losing interest in photography

DannL. · Dec 31, 2015

I haven't tossed in the towel completely on photography, but did close the darkroom for good several weeks ago. Film has been eating my lunch financially and time-wise. But, the good side is that my shooting is back up to where I left it ten years ago. The family is very pleased with all of the changes. I must admit, it's easy to get sidetracked and removing the obstacles to progress can be very daunting.

wudyng · Jan 20, 2016

keep it up

Arklatexian · Jan 21, 2016

ChristopherCoy said:
I wish there was a local darkroom/film club here in Houston.

Back in the 1950s the Photographic Society of America held their national convention in Houston, Texas. Things certainly have changed. Maybe it is time for some of us to start local darkroom/film clubs in our home towns instead of complaining about the lack of such (and I am as bad, or worse, than anyone when it comes to the complaining). I have a lifetime membership in our local photographic society (all digital now) and have been thinking about taking some of my wet darkroom processed film prints and showing up on competition nights. Maybe some of them will learn something about what a B&W is supposed to look like. Of course some already know as they were wet darkroom workers before being sidetracked......Should I?.....Regards!

John_Nikon_F · Jan 21, 2016

spoolman said:
Hello All: I was a lab tech for 31 years here in toronto. I was laid off in 2005 and have for the most part enjoyed my retirement. But lately I have been losing interest in taking pictures and going through the whole work stream of processing the film and making prints. It just seems that I can't get the ambition up to even go out and shoot a roll or two every few months.

Is this normal? or am I experiencing some sort of permanent disinterest in it? I have numerous cameras that I have enjoyed using in the past but as I stated above I just can't seem to get the motivation going to go out and shoot. I hope this isn't permanent but just a phase. Maybe I just need to take a step back for a while and concentrate on other things. Anyone else experienced this?

Doug

It's most likely cyclical. I sometimes have to force myself to use my DPUG body. In my case, it's two fold... Firstly, when winter arrives, everything kinda gets dull, unless it's snowing, or there's a rare sunny day. Secondly, finances haven't been that great in the past few years. When you're strapped financially, you tend not to go on photographic excursions. Lately, a lot of my stuff has been documenting the different weather I see here at home. It gets boring and repetitive. Hoping to change things this year.

Anyway, enjoy the break, and come back when you're ready.

-J

blockend · Jan 21, 2016

When people say they're interested in photography it sounds like a mechanic who says he's interested in spanners. One would hope the interest is a given, but as an essential part of the process of fixing cars, not an end in itself. When people say they're bored with photography I assume they mean they're fed up with cameras and lenses and stuff, not that they're jaded with the world as seen though pictures, though that's always a possibility.

Sirius Glass · Jan 21, 2016

blockend said:
When people say they're interested in photography it sounds like a mechanic who says he's interested in spanners. One would hope the interest is a given, but as an essential part of the process of fixing cars, not an end in itself. When people say they're bored with photography I assume they mean they're fed up with cameras and lenses and stuff, not that they're jaded with the world as seen though pictures, though that's always a possibility.

No, it is not a loss on interest in the cameras of choice, but a lack of interesting subjects or motivation.

blockend · Jan 21, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
No, it is not a loss on interest in the cameras of choice, but a lack of interesting subjects or motivation.

The inverse is the problem in my case, no problem conjuring new projects and getting excited by them, the issue is how much dedication, time and (to a lesser extent) money it will cost to complete it to my satisfaction. It can be just as debilitating to the work as ennui.

For anyone bored with the photographic image I'd advise them to go back to basics. What do you know best? Your town, your street, your family, your local bar? Whatever it is you'll be uniquely qualified to put it and its inhabitants on record, which is an incalculable privilege with potentially far-reaching consequences.

Sirius Glass · Jan 21, 2016

blockend said:
For anyone bored with the photographic image I'd advise them to go back to basics. What do you know best? Your town, your street, your family, your local bar? Whatever it is you'll be uniquely qualified to put it and its inhabitants on record, which is an incalculable privilege with potentially far-reaching consequences.

Or take a good vacation.

frank · Jan 21, 2016

Best cures for photographic doldrums are travel and a new girlfriend.

chromacomaphoto · Jan 21, 2016

frank said:
Best cures for photographic doldrums are travel and a new girlfriend.

Ha, made me smile...

Although travel sometimes leads to a new girlfriend, a new girlfriend nearly always leads to travel. One should have a camera ready in either case.

Sirius Glass · Jan 21, 2016

frank said:
Best cures for photographic doldrums are travel and a new girlfriend.

Yes, when we first started dating my girl friend went with me to Bel Air Camera and won the newly released Tamron 28mm to 300mm AF zoom lens. The Minolta I had was manual focus, so I bought a Nikon camera and bang I am out the the photographic doldrums. Guess what, we are still together!

So what you say is correct.

RalphLambrecht · Jan 21, 2016

Yes,normal.a trip to a photo exhibition will fix it

blansky · Jan 22, 2016

I think one of the downsides to being an amateur photographer is the lack of a reason to do it.

Sometimes you lack motivation because there is no end game. Your desire to go out and take pictures wanes because you don't really have something to do with them afterwards.

Sure it's nice to go out in nature and do stuff but how many times have you returned home with a bunch of film and just let it sit.

I guess when that happens you need to develop projects and deadlines for yourself.

Luckily I don't have that problem, even though I can get bored as well. Every 7 years it seems.

ambaker · Jan 22, 2016

I joined a photography web site where they had weekly challenges. They wanted only d!g!t@l. But it got me out there for a while. I think it actually helped some. After a couple of years I had a few more avenues I wanted to explore, so I am thankful for that. But I don't really participate anymore because now I am back to wanting to spend my shooting time on what I like.

-More cameras than brains... Sadly it didn't take very many.

Jim Jones · Jan 22, 2016

I find that camera club contests provoke me into sometimes making better photos than I would of typical subjects. Also, helping novices with their photography can help. Enthusiasm is contagious.

alanrockwood · Jan 23, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
Guess what, we are still together!

The camera or the girlfriend?

Sirius Glass · Jan 23, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
Yes, when we first started dating my girl friend went with me to Bel Air Camera and won the newly released Tamron 28mm to 300mm AF zoom lens. The Minolta I had was manual focus, so I bought a Nikon camera and bang I am out the the photographic doldrums. Guess what, we are still together!

So what you say is correct.

alanrockwood said:
The camera or the girlfriend?

Both! I would not trade either of them.

benjiboy · Jan 23, 2016

Sirius Glass said:
Both! I would not trade either of them.

I sometimes quote Groucho Marx to my wife "a woman's just a woman but a good cigar's a smoke", and believe it or not she's still with me after fifty two years.

Sirius Glass · Jan 23, 2016

Neither of us smoke but together we are smokin'.

rbultman · Jan 23, 2016

blansky said:
I think one of the downsides to being an amateur photographer is the lack of a reason to do it.

Sometimes you lack motivation because there is no end game. Your desire to go out and take pictures wanes because you don't really have something to do with them afterwards.

Sure it's nice to go out in nature and do stuff but how many times have you returned home with a bunch of film and just let it sit.

I guess when that happens you need to develop projects and deadlines for yourself.

Luckily I don't have that problem, even though I can get bored as well. Every 7 years it seems.

I've been feeling this recently and thinking a project would help me.

Sirius Glass · Jan 23, 2016

blansky said:
I think one of the downsides to being an amateur photographer is the lack of a reason to do it.

That is the best part! I spent a career having to do things for reasons. With amateur photograph I AM FREE! I AM FREE!

blansky said:
Sometimes you lack motivation because there is no end game. Your desire to go out and take pictures wanes because you don't really have something to do with them afterwards.

Yes, there is no end game. That means no dead lines, no one to please but myself. I can work as fast or as slow as I want or even not at all.

blansky said:
Sure it's nice to go out in nature and do stuff but how many times have you returned home with a bunch of film and just let it sit.

That can happen but that is the beauty of not having a boss. I am the boss of myself. When I am ready to develop the film, I develop the film. When I am ready to print the film, I print the film.

blansky said:
I guess when that happens you need to develop projects and deadlines for yourself.

I do not develop schedules for myself. Instead I develop projects for myself. The projects I want not the projects that I am assigned.

blansky said:
Luckily I don't have that problem, even though I can get bored as well. Every 7 years it seems.

We both have tough lives, but someone has to live them!

Ken Nadvornick · Jan 23, 2016

Work is anything in life that one MUST do. Play is anything in life that one WANTS to do.

For the insanely lucky the two may sometimes overlap. For the rest of us the differences between professional and amateur could not be more stark and further apart on the spectrum. Almost all of the attributes and behaviors of photography which the professionals cast as undesirable and to be avoided are perceived by the amateurs as positives to be pursued. Likewise it is in the opposite direction as well.

This is why it's often a best practice to never mix the two practices.

Ken

blansky · Jan 24, 2016

You guys crack me up. Yeah my life is brutal.

I work when I want. I photograph when I want and what I want.

I make a couple hundred grand a year doing it. Spend a month in Hawaii every year.

Travel the world with my wife when I want. (she travels internationally for her job)

Yeah this pro thing is really tough.

My point was though, that although I shoot portraits professionally, I also shoot a lot of other stuff, scenics etc and although it's fun, I have no end game for it, like a lot of people here. So I have thousands of pictures that I have processed but have no real outlet for it, so I too run into times when I don't really do it because of that.

But please go on and feel sorry for me because I do photography professionally, and don't have your freedom.

NB23 · Jan 24, 2016

Nothing like waking up and realizing that life is faking short and then booking a trip to Rio de Janeiro.

Repeat this 2-3 times a year for different destinations.

Photography will follow.

Vaughn · Jan 24, 2016

blansky said:
I think one of the downsides to being an amateur photographer is the lack of a reason to do it.

Sometimes you lack motivation because there is no end game. Your desire to go out and take pictures wanes because you don't really have something to do with them afterwards...

My end game is to learn how to see. If I achieve my end game, I probably will not need a camera anymore. If it all works out well, this and losing my physical ability to carry a camera will happen at about the same time.

losing interest in photography

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