Lack of motivation/spirit

tdz16

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Happy 4th of July everyone!

So, I went to a block party today with at least a couple hundred people. Kids and parents everywhere. What normally would seem like a thousand photo opportunities per hour. Yet for some reason I couldn't get going. I carried the D700 around the whole time. Took a few shots of my nephews but nothing I could be really proud of.

Lately I just feel like not a lot is motivating me to shoot other than what I want, which is, for the most part, one-on-one. on location portraits. I almost feel like every shot I took today, I didn't like because I felt I couldn't control the light at the pace these kids were moving, especially in and out of the shadows of trees and houses. This lack of control makes me crazy and I wasn't about to break out the umbrellas and light stands with kids running around.

My best friend wants me to do his engagement photos soon and I know I can do a good job, but I can't seem to pull my ideas together.

Does anyone have any tips on how they get themselves motivated? Are there any books on event photography that may help guide me on what some protocols are when doing such an event? Who to shoot, when, where, yadda, yadda....

Thanks. Sorry if this was a ramble/rant.

~Tom
 
Happy 4th of July to you too.

Seems like you had a bad day, we all do.
 
Get out of your comfort zone maybe.

When I get bored with composition and trying too hard, I run around town with a little plastic camera and make beautiful, blurry photos.

<shrug>

Happy fireworks day.
 
Not sure about books and all, but one thing I have found that helps me get back into motivation drive is to look at some of my previous work (the good stuff only) and really feel the joy of taking pictures again.

Another method that some use is to look at work of others, browse through deviantart, redbubble, flickr or any one of them and see, what others think is worth posting.

Hope that helps a little...
 
Get out of your comfort zone maybe.

When I get bored with composition and trying too hard, I run around town with a little plastic camera and make beautiful, blurry photos.

<shrug>

Happy fireworks day.

Yeah, good suggestion, walk it off :thumbsup:
 
Just like what IlSan said...Go back, look at the work you're most proud of, and motivation will come. I do it all the time.

And sometimes the lack of control can be invigorating...Like a roller coaster.
 
Thanks everyone. All good suggestions I guess.

I almost feel like I'm trying too hard now at times. It has a lot to do with people expecting a lot from me now. I've got quite a few people looking at me now as if I'm a pro, which I'm not. I've just got nice gear and the desire to possibly go pro at some point when **I** deem myself good enough to do so. This will be through quality photos that I can produce with consistency. I can only do this through practice, but I end up with a day like today full of opportunity and can't come up with much worth while.

One of the biggest problems of today is that I was looking around for the artistic/technically appealing opportunities but all everyone wanted me to be doing was shooting "point and shoot" type shots. I'm there messing with the photographic triangle for no reason whatsoever, driving myself nuts to try to catch a good shot of my fiance swinging my nephew through a sprinkler? Really? I could've brought her Sony Cybershot and called it a day.

Hopefully later this week I can get back out and do some more shooting on my own terms. At the same time maybe I can come to terms with the fact that most people at events are content with the tall people in back short people in front crap. Creativity needs to lie within the subjects as well as the photographer it seems.

Ok, rant over....again.

You guys/gals are good sports!

~Tom
 
It is understanable what you are saying - once you have experienced the true "power" of taking pictures, simply point and shoot just ain't gonna cover the thirst for more pictures...

And yes, most casual events do not require the most artistic approach, plus, most attendees will not even know the artistic approach if it hit them in the head. So, everytime I attend such an event, either I have no camera on me (always good when asked, don't you want to take some pictures, and the hands come up - with what :lol:) OR get ready for some standard point and shoot action.

Most events I take in my stride, the bigger fun / attraction is attending the event, and afterwards, in the more quiet hours, I will go about and do what I want (picture wise).

Food photography can be quite fun at such events, given that there is food... ...
 
Your rant just gave me a great idea. I should have a point and shoot in my camera bag along with my DSLR just incase things are happening and its getting agrivating with the DSLR whip out the point and shoot and just see what you get with that.
 
I guess I'm having a hard time understanding why you couldn't pull some kids aside and ask for big, cheesy grins while you snapped a few photos with the aperture wide open. Especially with autofocus and high iso capabilities.

You could have also experimented with shutter speeds.

It kind of sounds like you put yourself in a box when you showed up at this party.
 

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