I've hit the wall...

Big

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I have been doing the 365 project and it's turning out to be not so fun anymore... It seems like there is nothing to shoot in my area. I get home late and I find myself taking snapshots of dumb things that mean nothing to me really. I just came back from a drive of probably 25 miles and didn't see crap. Even went for a short hike through the woods... There's a part of me that wants to keep my head up and power through it but another side of me wants to give up because I don't want photography to be a chore I have to do everyday. I've taken a look at people's albums (Dominantly) and then at mine. Sure I have a couple nice shots I'm proud of but the majority kinda sucks. I don't feel like I'm improving at all. I'd like to try some long exposures but again, not too much great city around here. I'd also like to try doing a long exposure of a train going by at night time (since I live 2 houses down from the tracks). I expected this to happen but not so soon. It seems like out of a month, I might have 5 lucky days where I get something good. I am going to Maine again next weekend and would love to try star trails but I don't really know a lot about doing it. I've been researching lately on it though. What have you done to help yourself improve? I bring my camera everywhere but I still don't get anything most of the time I go out. I think I've outgrown my surroundings but when I try to go out and plan a little drive and come back with nothing (and I mean nothing) it makes me more discouraged. Any tips are greatly appreciated and I thank you in advance for any help anyone has to offer.
 
Sometimes you just have to phone the shot in and move on. I've fully spent half my time doing the project365 sick enough I've not been able to leave the house so dumb crap gets its picture taken.
 
It's hard.
I mean it would be easy to photograph the same kind of stuff over and over, but to really try and come up with new and interesting things to shoot, that takes work.
I've become somewhat bored of it, and I pretty much decided that you won't really benefit from trying to force a photo every single day. You may actually do damage by making it more work then pleasure (which we don't want). So I would say continue your 365, but if you go a day or two, so what. When you hit 365, there is your completed project.
 
Oh boy do I hear you ! I am in the same boat. Looking at your website, I am not in your league, but the same principals are at work.
I work long hours, and have done my share of shooting around the job, going around at lunchtime trying to find something, stopping and shooting on the way home, etc...
There are a couple of overpasses on my trip I want to shoot, but there is always too much traffic to be able to pull over in a good spot.

I've gone to the parks in the area a few times, and I keep falling back on the old staple, shooting my cats.

I don't know that I'll make it the full year, but so far I am hanging in there. I'm sure people following my blog are bored, but I do think the practice is what I need. I am still motivated by the principal that by the end of the year, my photography will be a lot better than it was. I think it will be. I am now falling into patterns of over processing that I'm sure other people have gone through, and am just getting experience.

The creative process is hard, and isn't consistent for me.
But, 51 days down, that's what, about 1/7th of the way done already ?
We can do it !!

Glad you posted this. I don't feel as alone. :))
 
Big...I hear ya! I've hit the wall too. I'm in pretty much a carbon copy of the situation you're in. I can't seem to break out of it and I'm not seeing the improvement I expected.

I've been recently walking around aimlessly trying to find something to shoot. Lately it's been the dumbest stuff.

I'm going to try to push through it and see what happens. I need to find something new and break out of the norm.

I've came close but my insecurities and inhibitions have got the best of me lately.

One of my major obstacles is work. I work from 5am to 7pm most of the week. On work days...I don't feel like doing much. Work is very camera sensitive so I would have to go off site to take any shots during work hours. I sneak out onece and a while....

I'm gonna keep trying...

See if ya can push through...It's probably easier to do that than stop and start again.

Good luck! :thumbup:
 
Thanks everyone. I went on another walk today after creating this thread, without success... I hope it get's better :(
 
What about trying something creative in house?

Have you tried grabbing something as simple as an orange and then setting up a little shoot with it?
Maybe giving it a black background and trying out some lighting and exposure combos to see what you like best...
 
I'm lucky enough to not be working right now, but even I find it challenging day in day out to take a picture. I keep falling back on "easy" shots like deer in the forest preserves or squirrels in the back yard but I'm still going. I had to take a break in the beginning of Feb when I was so sick simply getting out of bed was a challenge, but I'm back at it. I'm also lucky with the forest preserve being around here...it really helps to just go walking and see what happens. Don't expect things just enjoy your time out.

I've found that simply trying anything new helps. Setting up "product shots" of stuff or just screwing with lighting to make an interesting photo helps. One of my daily shots is even a few pieces of fruit. Another is the embroidered product name on one of my shirts. Have fun. Experiment. Push your limits and most of all HANG IN THERE!
 
I am very strong willed so I'm sure I'll make it, it's just the feeling of not enjoying photography is what I'm scared of. I love it so much and I'd hate to get to the point that I wanna throw my camera! lol
 
I've came close but my insecurities and inhibitions have got the best of me lately.
You're not drinking enough. Who cares what everyone else thinks?

Just do it.

I have never done a 365 project, but I don't think you're expected to take a completely awesome picture every day. The picture from some days will probably suck...

The point of it is to take pictures. To get out there and do something.

Some days will be better than others.
 
Have you tried shooting the same thing in every hour of the day? At least you'll have a better understanding of the effects of different light. (if you haven't already done it of course)
 
Why not try to apply some type of system to your 365 project? So, you went out for a drive and saw nothing. That's what happens when driving around at 45,55,65 miles an hour--there's no time to "see" anything. Thank God you didn't "see" anything while you were driving, or you might have caused an accident.

How about getting out on your own two feet and looking at things; the chances you'd "see" something might improve dramatically if you were walking. Or even sitting. I find it hard to believe that at 21 years old you're burned out and used up. Jaded. Done with it all.

Why not try the system approach I spoke of: look closely, not at 65 miles an hour cruising down the freeway. When deer hunting, you don't look for an entire deer, standing there--you look for the tick of an ear; a glint of sunlight off an antler; a nervous neck-turn; you look for "parts" of a deer, not the whole blasted thing. Similarly, why not look for your next subject within ten inches from the front of a lens? Close-range stuff. Look thru the lens only inside of one foot. Next week, branch outward, and shift to two feet. I think if you re-hike those woods and go slow, you might just spot a fragment of something, which will lead you to a larger image--maybe even a real photograph. You might even spot a methaphorical "deer".

When hiking the woods, did you see any pitch oozes? Any discarded deer antlers or "sheds"? Any raccoon tracks? Any deer rubs on trees? Any budding cones on deciduous trees? Anything in the snow? (This friendly kick in the pants was provided at no charge.)
 
Haha Thanks Derrel! I did see deer tracks in the snow, no antlers (but I was definitely looking!) When I was driving, I went to familiar spots as well as unfamiliar but had no luck. I did some trial and error shots tonight to prepare for next weekend for shooting star trails so hopefully I can get a good grip on it by then. Going for a 2 hour exposure...

996 seconds f.8 ISO100
IMG_23832.jpg
 

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