I suck at photography.

[pgriz]

We all suck its why were here.

Well, there are some here who are very, very good. I get inspired by them.

 

[jsecordphoto]

All the great photographers I know sucked at one point. But instead of complaining online they just worked on improving their craft. Try shooting more and posting less

 

[PropilotBW]

yea....buddy, you don't suck.
I am right there with you, though. I just had some people ask me to take some photos for them, which absolutely freaks me out that people want to pay me for my shots.

 

[Vtec44]

I looked at your Flickr @nerwin and you suck at photography! hahaha j/k

Most of your pictures are nice but they don't stand out. There's nothing striking, and they're random stuff. This is where specialist vs generalist comes in. I'd say pick a theme, a style, and be really good at it. Try shooting something over and over again, but each time improve and refine it.

 

[Fred von den Berg]

Your photos tell me that your equipment works and you have a fair idea how to use it, but they don't really say anything more than that. When I look at (most of) the photos presented here by Philmar or The_Traveler, for instance, they show me something which holds my attention - not always because nobody gets the essence of a scene every time, but very often. Take a look at their stuff and you'll be sure to see what I mean. Of course, there are others here who put in great photos, but the two I've mentioned are a good point of departure to compare your own efforts with.

 

[nerwin]

I looked at your Flickr @nerwin and you suck at photography! hahaha j/k

Most of your pictures are nice but they don't stand out. There's nothing striking, and they're random stuff. This is where specialist vs generalist comes in. I'd say pick a theme, a style, and be really good at it. Try shooting something over and over again, but each time improve and refine it.

I don't like limiting myself to one theme. I like to shoot a lot of different stuff. Maybe its wrong, but I don't care. I like doing it.

So I should just restrict myself to only shoot one subject and make all my photos on Flickr look exactly the same? That would be boring to me. I like having a variety of things, but that's me.

 

[The_Traveler]

I don't like limiting myself to one theme. I like to shoot a lot of different stuff. Maybe its wrong, but I don't care. I like doing it.

So I should just restrict myself to only shoot one subject and make all my photos on Flickr look exactly the same? That would be boring to me. I like having a variety of things, but that's me.

Your pictures won't be great because you are content to snap a lot of things and hope that chance will allow a few to look good.
Even a blind squirrel occasionally finds an acorn.
You've resigned yourself to be a snapper, a dilettante because you don't want to work at it.
OK, you've got a lot of company, slack off and depend on the camera to do 99% of the work, just don't whine about.
No one deserves to be good, they earn it.

 

[PersistentNomad]

So I should just restrict myself to only shoot one subject and make all my photos on Flickr look exactly the same? That would be boring to me.

Except that the won't if you are doing the exercise of finding ways to make new compelling images and compositions of the same subject. But, this is also why artists tend to do a few different bodies of work in a rotating or tidal way. With me, I often switch focuses between birds and flowers, and that's reflected in my posts. Periodically I get on a still life kick. When I am feeling bored, I return to another subject and make that my focus until I feel I'm not moving forward, then I rotate back to a subject to focus on.

 

[limr]

I've really been thinking about getting one of those new Fuji Instax cameras, but I thought they were mainly for hipsters so I've kind of passed on it. lol

Really? You're going to let imaginary social peer pressure prevent you from trying a tool that might help you? Is it a rule that you MUST be a hipster if you try an Instax? And that it's better to stick to the hipster-mocking crowd than to break out of your comfort zone and try something new?

I know that sounds harsh and it's not meant in a sarcastic or negative way, but if your comment was for real - that you really are dismissing the idea of something you want because of a fear of being associated with the dreaded hipsters - then I think the first thing you need to do is to not care what the hell anyone else thinks and instead, do what you need or want to do for yourself.

There is a lot of great advice on this thread, and I agree with most of it, including the idea that new gear by itself isn't going to pull you out of a slump. I will point out, however, that this might be true simply because all that new gear is, essentially, a repeat of what you already have or know how to use. Sure, a lens with a longer/wider focal length than you're used to, or a set of shiny new filters might help for a few days, but ultimately, you're left with the same problem because you basically are shooting the same way, just with newer toys.

But if you try switching to something that is completely different from what you're used to - that will force you to shoot in a totally different way - it might help shake you out of your slump, or teach you to shoot in a different way that can help you with your regular gear, or give you ideas for other things to shoot. For example, the limitations of the Instax might force you to find subjects that you otherwise would have overlooked because the camera might not handle your normal subjects very well. To maximize the strengths of the equipment and film, you might have to experiment and search more consciously, and getting into that habit of thinking through your shots more deliberately could transfer back to when you're shooting with your DSLR.

It doesn't have to be an Instax, of course, and this comment is not prompted by a need to defend the format. I am only putting this out there because your comment was presented in an off-hand way, but I think there might be some truth to it. Go ahead and dismiss the advice that you truly can't take advantage of for various valid reasons, but for heaven's sake, don't let the fear of being called a hipster stop you. Fake rules about who is and isn't allowed to shoot certain kinds of cameras, I'm sorry, is NOT a valid reason.

 

[pixmedic]

i think this thread has run its course.
closed at OP's request.