Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

All but five on that list are managed by volunteers. The user-managed sections have never been advertised; new members must stumble upon them or be told they exist.

When a new section is added (by request of a member who is willing to manage it), there is often initial excitement and participation. But, as people wander back to Photo Gallery where all their buddies hang out, the postings become fewer and fewer.

Reuss Griffiths Loc: Ravenna, Ohio

The converse of knowing yourself well enough to know where your interest lie, just look at the body of your work and it will tell you where your interests lie. I know from my work that I like flowers, water, horses, but not people. Other than family, I almost never take pictures of people or birds.

Hip Coyote

Interesting question.

Finding my photographic interests was a bit of a journey. The digital journey started with a photo seminar in Yosemite. Took great (under instruction) photographs. Took a few more seminars such as astro photography. I joined a photo club and went on their events...mostly set up deals like polo matches, beach volleyball, etc. But over time, I found that I did not care to go somewhere specifically to take photographs. Even a trip to Africa, I enjoyed taking photos of animals, but preferred taking photos of people there (see below). Wife and I travel quite a bit..so my "lane" has really been wrapped around travel, and mostly interaction with people during travel. Take a few shots, talk to people, make friends. So perhaps it should be called documentary travel photos?

I guess unless I am immersed in the photo, behind the viewfinder, it really isn't that enjoyable to just take pics.

Hip Coyote

I do not say this often on UHH, but you are a very very good photographer. As you mention, light is a key component of your work...exceptional. I encourage others to take a look. (I imagine you spend quite a bit more time taking photos than I do..I am on the move. You clearly "snipe" some folks in great locations...takes time, patience and an eye.)

Reuss Griffiths Loc: Ravenna, Ohio

I've read all 8 pages of comments here based on a suggestion from Linda from Maine. After reading them all I found a lot of interesting viewpoints with significant merit. What's occurred to me is that inspiration starts with motive. It occurs to me that there are probably two major reasons people photograph things. Probably a lot of others I haven't thought of too. My two reasons are to document and to elicit an emotional response (either in the photographer or the viewer). The documentary usually tells a story or conveys time and place, while the emotional response is to get the attention of the viewer in some fashion and draw his interest into the image. Most of us do both but prefer one over the other. Some of us are gifted enough to be good at both.

But it literally can be stated as simply as taking a picture or making an image based on your interests. In can be via extensive planning or just serendipity. The trick is to make or recognize the opportunity. Some have suggested that the quality of a picture is highly dependent on the quality and amount of the equipment used. My response usually is imagine what Van Gogh or Picasso could have done if they just had better brushes.

Vaun's photography Loc: Bonney Lake, WA

P8- I actually do quite a bit of documentary type of photos, but I don't share as often as I do of my nature photos.

User ID

Okay, I tried that. It only indicates what NEVER interests me, landscape, sunset, sports, bugs, blooms ... basically all the principal content of The Gallery.

(Download)


(Download)


(Download)


(Download)

jaredjacobson

Sometimes the fishing pays off, that’s sure. It can turn a bland scene into something much more.

jaredjacobson

Wow, Hip Coyote, that’s quite a compliment! Thank you! I probably spend two or three hours a week on average photographing, and a fair bit more editing photos.

The eye is something that has developed over the last several years. When I started it needed some significant improvement and seasoning. I’m still learning. UHH has been instrumental in shaping my vision, and even more in pointing me to resources that have informed it.

I believe there are a few people with a natural, instinctive vision for artistic creation. But I believe it’s mostly a myth that it can’t be taught or learned. I’ve seen this in my children as they’ve learned to play the piano. Some of them are very fine pianists now, but they certainly weren’t to begin with.

One of my children has also developed a terrific ability to paint and draw through patient, persistent effort. She is coming to enjoy photography too (and I’m enjoying doing it with her). It’s very clear that her other artistic training transfers to it, particularly with respect to identifying compelling subjects and composition. Someone who hasn’t seen how much effort she’s spent on the other arts might be tempted to just say she’s a natural. But mostly it’s her many years of seeing artistically, just expressed in another medium.

jaredjacobson

There is certainly truth to the statement that it’s a poor craftsman who blames his tools. A great woodworker can build beautiful furniture with simple hand tools. A great photographer can make compelling images with almost any camera.

It is also true that quality tools can make the process easier. My daughter draws and paints. One thing she learned early on is that the quality of the paint and, yes, the brushes has a significant impact on how easy it is to create what you envision. Poor quality paints often create muted colors or don’t blend well.

That said, for most purposes in many conditions any modern camera—and a lot of old ones—work just fine. It’s those niche areas where the additional features make the process easier.

Reuss Griffiths Loc: Ravenna, Ohio

RetCapt Loc: NorCal mountains

We are very fortunate (but fortunate by design) to live in a very scenic region (NorCal mountains), so opportunities are limitless.

When we leave our mountains we go to scenic areas elsewhere.

So I am never out of inspiration. Time and opportunity sometimes, but never inspiration. My main interest is scenic. I also like to do railroads and cars, but I consider those related to scenic since they are outdoors (excepting museums, of which I will never pass up an opportunity).

I do go out with the intent to take photographs, with the assumption that I will find probably find suitable opportunities.

There are also times when I have a camera with me, in the event a photograph just falls in front of me. That was the situation with the attached image. I was fly fishing in my float tube and had my waterproof camera on board to take photos of my monster fish, as I had many times in the past. On this outing the monsters were not having any of it, but this sunset just lit up right in front of me.

What I do find regrettable but unavoidable is when we are going somewhere to be at an appointment and can't stop for photographs. Knowing this, I don't even take a camera, knowing that I will have to drive by any opportunities. I look at it from the standpoint that there will always be another opportunity.

One last source of inspiration and education for me, which I have not yet seen mentioned here, is movies. I very often see images that to me are perfect compositions, sometimes via lighting, sometimes due to nature. Those cinematographers were and are artists.

I find so much grandeur and majesty in the outdoors that I will never not be inspired.

ialvarez50

I foud myself with the same predicament in 2021, I was just not seeing any photos anywhere. So, I devided to just shoot one picture every day for a whole year. That was the best thing I could do and it worked. Within a couple weeks, I was back to previsualization and just creating decent photos.

RickL Loc: Vail, Az

I find life, in all of its forms inspirational. The goal is always to reflect the magnificent of what I see. It could be people, landscape, animals or sunsets. All of it is exciting and needs to be reflected through the art of photography.

Horseart Loc: Alabama

I'll never forget what they used to say on the tourism commercials "You may leave North Carolina but North Carolina will never leave you. "
Showed horses there many times and I believe every word of it. I'll never forget how overwhelming it is!