What is your subject and why?

Gazmo1

Gazmo1

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I'm fairly new to the forum and photography, I bought my camera an age ago (so it seems) and never really used it.

Since I have been using I've taken a lot of pictures of my cats. Mainly because they have been there. I haven't really found my niche yet of what I want to specialise in or rather be energised about.

So, my question is: What is your specialist subject and why?
 
I don't have one. I can never pin down one category, I don't like to feel restricted. I shoot mostly portraits, gigs, macro and street ... and a bit of landscape :) leave the options open.

I can adjust to any style for the right money :D

If you really enjoy taking pictures of your cat, portraiture would be a great place to start. Whether it's animal or human, the principles are the same.
 
mostly my children but what ever i think looks nice im not picky i like to dabble in everything really at the moment ive been focusing on dragonfly's
 
I photograph things that I find interesting! Over the past few years, it's been aviation, urban exploration, steam railways, industrial landscapes, travel (as I've travelled around quite a bit), but since the arrival of my little girl two years ago, it's primarily family stuff. I do manage the odd day out on my own to do my own stuff though.

Things that I don't photograph - macro shots of insects / flowers, animals, studio portraits, weddings, are because I have no interest in them, and given the limited amount of spare time I have, I've no intention of exploring them either.
 
I have no particular niche or target. I'm fortunate enough to have a kit bag with focal lengths from 8mm up to 500mm so have almost every base covered legthwise, although a couple of the lenses aren't the fastest - the bag's heavy enough even without the 150-500 OS and the 70-200 f/2.8 (I carry the 70-300VR to cover that range an only take the 150-500 with me if I'm feeling strong and KNOW i'm going to use it! There are a couple of primes in there too - the 8mm fisheye, a 50mm f/1.8 and a tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro, soon to be replaced with a Nikon 105mm f/2.8VR to help cheer me up after a recent health scare and because I can afford it at the moment!
To help find your niche, maybe try just using a cheapish compact (that gives reasonable results) and see what the majority of the shots you take with that are.
 
With me its a bit of everything but I am trying to perfect panorama views.
 
When taking photographs purely for my own pleasure it's anything that I think looks interesting or maybe a holiday landscape to remind me of the place/ocassion.

My real love though, is portraiture and street photography. I just find people fascinating :)
 
i think im quite good at catching people who arent posing for me. i believe its better known as "reportage". I like the look on some peoples faces when they get shown a photo they didnt even realise was being taken.

However more recently Ive been trying a bit of everything to see if I can diversify
 
For me, anything that doesn't move, so landscapes, urban, cars, still life stuff

For some reason i just can't take a decent photo of anything moving, wildlife, cars, people etc
 
I'm in the same boat as you gazmo. I mainly shoot what I find interesting. As I'm in to road cycling I try and get to any event that's close by. I don't like to be that guy with a camera up in people's faces tho, I find it a bit awkward at times.
I've actually just bought a set of kenko tubes to try some macro out. Can't wait!
 
I guess my issue is that right now I lack some vision. I'm starting to see some things in a different light but at totally the wrong moment. An example would be an old bike tyre around satellite dish. I was driving past and thought it would make an excellent bit of urban photography.

I just seem to get lucky with the cats. I would guess that anybody elses cats would run a mile once they hear the camera click.
 
Im Bald Ok said:
I'm in the same boat as you gazmo. I mainly shoot what I find interesting. As I'm in to road cycling I try and get to any event that's close by. I don't like to be that guy with a camera up in people's faces tho, I find it a bit awkward at times.
I've actually just bought a set of kenko tubes to try some macro out. Can't wait!
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I feel like a right git at times taking pictures and getting in peoples faces. I have now bought a 75-300mm for the Sony so people don't notice too much.

I'm yet to master taking pictures of things that move. I have the art of blur down to a tee.
 
Several areas of interest, street photography, reportage and landscape, quite diverse really. film and digital which adds another dimension to it all as well!
 
I specialise in angling photography, although is prefer to class myself as editorial. It's what I like to do and It's my job :)
 
Landscapes and Architecture, because they don't move (y)
 
I mainly like street photography as it seems quite challenging in that you are never really sure what you are going to get. I quite like the way it's still a "niche" interest and not yet so "mainstream" in the way that things like landscape, architecture etc are.
 
Can't say I have a niche. I would like to think that if you know the rules of what makes a good photo that can be applied to anything.

Little advice for you though if I may;

Sometimes you will hear people say they can't shoot people but that's more to do with personality and lack of skill in direction that anything else. You will find out if you can natually direct people or not in time.

Know your camera inside out, be a geek with the technology and learn from the people you think take nice images.

Most of all from me: be open to critique and once again; pay particular attention to the crtique coming from the photographers thag produce work that you think is very good. It is when you find yourself disagreeing with everyone that your images cease to improve.

There are certain things I don't shoot; vehicles and aircrafts. Though that is more because to me they are very boring subjects.

Here's a suggestion if you want to know what you shoot best now...

Go take some shots of different things and ask in a thread what you are naturally suited to.

Good luck with photography, its a way of life that consumes all your time and money lol.

All the best,
Phil.
 
Daryl said:
Adam, I feel your pain. Power lines? You Sh****g me?
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I wish I were ******** you! I work for an airborne survey company that used to be a part of National Grid, got into it when the recession came along 3 years ago as I thought it would be a smart move as I'd only just started out and figured I'd wait until the recession was over and start over again. Now I can't get out of it.

Fly around in a small helicopter, usually an Robinson R44 with a 5D MkII and a 70-200mm connected up to a Garmin GPS, with the doors off the heli, strapped in with only a seat belt taking photos of towers from an oblique angle, thousands of them (about 2,500 a day when I was in Nashville, TN) It's a unique experience I suppose but I'm not entirely sure how it'll help me when I go back to 'normal' photography.

I'm utterly desperate to move on now, if you need anyone in West Yorkshire for your schools business... ;)
 
Adam, you fly and take photos? Dream job....

Although my next door buddy works for McAlpine in Kidlington. R22 and 44 tend to drop out of the sky more often than other choppers.... Not wanting to put the fear of god in you or anything. Something with a twin engine is much safer......

Will let you know. i need someone to help with Manchester but not enough work for a full timer. Will be in a year or so.
 
Daryl said:
Adam, you fly and take photos? Dream job....

Although my next door buddy works for McAlpine in Kidlington. R22 and 44 tend to drop out of the sky more often than other choppers.... Not wanting to put the fear of god in you or anything. Something with a twin engine is much safer......

Will let you know. i need someone to help with Manchester but not enough work for a full timer. Will be in a year or so.
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I only get to go up now and then really, it's mostly processing time in the office.

Yeah they do, but it doesn't really bother me, on my first time up I asked the pilot what autorotation landing was like... so he showed me. We hire some crazy ex military pilots :D over London we have to get a Twin Squirrel, which is pretty nice. And now I'm going -way- off topic.

That'd be cool, I'm just getting my personal gear together over the next few months, hopefully going to start second/third shooting etc in the next wedding season to sharpen the skills.
 
Everything I like the look of! Caught my first bird in flight shots yesterday afternoon of a willy wagtail of all things!
 
donald said:
I have two subject areas - models nude/glamour/erotic/fashion and koi carp and I have to say that never the two shall meet :)
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I'd bet I can find a pay-per-view website for that exact combination!
 
Phil Young said:
Can't say I have a niche. I would like to think that if you know the rules of what makes a good photo that can be applied to anything.

Little advice for you though if I may;

Sometimes you will hear people say they can't shoot people but that's more to do with personality and lack of skill in direction that anything else. You will find out if you can natually direct people or not in time.

Know your camera inside out, be a geek with the technology and learn from the people you think take nice images.

Most of all from me: be open to critique and once again; pay particular attention to the crtique coming from the photographers thag produce work that you think is very good. It is when you find yourself disagreeing with everyone that your images cease to improve.

There are certain things I don't shoot; vehicles and aircrafts. Though that is more because to me they are very boring subjects.

Here's a suggestion if you want to know what you shoot best now...

Go take some shots of different things and ask in a thread what you are naturally suited to.

Good luck with photography, its a way of life that consumes all your time and money lol.

All the best,
Phil.
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Phil,

Excellent advice, thank you. You are right, it is starting to consume me. I've discovered that getting the right shot is unbelievably satifisfying. I even caught myself critisizing a friends portrait pictures the other day :thinking:

I guess my next step is to enrol in a class or take a Jessops day.

The one think I have found out is that you do need to be a geek. Buying something, anything, is not only based on need/affect/tech specification but also opinion. I'm still struggling to buy a bag!!

/Gazmo.
 
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I originally decided to go into dslr's to get better aviation shots than I could with a bridge camera. However, since I've got really into macro and wildlife but I do like taking photos of everything that takes my fancy. My 5D3 and Sigma 150-500 OS is a great set up for aviation and wildlife and my 100 L macro gives great photos too. The only thing I don't really shoot is landscapes but I've done a few at sunset which a lot of people have really liked.
 
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My subjects are landscapes / nature / wildlife.

It's not because I'm particularly good at photographing these things - it's be cause that's what I'm interested in.

To me, photography is just something that enables me to enjoy those subjects. I may photograph other things but not with the same passion.

It's like having an interest in Punk or Metal, using hi-fi equipment to enjoy listening to it but with no desire to listen to classical or dance music.

That said - some people think more of their hi fi equipment than the music itself and sadly, some people are just the same when it comes to photography.
 
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Animals. Wild or domestic, big or small.

Oh I like macro in general too.

I've not then many of people but I think if I had more purple who liked their photo taken I'd be ok with them.


My failing is landscapes. I just can't see them.
 
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Natural History, mainly birds, but also flora and fauna. dont class myself as a photographer, never did, originally it was a method of recording things i could not ID, easier for me than writing long winded descriptions or my feeble attempts at sketches in the field.

Ive dabbled in other styles, landscape creative, people, without much success or enthusiasm, and at the moment my cameras have not left the bag for some time, so maybe will sell up if i cant regain the desire to take images.
 
I enjoy travel, history and wildlife, and my photography is slanted in these directions. I suppose it's really subordinate to them too. I'm not really a 'people person' and have no interest in formal portraiture, weddings or anything like that.

Fortunately there's something for everyone in photography, and you can follow a general or specialised approach. You can also choose the level of commitment that suits you as an amateur, or a part time or full time professional. We all have something to share and contribute.
 
Hi, Newbie here. I've had my SLR for 3 years and a digi compact before then. I hadn't realised before but the majority of my photos are taken in the dark! My main love/obsession is gig/concert photography (still learning so no huge bands yet). Also love long exposure night shots, light trails etc.

I love the countryside but just don't seem to have the eye or patience for landscapes which is a shame. I don't have a clue about macro, flowers, still life or portraits, mainly due to not fully understanding lighting techniques or how to compose them.
 
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