OBLIGATED to Take Photos

[pgriz]

Learning happens when you're out of your comfort zone. In the comfort zone, you know what you're doing, certain habits take you over the same paths, and you get the same results you're used to. Out of the comfort zone, it's new, raw, unexpected, uncontrolled. You can't rely on what you already know and mastered. It challenges you to find a way that you haven't done before. But that's partly what learning is about - making things work without relying on your usual crutches. And the "you" is the general "you", not necessarily the you who is "rexbobcat".

 

[Balmiesgirl]

Just do it! If you are making photography a career you will find that you have to shoot things you don't enjoy and do them in a style you may not like. A lot, actually most of the commercial photography work is already pretty much laid out by the ad agency, art director, etc. As the photographer you have to go in there and make THEIR vision a reality. A lot of the times it leaves very little room for your personal creativity. As a pro you will NEED the skills to do it! Be willing, get in there and wow her with your technical skills if it's not creativity she is looking for.
Just keep personal projects going to keep your creative side happy

 

[2WheelPhoto]

I'm a college photo student too. Like anything else one may get good instructors or not so good.

Once I hit studio lighting class and shot a few models my own perception of what I like to take pics of have changed. bridges and barns are now the bottom of my list and they used to be high. Also instead of out in the country I can be often found hanging around several professional studios in Tampa =)

 

[gsgary]

Does it restrict your creativity or does it test your ability to generate ideas?

If you're wanting to be a professional and you're complaining about restrictions in a learning environment you might want to feel the pressure of being in the positon where that limited brief that you're complaining about pays your wages!

I have experienced your position. Did I complain? No. Almost every successful photographer's success can be traced back to shooting what they love. Even when the mundane or 'bread and butter' work is getting on top of you you still have to be creative with your personal work. That personal work is what could get you your big break.

I'm not describing myself, by the way, but rather several successful photographers who I have read about or even met.

That ability to generate idead, and creativity are one and the same in my opinion. I want my ideas to be creative. That's the problem.

It's like a landscape photographer who is thrust into the position of a sports photographer on short notice. They'll probably do pretty well given the circumstances, but will that specific body of work compare favorably to their work in their field of expertise? Most likely not. That's how I'm feeling now. She's wanting the class to shoot as she shoots, which is fine since most of the class is full of beginning photographers, but when you already know what you like and what you don't it's a little difficult to feel like its worth it. lol

I mean, I'll get over it. I'm just observing how much it sucks to have to move backwards.

Find another coarse, when i did a college coarse years ago it was the total opposite to yours, our tutor was fantastic he used to get everyone enthalled, one class he put one photo up on the projector by Garry Winnogrand and we had to talk about it, i would normally be bored ****less but we talked about the one image for 3 hours and was one of my favourite classes because he could get you so fired up

 

[imagemaker46]

A career in photography isn't always about enjoyment, it should be, but like any job, or future job, there will be times when it just sucks. Learning to work through the projects that you don't like will help you to appreciate the ones that you do enjoy. It's all just part of learning. You may never have to use some of the skills you aquire when you are younger, but then one day, you just never know.

 

[blackrose89]

A career in photography isn't always about enjoyment, it should be, but like any job, or future job, there will be times when it just sucks. Learning to work through the projects that you don't like will help you to appreciate the ones that you do enjoy. It's all just part of learning. You may never have to use some of the skills you aquire when you are younger, but then one day, you just never know.

It's like acting. I'm sure every actor starts out wanting to be a famous Hollywood star, but for most, they have to settle on what they can get. Do you think the spokesmen for a herpes commercial is living their dream? They're doing what work they can get in hopes it will get them somewhere else.

 

[mishele]

You will get out of the course what you put into it. Your teacher is pushing you to see things that you would prolly never see. You said you want to impress her, then do it!! Find something that no one else will see on your campus!! Push yourself!!
Somethings to help your creative side....
Google the topic!!
Flickr the topic!!
Look up your school on the internet. See what pictures you can find.
Figure out what type of shot you like on the topic and make it your own!
I'm not suggesting copying anyone else's shots. I'm suggesting researching your topic and figuring out your own path from there.

Make sure you post your shot when you are done!!

 

[DiskoJoe]

I'm just curious, has anyone here taken a photography class/workshop/something that wasn't optional, in which you HAD to take certain types of photos (obviously)?

Is there anyone here who really hated it?

That's kind of where I am with my photography college class. For one, my professor is.....okay....but not really on the photographic up-in-up I guess...she knows theory....she talks the talk. She just can't....walk the walk as much.

This makes me want to really do well and impress her (shouldn't be tooooo hard) but I'm finding it kind of depressing. I've never had certain restrictions set on my photography before, and I've never been forced (pretty much) to take photos. As a result, I don't feel like I'll be giving it my best since I'm not taking photos intuitively, I'm taking them to meet a rigid, and quite frankly, frustrating, criteria...

Does anyone ever feel like this? I think this is the reason I've never done a 365 day project.

Also; I understand that with a career in photography deadlines must be met and that involves photographic obligations and stress, blah blah blah, but what I'm getting at is this is a very basic class, in which I'm only getting paid in knowledge I already know, and photos that I don't need.

Has anyone else ever felt like this?

PS: I am NOT trying to start some big debate over some vaguely related aspect of this topic, I'm just curious about others' experiences. Please don't derail this thread.

So is your assignment a 365 project? If yes, those can be trying which is good in a way. This will teach you how hard it is to meet deadlines consistently. But if you think this is a pain in the ass dont go to business school. Then the work is really boring and you have to meet deadlines and learn calculus.

 

[Tony S]

In regards to the teacher there's an old saying that goes for instructors like this..."Those that do, do. Those that can't, teach."

 

[blackrose89]

I'm in photography school. Right now the graded projects I have to do are for fake jobs and fake clients. I have to take pictures of city landmarks for city brochures (well pretend brochures anyway and nature peopl portraits for an enviromental magazine. Not terribly interesting to me, but it really doesn't bother me that much. It's about getting the grade and learning what dealing with clients will be like.

 

[rexbobcat]

I'm just curious, has anyone here taken a photography class/workshop/something that wasn't optional, in which you HAD to take certain types of photos (obviously)?

Is there anyone here who really hated it?

That's kind of where I am with my photography college class. For one, my professor is.....okay....but not really on the photographic up-in-up I guess...she knows theory....she talks the talk. She just can't....walk the walk as much.

This makes me want to really do well and impress her (shouldn't be tooooo hard) but I'm finding it kind of depressing. I've never had certain restrictions set on my photography before, and I've never been forced (pretty much) to take photos. As a result, I don't feel like I'll be giving it my best since I'm not taking photos intuitively, I'm taking them to meet a rigid, and quite frankly, frustrating, criteria...

Does anyone ever feel like this? I think this is the reason I've never done a 365 day project.

Also; I understand that with a career in photography deadlines must be met and that involves photographic obligations and stress, blah blah blah, but what I'm getting at is this is a very basic class, in which I'm only getting paid in knowledge I already know, and photos that I don't need.

Has anyone else ever felt like this?

PS: I am NOT trying to start some big debate over some vaguely related aspect of this topic, I'm just curious about others' experiences. Please don't derail this thread.

So is your assignment a 365 project? If yes, those can be trying which is good in a way. This will teach you how hard it is to meet deadlines consistently. But if you think this is a pain in the ass dont go to business school. Then the work is really boring and you have to meet deadlines and learn calculus.

It's not a 365. I was just relating the two. Yeah, meeting deadlines (at least photographic deadlines) is proving to be frustrating. What's even more frustrating to me, however, is the fact that I know I can meet the deadline, but I'm not sure that the work I produce will be up to my own standards. And on that note, I'm not even sure if my standards are realistic, or if they're too high.

 

[KmH]

I've never had certain restrictions set on my photography before, and I've never been forced (pretty much) to take photos. As a result, I don't feel like I'll be giving it my best since I'm not taking photos intuitively, I'm taking them to meet a rigid, and quite frankly, frustrating, criteria...

Don't ever venture into commercial photography then.

 

[gsgary]

I'm in photography school. Right now the graded projects I have to do are for fake jobs and fake clients. I have to take pictures of city landmarks for city brochures (well pretend brochures anyway and nature peopl portraits for an enviromental magazine. Not terribly interesting to me, but it really doesn't bother me that much. It's about getting the grade and learning what dealing with clients will be like.

Why are those subjects not interesting ? all depends how you shoot them, look for some unusual and interesting people for your portraits and shoot the landmarks from and unusual angle make them interesting

 

[blackrose89]

I'm in photography school. Right now the graded projects I have to do are for fake jobs and fake clients. I have to take pictures of city landmarks for city brochures (well pretend brochures anyway and nature peopl portraits for an enviromental magazine. Not terribly interesting to me, but it really doesn't bother me that much. It's about getting the grade and learning what dealing with clients will be like.

Why are those subjects not interesting ? all depends how you shoot them, look for some unusual and interesting people for your portraits and shoot the landmarks from and unusual angle make them interesting

It wasnt really a matter of wether or not you can make them interesting. You're over thinking my statement. I never said it couldn't be interesting. I was merely saying sometimes we have to do things we wouldnt normally do and are not particularly excited about. What your saying is a different sentiment for a completely different thread.

 

[gsgary]

I'm in photography school. Right now the graded projects I have to do are for fake jobs and fake clients. I have to take pictures of city landmarks for city brochures (well pretend brochures anyway and nature peopl portraits for an enviromental magazine. Not terribly interesting to me, but it really doesn't bother me that much. It's about getting the grade and learning what dealing with clients will be like.

Why are those subjects not interesting ? all depends how you shoot them, look for some unusual and interesting people for your portraits and shoot the landmarks from and unusual angle make them interesting

It wasnt really a matter of wether or not you can make them interesting. You're over thinking my statement. I never said it couldn't be interesting. I was merely saying sometimes we have to do things we wouldnt normally do and are not particularly excited about. What your saying is a different sentiment for a completely different thread.

Thats where we differ, i find all aspects of photography exciting and will shoot anything, i love a challenge