Does it get easier?

blackrose89 · Dec 11, 2011

I've been at this for about a month. I love photography, but at times when I go out, I can feel so overwhelmed and underwhelmed there is so much to photograph, and nothing all at the same time.

I'm also having a hard time finding that fine line. When I go to take a street photo, I'm finding it hard to find that line between making a composed photo in the street, but not having any distract from the main subject. Taking a photo of a horizon of a beach when all you have is the sand and ocean to work with. It can be pulled off. Or what makes a photo of a flower special compared to just a snapshot of a flower. Does it get easier and more like second over time?

c.cloudwalker · Dec 11, 2011

I've been at it over 30 years and some days it doesn't seem any easier than the very first day.

Overread · Dec 11, 2011

The problem is the goalposts shift and early on they shift a lot!

You'll start out aiming so high with what you want; but once you reach that you'll find other ways to improve upon what you've already taken. Thus a new benchmark is set and a new target to be met. Over time (if you learn and work at it) that bar will rise and rise till such a point that its at a generally acceptable level by your standards and the problems are small nitpicks.

I won't happen overnight though and 1 month is not very long at all (it might feel that way, but you've only just scratched the surface).

One tip I do have is that you should never delete in camera nor in the computer as a first stage. Keep the shots to start with and if you find that nothing, or very little from a shoot comes out the way you want it then:

1) Understand the mistakes and learn from them (remembering that some will have been unavoidable).

2) Come back in a few days and look at them again - sometimes you'll overlook a shot when you're thinking "Oh I should have done this and that etc.." but after a few days you can be more honest with the quality and yourself.

Also remember that most photographers (yes even in the film days) came back with more waste shots than keepers; the difference is that the good photographers have waste shots that are mostly little problems and nitpicks, not big basic ones.

blackrose89 · Dec 11, 2011

I think something I am having such immense difficulty with is being a beginner. I have a strong artistic background in singing and drawing. Being a beginner is NOT something I'm used to. I"ve been drawing for 10 years. I'm used to wowing people in all stages in the art world with my work. I am far from the best, but I do pretty well.

Overread · Dec 11, 2011

You've just got to recall those early days of when you weren't a good sketcher/drawer/artist.
Asides which if you've got a good grounding in the theories of composition then you've learnt one of the harder parts of photographer - the rest is just technical stuff which gets, generally, easier as time goes on (as things like choosing the aperture for a creative reason become more intuitive)

KmH · Dec 11, 2011

After a month, you don't yet know, what you don't know.

After you begin to know what you don't know, then you have to understand what you know, which leads you to more information you didn't know, you don't know.

You know?

TamiAz · Dec 11, 2011

blackrose89 said:
I think something I am having such immense difficulty with is being a beginner. I have a strong artistic background in singing and drawing. Being a beginner is NOT something I'm used to. I"ve been drawing for 10 years. I'm used to wowing people in all stages in the art world with my work. I am far from the best, but I do pretty well.

Damn, your good!! :thumbup:

mishele · Dec 11, 2011

Sounds like you have some composition questions. Here is a site that will help you out. Learn the "rules" and then learn to break them!
10 Top Photography Composition Rules | Photography Mad

When you are shooting a flower you have to ask yourself.......do I want to document this flower or have an artistic interpretation of it. After that it comes down to lighting.

About not finding things to shoot......shoot everything!! You are prolly still learning the settings. Just have fun and don't worry about every shot being a wall hanger.

tirediron · Dec 11, 2011

If it's easy, what's the point?

tirediron · Dec 11, 2011

blackrose89 said:
I think something I am having such immense difficulty with is being a beginner. I have a strong artistic background in singing and drawing. Being a beginner is NOT something I'm used to. I"ve been drawing for 10 years. I'm used to wowing people in all stages in the art world with my work. I am far from the best, but I do pretty well.

Very nice work!

SCraig · Dec 11, 2011

Write down a couple of dozen places on strips of paper. Doesn't matter what they are; Back Yard, Front Yard The Park, Living Room, Bathroom, anything. Put all of them in a coffee can or something and keep it handy. When you can't think of anything you want to shoot pull one of the pieces of paper out of the can. Throw it away so you won't go there again, but go this time. Force yourself to sit there until you find "The Thing That Needs To Be Photographed". EVERY place has one. Let me say that again: EVERY PLACE HAS ONE. The trick is to find it, so just sit there until you do. It may be well-hidden, it may be small and inconsequential, it may be important only to you, but it IS there.

tirediron · Dec 11, 2011

SCraig said:
Write down a couple of dozen places on strips of paper. Doesn't matter what they are; Back Yard, Front Yard The Park, Living Room, Bathroom, anything. Put all of them in a coffee can or something and keep it handy. When you can't think of anything you want to shoot pull one of the pieces of paper out of the can. Throw it away so you won't go there again, but go this time. Force yourself to sit there until you find "The Thing That Needs To Be Photographed". EVERY place has one. Let me say that again: EVERY PLACE HAS ONE. The trick is to find it, so just sit there until you do. It may be well-hidden, it may be small and inconsequential, it may be important only to you, but it IS there.

Excellent exercise idea!! :thumbup:

SCraig · Dec 11, 2011

tirediron said:
Excellent exercise idea!! :thumbup:

I agree. Wish I had thought of it first

That's the way I was taught, and it does work if one is patient enough.

bentcountershaft · Dec 11, 2011

How easy was your first month of drawing?

Demers18 · Dec 11, 2011

SCraig said:
Write down a couple of dozen places on strips of paper. Doesn't matter what they are; Back Yard, Front Yard The Park, Living Room, Bathroom, anything. Put all of them in a coffee can or something and keep it handy. When you can't think of anything you want to shoot pull one of the pieces of paper out of the can. Throw it away so you won't go there again, but go this time. Force yourself to sit there until you find "The Thing That Needs To Be Photographed". EVERY place has one. Let me say that again: EVERY PLACE HAS ONE. The trick is to find it, so just sit there until you do. It may be well-hidden, it may be small and inconsequential, it may be important only to you, but it IS there.

Thank you for this. It will definitely come I handy.