax has said they are going to start making film cameras again. I really do hope that it works out for them. They were a good company that seemed to march to the beat of a different drummer.

 

[Sirius Glass]

The OP's cameras and lenses are obviously junk and he should end them to me to have them destroyed.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

I also found the thread very interesting and moving. I joined Apug in 2007, and I miss some of the people who were very active on the forum back then, but have since left. I also miss some of the conversations from around that time. Today's Apug/Photrio is different. Not better or worse, just different, and so is film photography.

I know exactly what you mean. I was also here in the mid-2000s and got a lot out of APUG. Life threw me a few curve balls after that and had to quit photography for a while. I also feel it's not quite the same since being back.

 

[pbromaghin]

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...

No he's not. The thread is 13 years old, but the post he is responding to is new. I found the thread very much worth reading.

 

[Sirius Glass]

No he's not. The thread is 13 years old, but the post he is responding to is new. I found the thread very much worth reading.

People are exercising and feeding their pet peeve. One should never neglect a pet peeve, because PETA will come after them.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

No he's not. The thread is 13 years old, but the post he is responding to is new. I found the thread very much worth reading.

He was replying to Valerie's post dated May 7th, 2010.

As I mentioned, this is a good thread. I don't mind that he was answering an old post — not a pet peeve —, I just didn't want him to waste his time expecting an answer or comment.

 

[MTGseattle]

Holy cow! I never even looked at the date of the post that started this thread. Too funny.

 

[MTGseattle]

@Nikonlens Thank you. My response was more to the OP, but if you found anything of worth in there, that is good.

 

[bjorke]

Reviviing Karl K's little anecdote on the first page made revisiting the thread worthy to me, thanks

 

[Sirius Glass]

Reviviing Karl K's little anecdote on the first page made revisiting the thread worthy to me, thanks

And worth it for me to go back and look. Thank you.

 

[warden]

What a great original post. The art life is not easy. I hope the OP found some peace and a way to express himself again with photography or by some other means.

 

[pbromaghin]

He was replying to Valerie's post dated May 7th, 2010.

As I mentioned, this is a good thread. I don't mind that he was answering an old post — not a pet peeve —, I just didn't want him to waste his time expecting an answer or comment.

You're right. I wasn't careful in my reading.

 

[jimgalli]

The answer is so obvious. What you need is an 8X10 camera and soft focus lens (es)

 

[Valerie]

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!

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.


Nikonlens, As I said 13 yrs ago, these are often just passing phases. We often benefit from a fallow season, a winter, for new things to emerge.

I now have a lovely darkroom, teach darkroom photography at a local community college (negative comments about photography classes not appreciated-- many instructors are very good at what they do and students have been inspired through the classes), and have more ideas than I can make reality in my lifetime. (No thanks to your digitizing suggestion. I've no real love for that).

Recognition? Hardly
Sales? $0 to date.
If you want to just take images, then just do it.