Photography doldrums (Page 2): So glad to hear! I'm not active on Create 52 (Facebook) at the moment, but have almost finished my assignment for this week's flckr challenge :sm02:...

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

jburlinson wrote:

Excellent idea! I just signed up -- and can feel my pulse rate starting to accelerate already. Thanks.

So glad to hear!

I'm not active on Create 52 (Facebook) at the moment, but have almost finished my assignment for this week's flckr challenge

ELNikkor

52frames.com gives a weekly challenge, keeps me thinking of a good way to represent the theme. Free and fun!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

That's okay. As long as photography isn't your source of income, you don't have to shoot every day. I took very few autumn shots this year because the colors weren't great. I have hundreds from previous autumns. When photography gets to be a chore, it's no longer fun.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

Jost sit and die. Or, find things to keep you moving and thinking.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Picture Taker wrote:

Jost sit and die. Or, find things to keep you moving and thinking.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

I try to find new places or new things to photograph. Taking macros is another way to overcome this. Also, I bought a drone and that has really brought me a new perspective and is really fun.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

I am not concerned by ups and downs.

If this is the only thing that makes you unhappy you are a lucky man unless this is a symptom for something greater.

Find another hobby to fill the gap, temporarily or not.

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

jburlinson wrote:

Photographically speaking, I'm in the doldrums. I haven't taken any pictures in quite a long while. I haven't even done any processing of my vintage images. No lightroom. No photoshop. No Topaz.

Do you ever get in the doldrums? If so, what do you do to get out of them?

I hear you! Most of my photography these days is for particular reasons - a family wedding or other event, for instance. Then I spend considerable time processing the photos and sometimes designing a book. That will be it until something else crops up. If I get really antsy, I'll visit a park or the zoo or such like, and wander around taking random shots. I don't go out every day and just shoot what I see.

b top gun

For me it is the letdown after getting back from a major trip. Last November, for my birthday, an old friend and I flew into Vegas, then circumnavigated the entire Grand Canyon region, starting at Hoover Dam and ending at Valley of Fire with stops in Sedona, Flagstaff, Page, Zion Nat. Pk, and Bryce Canyon...so much to see with many photo ops along the way. This year we went to Alaska, first time for both of us...photo ops abounded and that is an understatement. No matter where we were, we had snow capped mountains and glaciers and big water like Turnagain Arm and Cook Inlet, Prince William Sound and Resurrection Bay. Here I am, back home in NE Illinois...just had five days of gloom and rain. HO HUM!!!

b top gun

Part of the fun of Alaska, I had a Nikon Z 8 to break in.

Settlit Loc: Baton Rouge LA

jburlinson wrote:

Photographically speaking, I'm in the doldrums. I haven't taken any pictures in quite a long while. I haven't even done any processing of my vintage images. No lightroom. No photoshop. No Topaz.

Do you ever get in the doldrums? If so, what do you do to get out of them?

My favorite trick is to go to my local arboretum and shoot whatever catches my eye that day. It never fails. I see you have a place in your area that looks interesting, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

xt2 Loc: British Columbia, Canada

jburlinson wrote:

Photographically speaking, I'm in the doldrums. I haven't taken any pictures in quite a long while. I haven't even done any processing of my vintage images. No lightroom. No photoshop. No Topaz.

Do you ever get in the doldrums? If so, what do you do to get out of them?

This is easy...just get back at it! Cheers!

daf40 Loc: Mesa, AZ

1. Join a photo club nearby. Perhaps they might have some activities, outings, exhibitions, lessons or photo shoots that might trigger your interest. Plus, it helps to know a few people with similar interests with whom you might schedule your own outings.
2. Go away for a weekend, to the most scenic place you can find within a one-day drive. Obviously, bring all your photo gear and be sure you are someplace interesting at both dawn and dusk.
3. Set a goal to shoot several different types of shots over a weekend, such as "moving subjects", "flowers from ground level", "sporting events", children, celestial objects, moving water, sunsets, sunrises, still lifes, blurred background, high contrast (HDR), night lights, etc., etc., etc.

JFCoupe Loc: Kent, Washington

A couple of ideas:

1. Set a goal to take at least one photo a week...it can be anything, inside, outside, etc. Don't limit the subjects.
2. Pick a subject and create a collection of similar images...LR collections is a great tool for working on this area
3. Set a day and time for each week to spend 30 to 60 minutes on post processing. If you have key wording capability in your post processing app, then go through images and add key words.
4. If you have multiple lenses, then pick a different lens each time you go out for a shoot and only use the one lens. Start with the lenses you don't use very often.

Or, maybe continue to give it some time and maybe and "aha moment" will pop up and you'll grab your camera.

Enjoy and have a good time.

Bohica Loc: SE Coast of NC

jburlinson wrote:

Photographically speaking, I'm in the doldrums. I haven't taken any pictures in quite a long while. I haven't even done any processing of my vintage images. No lightroom. No photoshop. No Topaz.

Do you ever get in the doldrums? If so, what do you do to get out of them?

I break out my F2, F3, FM2n, Nikkormat FT2 or EL and have some fun