Lacking Substance

[tevo]

I feel as though I have reached a plateau with my photography. When I first got my camera and was exploring photography, there was an air of wonderment and mystery about it that made the art very intimate and appealing to me. I have certainly learned a great deal about photography through these few years, but at this point I feel that I am no longer improving. In comparing my work to that of others, I feel that my photographs are lacking substance, story and emotion. I feel stifled and restricted by my own knowledge and lack there of, and am realizing that my photos lack true expression of my emotion or views. With this realization comes the epiphany that I have had a very basic (high school) teaching of composition, and everything else was self taught. I am looking now to re discover the wonderment of photography and continue to improve as I once was. I'm asking you, the reader of this eloquently written tevoian forum entry to post any valuable resources for learning composition, storytelling, and artistic expression in general. The Photo Forum has gotten me this far, and I'm looking to you to once again to push me onward.

 

[gsgary]

Have you studied the greats ? HCB,Edward Weston, Frank, Capa, Kertesz
ect
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[tevo]

Have you studied the greats ? HCB,Edward Weston, Frank, Capa, Kertesz
ect
Sent from my GT-I9100P using Tapatalk 2

I have not. This sounds like a great place to start. Thanks Gary.

 

[Meeskephoto]

I recently have been slowing down with my photography as well, it feels like my pictures haven't been progressing at all. SO I know how you feel, it does help to go to classes though. Gets one inspired to go back out there. I say take some classes, take tons of pictures and just watch them get better.

 

[mmaria]

what do you want to shot?
how do you want to shot?
How do you want to edit?
are you capable to tell a difference between shooting an apple and a pear? Please think about what I've said and what goes in a good photo of an apple and a photo of a pear
story and emotion...what story do you want to tell? what emotion to show?


maybe you just need a break, without camera? just with yourself. When you know some answers camera will follow.

 

[OrionsByte]

Gregory Heisler recently published a book called, "50 Portraits" and if you're interested in portrait photography at all I highly recommend it, especially from the storytelling aspect.

 

[amolitor]

Compared to other photographs, you say? Whose photos? Or are you really just unsatisfied with your pictures, taken by themselves?

My current go-to strategy is to work on portfolios rather than individual pictures. With, well, mixed success.

 

[gsgary]

Have you studied the greats ? HCB,Edward Weston, Frank, Capa, Kertesz
ect
Sent from my GT-I9100P using Tapatalk 2

I have not. This sounds like a great place to start. Thanks Gary.

I buy lots of photo books by the top photographers last one was In England by Don McCullin looking through them and reading gets me fired up to shoot

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[rexbobcat]

Preach it! I've felt this way for a few months now. It's really taking a toll on my motivation.

My issue, however, is that I have a lot of concept that I want to pursue, but they all require more resources than I currently have or they're just beyond my skill level.

I've attempted several just to test out my idea and I just end up flipping tables in frustration.

 

[vintagesnaps]

I think it's a matter of whether or not you have the passion for it enough to stay with it. I think interest can wane at times or life can take you in different sometimes unplanned directions. I've always liked photography but over the years sometimes may not have spent a lot of time on it and then come back to it again.

I remember at some point feeling like someday I'd do 'something' with my photography, which eventually I started to do (as it's always been a sideline and nothing I planned on being even remotely a job/career). By now I feel like my camera is an extension of myself but I don't think that exactly happens overnight.

I think you really have to love it to want to get more training or do more learning and have it be as much fun as it is work. I wouldn't discourage you from giving it a try - maybe you'll find something to inspire you and get you motivated and re-energized. With the recent wedding you did it seemed more like cramming for a test than something that was exciting to get to do. I know the first time I got to get on on the ice pregame and take photos I had a blast - even though it was a lot of work all season getting photos for marketing purposes it was work I enjoyed doing. Doing prints in a darkroom takes time and is work and if I didn't like it I wouldn't have done it; same now with matting and framing and writing up a blurb to submit to an exhibit etc.

I've always taken a good bit of art so I've found resources searching composition in art instead of in photography (which seems to turn up every site of someone with a video or book to sell!) so it's probably a matter of checking out a lot of choices to find something that you can relate to. I agree that studying works of famous photographers would be a good idea; Ansel Adams was the first I remember liking and I've always liked B&W photography; Andre Kertesz is my favorite because I feel like I 'get' him. Good luck figuring out which way to go next.

 

[gsgary]

This was my take on Kertesz
Digital 2 no studio lights

Film, Kodalith Ortho 1no studio light with snoot just with modelling light

 

[leeroix]

Hmmm. There was another thread about something very similar to this... Perhaps not even about photography. It doesn't matter. I think most people go through this exact same thing, and struggle in different ways. Its something you need to push through. Keep grinding, studying, learning, watching, doing...

 

[tevo]

Compared to other photographs, you say? Whose photos? Or are you really just unsatisfied with your pictures, taken by themselves?

My current go-to strategy is to work on portfolios rather than individual pictures. With, well, mixed success.

At this point I can't tell if I'm simply used to my own shooting style and that they aren't interesting to me, or if I am truly unsatisfied with them. I am also unsure how other people like them- those who I showed my sports portfolio to seemed to be very impressed by it, and clients have loved what I delivered to them in the past. I just don't know.

I think it's a matter of whether or not you have the passion for it enough to stay with it. I think interest can wane at times or life can take you in different sometimes unplanned directions. I've always liked photography but over the years sometimes may not have spent a lot of time on it and then come back to it again.

I remember at some point feeling like someday I'd do 'something' with my photography, which eventually I started to do (as it's always been a sideline and nothing I planned on being even remotely a job/career). By now I feel like my camera is an extension of myself but I don't think that exactly happens overnight.

I think you really have to love it to want to get more training or do more learning and have it be as much fun as it is work. I wouldn't discourage you from giving it a try - maybe you'll find something to inspire you and get you motivated and re-energized. With the recent wedding you did it seemed more like cramming for a test than something that was exciting to get to do. I know the first time I got to get on on the ice pregame and take photos I had a blast - even though it was a lot of work all season getting photos for marketing purposes it was work I enjoyed doing. Doing prints in a darkroom takes time and is work and if I didn't like it I wouldn't have done it; same now with matting and framing and writing up a blurb to submit to an exhibit etc.

I've always taken a good bit of art so I've found resources searching composition in art instead of in photography (which seems to turn up every site of someone with a video or book to sell!) so it's probably a matter of checking out a lot of choices to find something that you can relate to. I agree that studying works of famous photographers would be a good idea; Ansel Adams was the first I remember liking and I've always liked B&W photography; Andre Kertesz is my favorite because I feel like I 'get' him. Good luck figuring out which way to go next.

Photography is definitely what I was put on this earth to do. It is the one thing I have consistently come back to, and can do all day without checking my watch. I am just in need of a refresher. As for the wedding, I had a previous mental block/fear of shooting weddings which is why I prepared so thoroughly.




I think I'm looking to explore the areas of photography as emotional/artistic expression, rather than capturing moments (i.e. Sports, Weddings). However, I need to make money, and that will likely be in the wedding business. Weddings are uncharted territory for me as well, so...

I have a lot to learn. I think this is the universe's means of a wake up call, reminding me that I don't know nearly as much as I think I do & pushing me to learn more.

 

[table1349]

Something that struck me in your original post was "my photos lack true expression of my emotion or views." Perhaps you should explore seeing the potential photo subject for the view, emotion, etc that it presents, not just you emotions or views. Learn to see and read a scene and capture what it gives you. One way to do this is through the details such as deciding the best location, angle, aperture, shutter speed etc. to capture that scene. That is were your perspective can, depending on what you are shooting, can come into play. Often it is the details that take a good photograph to a great photograph. This can especially be true in areas such as portraiture.

Personally I find very little wonder in photography. I find wonder in the world and strive to capture that vast wonder that is always there and often not recorded.

 

[camz]

You should assist or work with a pro to get rid of that plateau broski.

TEV speaking from a portrait perspective, to bring out real emotion you have to think like a movie director. I know we are for the most part photographers here in this forum, but to bring out real identity or emotions from your subjects is to let them move like humeans and never have them stationary posed while you document. If you're photographing a kissing sequence between a couple have them start from 2 feet apart and let them approach each other other for the kiss while you shoot. It looks more real it looks more genuine. Oppossed to "Stay there, kiss, hold it hold it, let me shoot this...hold on didn't get it hold it hold it *click click click*. They will look like robots when they are holding a pose therefore it wouldn't look natural at all. My advice to to have your subjects move, it could be a kiss, to a smile, to a hug, a nose to nose.

Best subjects I've ever shot are models - these gals constantly move, dance, sprawl, walk, turn to a point where it's over acted at times but man it flows and it looks natural.