Frustration

[Do'Urden's Eyes]

I've been into photography for a few years, but only recently with the purchase of a DSLR have i started committing substantial chunks of my daily life to it. However with my personality i get extremely frustrated with myself alot because i rarely produce pictures with the quality and emotion that i want. i do realize that alot of it comes with practice practice practice, i do. But sometimes i find myself thinking that my creativity level just wont ever be high enough to produce stunning pictures and/or recreating feelings i once experienced or creating some sort of empathy between my subject and my viewers.

i get into fits where i convince myself that my gear isnt up to par, or that my surroundings are lame but i know that this really isnt the case and im just frustrated. right now im simply working on my technical skills, trying evenly light subjects or unevenly light them, getting proper or desired DOF, that sort of thing. But while i focus on all these aspects i feel like its blocking out some of my creativity. sort of suppressing it for now whilst i improve other aspects of my photography. but perfection isnt something that i believe in, but some how it is somthing i expect of myself. I feel like im expecting too much of myself for where im at right now, but i dont want to settle and say: 'yeah this is good for only being at it this long'

anyways, i was just wondering if after i get extremely familiar and comfortable will my creativity become easier to express? did any of you 'at-it-for-a-while-ers' ever go through this?

Thanks for reading...

 

[Yahoozy]

well i'm not saying i'm an expert or i've been at this for a long time but one thing that i think helps me is to start thinking in terms of photographics
that meaning if i dont have my camera i'll look at something and think about how i would shoot a picture of it, what would the composition be, what DoF would i go for, the lighting and angle of the whole thing...
i think it helps me better express myself when it gets down to actually shooting something, because its basically like practicing without a camera constantly

so... ya that's my method =P

 

[Hertz van Rental]

It would seem to me that you are labouring under the belief that 'creativity' comes from control of the technical.
This is not the case.
Creativity and technical ability are two separate things.
Having good technical control does not mean that you will automatically produce creative pictures.
Being creative does not mean that you will automatically be able to 'capture' your creativity.
The two both have to be developed so that they can work together. Creativity is needed to produce ideas and technical ability is needed to make them happen.
So stop worrying and start thinking.
Why are you taking pictures?
Why do you photograph the things that you do?
What is it you see in your subjects that makes you want to photograph them?
Once you start asking yourself those questions you can start trying to answer them through your pictures. Then it becomes a matter of communication and you will start to develop your technical skills in order to improve your communication skills. And then you will start taking better pictures.
If you concentrate on just your spelling and grammar but don't know what you are writing about then you will tend to write rubbish (except for those odd 'monkey and typewriter' moments when you produce something good through the laws of chance).
It's a bit like writing an essay. You have to know what you are writing about first, then you have to decide what to write and then write it. You will make grammatical and spelling mistakes at first but you will learn from your mistakes and the next time will be better.
Persevere by all means - but think about what you are trying to do and why.

 

[Bifurcator]

General advice:

Expectation Fuels Disappointment!​

Go with the flow more and don't try to force it. Expect the worst or better yet expect nothing and you won't be disappointed which seems to be causing your frustration level to rise.

Hertz seems to have said and thought the same things. He said it much better than I did though!

 

[LaFoto]

But sometimes i find myself thinking that my creativity level just wont ever be high enough to produce stunning pictures ...

Once Hertz has commented, there is little more to say in a thread, but this is just to let you know that even after decades of taking photos, I still share THIS VERY feeling with you. (Very uplifting, isn't it?)

 

[abraxas]

...
Why are you taking pictures?
Why do you photograph the things that you do?
What is it you see in your subjects that makes you want to photograph them?
...

The above makes a lousy looking tattoo.

 

[LaFoto]

Do'Udren'sEyes, you might be interested in this_thread then!

 

[Josh66]

I know how you feel...

I wouldn't say that I have the technical side mastered, but I think I have a very good understanding of it. I still make mistakes, but I know what went wrong, why, and how to fix it. None of that makes me creative though...

I think I'm just not a very creative person, I'm too technical.
I don't think I've ever taken a photo that made me feel an emotion.

I'm not sure if you can even learn creativity... Maybe you just are or you aren't.

 

[rjackjames]

I know how you feel I have been into photography for about 1 1/2 years. I am still learning. I had many trials and errors...which is the best way to learn. It just takes time and patience. Soon enough you will get it and you be suprised by your own work.....Good luck

 

[Bifurcator]

I don't think I've ever taken a photo that made me feel an emotion.

Image By: O|||||||O ​

Then you're really hard to please I'd say.

I'm not sure if you can even learn creativity... Maybe you just are or you aren't.

Kinda, you learn the tools and then when the juices are flowing (chemical condition enhanced by external stimuli) it just all comes together. After it's "come" a few times you can learn to turn it on or crank up the volume!

 

[Josh66]

Do'Udren'sEyes, you might be interested in this_thread then!

Cool video.

Something one of the photographers said in it (David McLain, just a little past the halfway point) kind of confirmed some suspicions I had.
What he said was "Creativity in photography is about being a really keen observer".

So, mostly it's being in the right place at the right time... Or at least knowing what to look for in whatever place you happen to be in. Of course you can't just go buy the latest travel guide and come home with great photos, I know there's more too it than just picking the right destination.

As I was watching the video, seeing all the photos - they didn't seem too "creative" to me (at first), it was like going to interesting places and bringing a camera. David McLain was the first one in the video that I really liked and considered 'creative', the video only got better from there. The first half was pretty bland to me, while the second half was very good!


But still...

Can you learn creativity, or is it just something you're born with?

 

[Bifurcator]

Yeah, I don't think location matters at all unless you're in a spherical room with 100% diffuse (non-directional) lighting. And even then I think your body parts are still a possible source.

It's what interests you. The key word being interest. (as in sparking the creative juices) And then being able to recognize why it's interesting to you. And the final stage is like you're saying... having enough practice under your belt that one or more (unique or inventive if possible) ways of "capturing" that interest on film come to mind as you attempt to do so.

 

[Josh66]

Then you're really hard to please I'd say.

Thank you very much, it really does mean a lot.

I have to ask though... What (or how) does it make you feel?

I do like it a lot, but when I look at it I don't get much more than "Man, that's pretty cool!", not what I would consider powerful stuff.

 

[Bifurcator]

Thank you very much, it really does mean a lot.

I have to ask though... What (or how) does it make you feel?

I started to say before but I thought it might be a little corny but since you ask:

Inventive, Capable (in a technological achievement kinda way like space shuttle images), Curiosity (The tinkerers curiosity in specific.), If I focus on it long enough I think of my childhood, my father and grandfather and an era of mechanical inventions long gone with the passing of the industrial revolution (which grew out of the farming revolution). The image itself and the others in that thread are sturdy, yet delicate in a way that brings all those things to the surface much more easily. And that's the job of a photograph so it was a success imho!

You're own "Man, that's pretty cool!" is probably the indicating notion telling you that you have feelings maybe something similar to above. Now just do the zen thing and emote with it. Hey, I'm from California.. I talk like this all the time. No, really!

 

[Do'Urden's Eyes]

Thanks alot guys, O||||||O (im gonna call you jeep?) you had the same basic conclusion that i did. Can you LEARN creativity? im hoping like Bifurcator said that it will begin to flow once all other factors have been brought up to par. makes me feel better knowing im not the only one who feels like this.

If you concentrate on just your spelling and grammar but don't know what you are writing about then you will tend to write rubbish (except for those odd 'monkey and typewriter' moments when you produce something good through the laws of chance).

I thought you were insulting my writting at first! But i think that hit the right spot. very good analogy. Put the right idea into my head.

Thanks for reading and empathizing again guys!