Diverhank

Many of us got into photography because of something - a trigger of sort. Mine was during a walk in a local wild life reserve and I tried to take a picture of a bird with my point and shoot...I got hooked so in my case, I started out with birds and birds in flight...after a few years, I started trying other genres and now I'm a lot more rounded out but still gravitate towards BIF...

I think it's better to have an area of interest otherwise you may never get past being just a casual photographer. But the bottom line is shoot something that will give you reasonable quick rewards and that keeps you going...be careful though, it might get expensive :). I went from a point and shoot to 2 cameras, a dozen lenses including a 600mm f/4L...

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Pat, I'd suggest that you shoot whatever catches your eye. Sooner or later you'll notice that what catches your eye tends towards a certain genre. And there you are.
--Bob

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

Does anyone actually know that these days or really care? Often on this site, everyone says, "I love that shot," "nice shot," etc. They don't seem to care that it really is not a good shot in the end because the highlights are blown out or the exposure is wrong or the edits create weird things, or the subject is inane, or whatever. Maybe people don't know anymore what a good shot actually is! Sorry, a short rant on this, as many others before me have done. Let's shoot technically correct, quality photos with good compositions, good subject matter, correct color tone, good exposure...what is so hard about this? Why not take a good photo when you take it?

Diverhank

I think people are just being nice...also liking a picture is highly personal...you seem to think you can take great photos but that's just your own opinion. Enough said.

Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA

So most of the recommendations you will get here will be somewhat valuable to learning photography. I'm going to suggest something else, a way to learn more about yourself.

I attend a small group meeting each month were 5-6 of us present some of our images for critique. First, just confronting your own emotions about putting your work out for public display was a learning experience.

But at the August session, a gentleman presented a series of about 15 images of trees in a forest. He has a "coach" who advised him to spend a month, walking through the nearby forest and shooting 50-60 images each and every day; just paying attention to the trees that caught his eye and "spoke" to him. The results were spectacular in that the photographs showed a progression of self-understanding. Yes they were technically good, even superior, but they also exhibited a level of awareness few of us ever develop.

It was a self-assignment that I intend to emulate. For me, it is a nearby pond that I can visit on a (near) daily basis.

I am heading for San Miguel de Allende in a week so my assignment will wait for my return, but even on this trip, I am inspired to dig deeper into my own consciousness, whether I'm shooting street scenes, old churches, or faces at the Mexican Independence celebration. I intend to ask myself, why is this particular subject important and what am I responding to.

We can all develop more or less facility with the technical use of our cameras, but developing ourselves is more difficult, and more important.

Many people take pictures, but few make photographs. Every photograph has two subjects, the one in the image and the one behind the camera.

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

If you have no specific interest the just making images, I would say take images of every genre and find the one that pleases you most, then concentrate, add equipment to suit and ENJOY!

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

Your remarks struck a chord with me. I don't go every day to any one spot, but there is an apple orchard within a couple of miles that I visit often. Each time I make an effort to really look at the surroundings so as to get something that is unique and different from other times I have been there. I do often photograph the same part more than once, but the season or the lighting or the stages of the apples are different. The fact that I know the orchard so well, and it is easily accessible, gives me the freedom to simply enjoy capturing whatever I see that appeals at the moment. As you phrased it, what "speaks" to me. Also I know that I can always come back later that day, the next day, or next month and try again. Entirely a different experience from a "one-time trip" where every shot counts because you may never be able to repeat it again!

Unfortunately I do not take as many good photos as I would like, but that increases along with my skill level and lots of practice! But sometimes when I am in the process of taking a picture, there is a feeling that I get, kind of like awe, that tells me THIS ONE will be special. Love it when that happens, because it is usually right! And it is usually when I have been relaxed and immersed in the surroundings.

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

I add my voice (or keyboard) to the "shoot what you want" crowd. Eventually you will be drawn to one or two things (maybe more) that you really enjoy and you will gravitate to the genre.

canon Lee

The more you shoot different types of images the more you will advance in your knowledge of how to adjust the exposure. Good luck.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Don't let your partner find out, unless he or she is into it also!

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Did you read it all? 😎

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Good advice

SSam Loc: Sierra Vista, AZ

I find that participating in photo clubs has been valuable in determining what I'd be interested in "shooting".

After we return from a shooting "trip" and look at each other's photos I frequently see 'things' in photos that I didn't even see 'live'. I improve my 'eye sight' with each trip.

My present club has weekly Challenges that force us to widen our 'thinking'. Some challenges have been: Looking Up, Yellow, Movement, Patterns, etc.

Best wishes to you.

Sam

insman1132 Loc: Southwest Florida

The other thing I would suggest, Patm, is to look for a local camera club or group! Join in, have fun, steal some interests and ideas from fellow members.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

To learn you best try as may different areas as possible, and even challenge yourself as you become more experienced to try things you don't seem to like or find attractive. You just might find a new like. But yes, let yourself do what you enjoy mostly otherwise why do photography unless it is a profession and you have to do a particular assignment. In the end though most known or famous photographers will eventually settle on a specialty and be better than nearly everyone else in that. But if just a hobby and for fun and not fame, try as much as you can, but slowly so you don't get confused or frustrated. And if you feel like you are in a rut or bored, try something different for a while, possibly not even photography for a while, say try another art or just go places where you might see shots but with out a camera. Say play at being only an observer for a few weeks. And learn, better master one lens at a time. I know this is unpopular, but try learning using a prime lens and then a few more before going to zooms. Zoom with your feet! Start with say a Normal lens for your format, say 50mm for FF or film or 35mm for APS-C or Crop Factor.

And take a class or two, join a photo club, find a friend to learn with and critique each others work. Or another idea once you know some, find a "friend" pro or "advanced hobbyist" to shadow. Though you might not get as much instruction as from an actual photography teacher. Some pros and instructors do give private lessons as well.