Ever feel like quiting?

[Tony Egan]

When that feeling hits, I just buy another camera. I heard Richard Thompson say once that every new guitar had at least one great song in it. My theory is same goes for cameras!

 

[Tom1956]

Just now, I had a major happiness by deciding I had nothing to lose and trying a trick. I just got a 12 inch Bausch and Lomb lens today from fleabay. When I opened the box and looked at it, my heart sank--my 136 dollars was wasted for sure. The inside surface of the rear lens doublet looked like somebody polished it with steel wool. Scratches so bad it was totally worthless. So I got out a pice of cotton and put a dab of Ultra-Brite Advanced Whitening toothpaste on it and rubbed it around a couple minutes. Then squirted some windex on a piece of toilet paper to clean off the toothpaste, and the lens was clear as a bell. Amazing. Now I can proceed to try to repair the 1912 Betax #4 shutter which doesn't work, which is why I got the thing for 136 bucks. Wish me luck.

 

[Bill Burk]

lightwisps,

Sounds like a passing phase, look forward to hearing how you overcome the feeling. I'd recommend you go see a Wynne Bullock show. While I know him for the black and white work, reminiscent of your "Garage Sale"...In his lifetime he did Sabbatier/Solarizations and took photographs of broken glass on slide film.

 

[NB23]

I have to print all my best from each and every film I ever shot. FB archival. I've been doing it for the past 4 years and I have about 10 years left in order to finally finish my whole collection, at the rate of a dozen 16x20 or 20x24 prints or about 25 11x14 a week.

Some masterpieces in there. But sometines I do ask myself why do I bother with all this. My answer is thay I am extremely stubborn and that I was born with a camera in my hand. Therefore I won't quit. Everybody has a vice.

 

[Michael W]

Damn --- aging eyes -- I thought this said "Ever feel like QUILTING!" (My Faire Spouse is a "fabric fondler.")

I wonder if quilters ever feel like quitting?

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I wonder if quilters ever feel like quitting?

And do quitters ever feel like quilting?

 

[Bob Carnie]

Very interesting post,who would have thunk there is a twin out there.

I am starting to do exactly the same thing with my work, how are you storing the prints , what editions are you doing, and do you have a web site to sell the work?
I am also at a stage where I am exposing more film than I ever have and trying to keep up is a big undertaking but the experience is overwhelmingly positive.
The biggest hurdle for me is archiving the work well so at a moments notice I can find each image to show people. I have bought storage racks for home that are very sturdy and I have been till now using the grey storage boxes, but very open to hear how you plan to archive and modify my system.
I have just started and to this point have one or two AP 's of every image, but now at a stage where I want to print every free moment I have.
My wife is exactly the same way so I am really lucky to have this partner.


I would love to see some of your prints as you are doing exactly what I think each and every photographer should do, good luck over the next 10 years.
Being stubborn and hardworking are IMO the most important attributes to becoming a great printmaker.

I have to print all my best from each and every film I ever shot. FB archival. I've been doing it for the past 4 years and I have about 10 years left in order to finally finish my whole collection, at the rate of a dozen 16x20 or 20x24 prints or about 25 11x14 a week.

Some masterpieces in there. But sometines I do ask myself why do I bother with all this. My answer is thay I am extremely stubborn and that I was born with a camera in my hand. Therefore I won't quit. Everybody has a vice.

 

[Aron]

One thing you could try is putting away all your gear (don't sell them now), getting a couple of film holders if you don't have them, a large format pinhole camera (or making one yourself during an evening) and start photographing exclusively with it. Developing sheet film in trays and contact printing them under a light bulb, the experience just doesn't get any better. I'd choose at least 5x7, but 4x5 contacts can be very nice, too.

And the camera will be as simple as it can be, but still remain a powerful tool. This could be refreshing coming from the Nikon F5. Or anything else, for that matter.

Don't forget a light tripod.

 

[Bill Burk]

I wonder if quilters ever feel like quitting?

My sister frequents a website like APUG: RAVELRY

Amazing quantities of time go into it...

 

[lightwisps]

Over my funk

I got over my snit. And I apologize, that is very rare from me. I am sitting here on our 80 acres of heaven and the sky is filled with big beautiful clouds, the rabbits are all over the place, the horses are chasing each other all over their paddock. What right do I have to bitch about anything? So thanks for all the help, I am back to my flight call sign "LaughingPolarBare

Otherwise known as Don

 

[ann]

No need to apologize, we all have these moments, I think it has to do with being human

 

[David Lyga]

I think that what Benjiboy said is not trivial: that it becomes part of one's DNA. I cannot imagine not using film and paper. There is probably no reason for feeling this way but here is a sign of my madness: it matters MORE to be to be ABLE to create pictures than to ACTUALLY CREATE THEM. Why? There is a deep-seated security with knowing how and being able to do this. ACTUALLY doing this becomes subordinate. Thus, I have no 'gallery' or amazing number of finished prints, but... I KNOW HOW AND HAVE THE MATERIALS TO BE ABLE TO.

Reading that back, I am the first to admit that that seems, in more prudent objective terms, rather sick, or at least 'dangerously esoteric'. Why? Why do I feel such a sense of security with film and chemicals and cameras and lenses? I think that it is the ability to capture a slice of time and that absolutely amazes me. Recordings and old movies do the same. When I listen to classical music recordings I have to know the year it was recorded because each and every era imparts a type of 'personality' to me. A recording of the Beethoven Fifth in the early fifties is usually quite different from one done in the late 70s. I am far more interested in the past than in the future.

When I was growing up it was batteries: I would make battery operated contraptions that did little useful, but the fact that I had batteries to run the light bulbs and motors meant everything to me !!! My batteries were my hoard of gold. In my teen years it was transistor radios that gave security to me. My ability to hear 'out there' and do so without others being made aware gave me a private cache of 'wealth'. But, the strongest by far, is the analog photography.

That said, I sincerely do not feel that it is dangerously dominating my life: I buy ONLY for a price such that I could get back if I sold outright. But, beware, I can happily spend hours reading and re-reading formulae and never get tired of doing such de facto nonsense!

lighwisps: at least your 'funk' got me to open up to myself. Thanks. - David Lyga

 

[eddie]

... it matters MORE to be to be ABLE to create pictures than to ACTUALLY CREATE THEM.

This makes absolutely no sense to me. You either make images, or you don't. Having the ability to do something is not actually doing it.

 

[lxdude]

I wonder if quilters ever feel like quitting?

Yes, but they feel quilty for it later.

 

[David Lyga]

eddie: it DOES make sense to me to BE ABLE more than ACTUALLY MAKE. I cannot find fault with your logic but I know how I feel and that does not lie. - David Lyga

 

[Bob Carnie]

Lots of people kid themselves and say they can , the proof is in the making.

eddie: it DOES make sense to me to BE ABLE more than ACTUALLY MAKE. I cannot find fault with your logic but I know how I feel and that does not lie. - David Lyga

 

[eddie]

eddie: it DOES make sense to me to BE ABLE more than ACTUALLY MAKE.

Statements like this remind me of the Steven Wright joke:
"I've been doing abstract painting, lately. Very abstract. I just think about it."

People who are more interested in thinking about doing something, rather than doing it, are theorists/philosophers, not artist/creators.

 

[omaha]

I heard it said once "we judge ourselves by what we perceive we are capable of doing, others judge us by what we have done".

 

[Bob Carnie]

good one

I heard it said once "we judge ourselves by what we perceive we are capable of doing, others judge us by what we have done".

 

[NB23]

Very interesting post,who would have thunk there is a twin out there.

I am starting to do exactly the same thing with my work, how are you storing the prints , what editions are you doing, and do you have a web site to sell the work?
I am also at a stage where I am exposing more film than I ever have and trying to keep up is a big undertaking but the experience is overwhelmingly positive.
The biggest hurdle for me is archiving the work well so at a moments notice I can find each image to show people. I have bought storage racks for home that are very sturdy and I have been till now using the grey storage boxes, but very open to hear how you plan to archive and modify my system.
I have just started and to this point have one or two AP 's of every image, but now at a stage where I want to print every free moment I have.
My wife is exactly the same way so I am really lucky to have this partner.


I would love to see some of your prints as you are doing exactly what I think each and every photographer should do, good luck over the next 10 years.
Being stubborn and hardworking are IMO the most important attributes to becoming a great printmaker.

Hi Bob!

Well, you're the printing God around here. I always follow what you have to say about printing. I don't see myself as a master printer but more as a guy that has to go through all the negs the best he can.

I'm starting to have a very impressive stash of prints and I'm at the point where storing them is problematic. For now, all I'm doing is store about 20 prints in the Black plastic bag that the paper comes in. I seal the bag with a good quality tape and I stick a Label on it ("Miami 2004", "Paris 2007" and so on). I pile up the bags in a corner of a small room I have dedicated to my prints.
My only concern is the archival quality of the Bags themselves. I hope they're ok!

My wife is very cool with my mandatory printing sessions although we have two young kids. But she knows that I am inflexible when it comes to my photography: It's a must.

Here are a few of my prints. Obviously, these are pictures of the wet prints while I squeegee'd them. They range from 20x24 to 11x14. The quality is nowehre near the prints thanks to the Neo lights and the nature of the captures/scans. I hope you like them...

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

I, for one, enjoyed those ten photographs immensely.

Ken

 

[johnielvis]

eddie: it DOES make sense to me to BE ABLE more than ACTUALLY MAKE. I cannot find fault with your logic but I know how I feel and that does not lie. - David Lyga

Yes--this is completely understandable to the people who like a challenge. The joy is in the perfecting and mastering of a difficult thing. Once you have results that impress you, then THAT is the joy--the images are secondary.

It's sort of like the chase is better than the kill.

You can eat all the meat you want these days without ever kiling an animal. Yet people still hunt because of the challenge.

A lot of people will scoff at your statement because they feel a need to have a reason to do things. Since making pictures is the obvious reason, they say that they like to produce pictures and that is the REASON they "have to" photograph.

Most people are not secure enough to admit that they do things for no reason at all--so you will be lambasted by those who secretly feel like you but can't admit it to themselves.

 

[johnielvis]

OH on the giving up part--of course. Almost got rid of a LOT of stuff in the not so recent past but was convinced to keep it. Good thing I took the advice and kept the stuff. It was like, I've mastered what I wanted to do, so there's nothing else in it--I saw no need for further improvement since I got results that impressed me--therefore, why continue? I mastered it, now why continue? I found out why--every now and again you have to go through the challenge and see the results and there is immense satisfaction.

 

[darkosaric]

eddie: it DOES make sense to me to BE ABLE more than ACTUALLY MAKE. I cannot find fault with your logic but I know how I feel and that does not lie. - David Lyga

This reminds me of one famous quote from good old X-Files

The Cigarette Smoking Man: [looking through a rifle sight at Frohike] I can kill you whenever I damn well please. But not today.

http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0004871/quotes

 

[eddie]

Yes--this is completely understandable to the people who like a challenge. The joy is in the perfecting and mastering of a difficult thing. Once you have results that impress you, then THAT is the joy--the images are secondary.

This is absurd... You're saying once you make an image that impresses you, the image doesn't matter. Then, what was it that impressed you?

If I read David's post correctly, he said he doesn't need to make photographs, just knowing he can is enough. My question is, how do you know you can do something, unless you actually do it? And, how do you approach "perfecting and mastering" without doing?