I suck at photography.

[astroNikon]

You don't have to "travel" far to do something.

I know you live in Vermont.
So you live in the "old" part of the US where finding older designed buildings, such as churches are more common than other areas of the US.

Around SE Detroit I went around and took pics of churches, inside and out. Excluding the old ones in Detroit which you are not allowed to go in or around (ie, no trespassing). I did a 50 mile radius for a bit when I did some churches years past. nice buildings, some really old single room churches too. Large/gigantic churches. Quite a contrast in it all. Don't limit yourself without researching online what is around you.

I found this little, old church just 2 miles away.
THM-98 by Steve Sklar, on Flickr

 

[Designer]

I want to get better at it. But I don't know where to begin.

There are so many facets of photography that to be good at all types requires superhuman time, effort, and artistic inspiration to develop all the skills needed.

My suggestion is to just pick one that you like i.e.; portraiture, landscape, macro, or whatever, and concentrate on that one type. Read everything you can, practice a lot, learn to throw out all your bad ones, and keep going.

 

[astroNikon]

Now that everyone knows I suck at photography, what should be the first step to get better? Should I start a project? What kind of a project?! I don't know what to do.

Ok, honestly?

Stop buying gear. Forget about having the latest and greatest of this or this lens being a moderate hair sharper than that one, etc.

Take the gear you have and go shoot with it. Push it to it's absolute limits. When you think your shot isn't what it should be, don't look at the gear. Look at your settings and your methodology and be sure that your getting the absolute most out of the gear you already have, don't just fall back on the idea that the gear is what's limiting you and that a new lens or a new body will take you to the next level. It won't.

As Peg mentions, the best stuff to shoot is stuff that you love. Start there. If cars are a passion, shoot cars to start with and stick with it. Look at magazines, the internet, etc - see the kind of shots you want to take and ask yourself, ok, how did they do that. Then experiment and find for yourself what works best.

Read as much as you can about composition, lighting, etc, etc... and put those ideas to practical use. Then go shoot some more.

I agree.
Stop buying new gear.

 

[nerwin]

Now that everyone knows I suck at photography, what should be the first step to get better? Should I start a project? What kind of a project?! I don't know what to do.

Ok, honestly?

Stop buying gear. Forget about having the latest and greatest of this or this lens being a moderate hair sharper than that one, etc.

Take the gear you have and go shoot with it. Push it to it's absolute limits. When you think your shot isn't what it should be, don't look at the gear. Look at your settings and your methodology and be sure that your getting the absolute most out of the gear you already have, don't just fall back on the idea that the gear is what's limiting you and that a new lens or a new body will take you to the next level. It won't.

As Peg mentions, the best stuff to shoot is stuff that you love. Start there. If cars are a passion, shoot cars to start with and stick with it. Look at magazines, the internet, etc - see the kind of shots you want to take and ask yourself, ok, how did they do that. Then experiment and find for yourself what works best.

Read as much as you can about composition, lighting, etc, etc... and put those ideas to practical use. Then go shoot some more.

I agree with what you're saying, but I also think its important to be comfortable with your gear and I think that's why I'm often selling and buying gear because I guess I'm looking for something and I don't know what it is.

Settings are the tough part, I've been trying to shoot in manual mode with auto ISO but I don't know how many times already I have missed moments because I can't change the settings fast enough and then I start freaking out and angry and then the moment is gone.

I really don't understand how people can do this so fast. I have a learning disability (laugh if you want) so it makes it hard for me to compute these things fast. lol.

 

[Gary A.]

Shoot with one lens. Learn that lens so you can see/frame images at that focal length without looking through a viewfinder. Use a single camera until you can adjust everything just by feel, without having to move your eye from the viewfinder. Know your equipment so that the adjustments are made semi-automatically ... So that the adjustments required to capture your mental image of the subject are performed automatically/semiautomatically in the background allowing you to concentrate on the image in the viewfinder.

Every time you bring the camera up to your eye, shoot for the exceptional image. Photography is all about capturing that exceptional image.

 

[astroNikon]

Now that everyone knows I suck at photography, what should be the first step to get better? Should I start a project? What kind of a project?! I don't know what to do.

Ok, honestly?

Stop buying gear. Forget about having the latest and greatest of this or this lens being a moderate hair sharper than that one, etc.

Take the gear you have and go shoot with it. Push it to it's absolute limits. When you think your shot isn't what it should be, don't look at the gear. Look at your settings and your methodology and be sure that your getting the absolute most out of the gear you already have, don't just fall back on the idea that the gear is what's limiting you and that a new lens or a new body will take you to the next level. It won't.

As Peg mentions, the best stuff to shoot is stuff that you love. Start there. If cars are a passion, shoot cars to start with and stick with it. Look at magazines, the internet, etc - see the kind of shots you want to take and ask yourself, ok, how did they do that. Then experiment and find for yourself what works best.

Read as much as you can about composition, lighting, etc, etc... and put those ideas to practical use. Then go shoot some more.

I agree with what you're saying, but I also think its important to be comfortable with your gear and I think that's why I'm often selling and buying gear because I guess I'm looking for something and I don't know what it is.

Settings are the tough part, I've been trying to shoot in manual mode with auto ISO but I don't know how many times already I have missed moments because I can't change the settings fast enough and then I start freaking out and angry and then the moment is gone.

I really don't understand how people can do this so fast. I have a learning disability (laugh if you want) so it makes it hard for me to compute these things fast. lol.

In MANUAL with Auto ISO you have to think of 2 things as you approach a subject
1 - what Depth of Field do you want.
You may not know enough about DOF and it's calculations. ONCE you start playing with it using a measuring tape and inanimate objects it becomes much easier.
I approach a situation and already know what aperture I want.

2 - Shutter speed. This is simply choosing a fast enough shutter speed to stop motion. Or longer exposures. This is experience too. Start writing down what works and doesn't work for what you are doing.

You may add lighting to this as it may affect it too, but hopefully the Auto ISO will help compensate.

and hand holding may have an impact. You may not be able to hand hold for longer shutter speeds. This requires practice and technique.

 

[astroNikon]

To double what Gary says, I learned all the features of my camera.
I know where the buttons are without looking (ie, keep eye on viewfinder).
Not knowing what button to press and having to look takes time. Practice makes perfect.

I also learned a lot just using my 24/2.8 in echoing what Gary said.

 

[Gary A.]

There is no perfect lens and camera. You grow into comfort by usage. Too much equipment deletes and fragments the learning curve for any particular piece of equipment.

 

[robbins.photo]

Now that everyone knows I suck at photography, what should be the first step to get better? Should I start a project? What kind of a project?! I don't know what to do.

Ok, honestly?

Stop buying gear. Forget about having the latest and greatest of this or this lens being a moderate hair sharper than that one, etc.

Take the gear you have and go shoot with it. Push it to it's absolute limits. When you think your shot isn't what it should be, don't look at the gear. Look at your settings and your methodology and be sure that your getting the absolute most out of the gear you already have, don't just fall back on the idea that the gear is what's limiting you and that a new lens or a new body will take you to the next level. It won't.

As Peg mentions, the best stuff to shoot is stuff that you love. Start there. If cars are a passion, shoot cars to start with and stick with it. Look at magazines, the internet, etc - see the kind of shots you want to take and ask yourself, ok, how did they do that. Then experiment and find for yourself what works best.

Read as much as you can about composition, lighting, etc, etc... and put those ideas to practical use. Then go shoot some more.

I agree with what you're saying, but I also think its important to be comfortable with your gear and I think that's why I'm often selling and buying gear because I guess I'm looking for something and I don't know what it is.

Settings are the tough part, I've been trying to shoot in manual mode with auto ISO but I don't know how many times already I have missed moments because I can't change the settings fast enough and then I start freaking out and angry and then the moment is gone.

I really don't understand how people can do this so fast. I have a learning disability (laugh if you want) so it makes it hard for me to compute these things fast. lol.

First, I would never laugh about a learning disability. My older brother has one, so I know first hand how incredibly difficult it is for him to process some kinds of information and the sort of effect that's had on his life.

Ok, so manual mode - you've tried it.. and, it's not working for you. I shoot a lot in manual mode with auto iso, however when I do I generally preset the camera to optimize it for my shooting conditions. If I have time I can adjust for optimum, if not I can still get the shot.

So for example, if I'm at the zoo and I'm shooting indoors with a 70-200mm 2.8, I'll dial in F4 for an aperture and say 160 for a shutter speed. I know from experience that this will let me get a usable shot if I have to just grab the camera and fire. When I'm outside in good lighting I'll up my shutter speed and maybe stop down my aperture to 5.6, again it will let me get a usable shot even if I don't have time to adjust settings.

If I have the time, then I'll adjust. If not I can still capture the moment. That works for me. It may not work for you, and you know what, that's fine. It doesn't make you any less a photographer if you use auto modes because you find that's what works best for you. What matters is you get the shot. The rest is all BS.

The trick is to find what works for you and what you shoot. That might be shutter priority, or aperture priority, or full auto, or P mode.. who knows. Doesn't matter. Try them all and see what works best for your style and you as an individual.

 

[nerwin]

To double what Gary says, I learned all the features of my camera.
I know where the buttons are without looking (ie, keep eye on viewfinder).
Not knowing what button to press and having to look takes time. Practice makes perfect.

I also learned a lot just using my 50/1.8 in echoing what Gary said.

I know where my buttons and I know what each of them do. That isn't the problem, the problem is getting my idea out of my head, I'm just slow.

 

[pixmedic]

Sometimes we just hit a roadblock. Maybe you should take a step back and stop caring about photography for a little while and see if something catches your attention.
You might be trying too hard.

sometimes, when im focusing too hard on trying to figure out what to do with a patient, the answer comes when i step back for a few seconds and look at the whole picture instead of concentrating on that one thing i got stuck on.

 

[nerwin]

Sometimes we just hit a roadblock. Maybe you should take a step back and stop caring about photography for a little while and see if something catches your attention.
You might be trying too hard.

I don't think I could do that, not with my depression. Photography is really the only thing that I have that prevents my mind from thinking about bad stuff. So keeping my mind active about photography and photography related things is actually helping me (even when I say I suck at photography) to deal with my depression. It's just my way of dealing with it, you know?

 

[jcdeboever]

Lot's of people have lots of opinions. Lord knows I get frustrated but it is not about the quality of the picture for me. It's more about what I see the image can be (per-visualization), getting it in the camera, and into post to complete the visualization. I would say the majority of the time, it's not in the camera correctly. I can usually get the image I want from a ten year old D70s or a Canon SX60HS. I absolutely love the simplicity of a Holga, Pentax K1000, or a Nikon F so when I get frustrated, I am on those. They remind me of what I am really doing, visualizing my art. Most of the images I post are not necessarily things I love or will be shooting in a year from now. They are exercises in learning and if people like them, that is a bonus that makes me feel good. If they don't, I try and learn from their critique by seeing if it lines up with my visualization. Sometimes the truth hurts but often times there is growth there. So I guess I suck too and it is more fun than frustrating. I think photography is a lot like golf and my handicap is proof of that.

 

[PersistentNomad]

Okay, there are a lot of things I want to add to this thread since coaching artists has been my job for over six years now. And you aren't trying to be just a photographer, you are trying to be an artist.

1. When I was in my last year of my painting BFA, I had one of these moments. I emailed a former instructor, whose opinion I valued highly, and expressed my feelings: "What the hell am I doing? My work will never make an impact, my work is meaningless, I don't have enough technical skill, yadda yadda yadda." His response: "Every worthwhile artist experiences this regularly in their life. This is how they grow and improve. If you don't feel this way, then that is when your work is meaningless and without impact. Technical skill only comes with time and the repeated process of pushing yourself to grow."

2.

Settings are the tough part, I've been trying to shoot in manual mode with auto ISO but I don't know how many times already I have missed moments because I can't change the settings fast enough and then I start freaking out and angry and then the moment is gone.

When I was struggling, my best friend who was a much better photog than me suggested that I lay off manual for a while, and shoot only in aperture priority or shutter priority until I had totally internalized knowing them inside and out and changing them on the fly. She said pick the one you are already better at than the other, get really good at using it, and don't move to the other until then. Once the two are mastered, then you are ready for manual. It really helped me out, so maybe it will help you too.

3. A lot of people on here are talking about gear. And they're right, the gear doesn't make the photographer. But, with that said, there are always going to be certain things you are drawn to in others' photos that can't be achieved without the right gear or editing software. So, take all considerations about good photos and gear being (un)related with some salt.

4. Definitely a project will help you master some things, and depending on the project this is where you can get the most out of manual mode. Choose something that makes you think critically about it. Think about what you want to say with your photos, the mood you want to set within them and, most importantly, what skill you want to improve for doing it. Mastering challenging lighting situation? Use churches. Capturing fast subjects? Basketball is an indoor winter sport. Telling a story? Use a still life to do that. One of my favorite projects was creating portraits of people using the objects that were precious to them or significant to me about them. I did a who series of self portraits using my various pairs of shoes and items from my fossil and mineral collection, with a few other things in between. I didn't need a macro lens to do it and get the detail, either.

But as others have said, you don't suck at photography and if you want to get better, you have to click that shutter a lot.

 

[nerwin]

Thanks everyone for all your help, I really do appreciate it.

I guess one of the best things I can do is just keep pressing that shutter button, try new things and not to overthink it and just take my time.

I know a few mentioned I should focus on one subject, but I like photographing everything...that's what makes it so difficult. What is exactly wrong with photographing all sorts of subjects?