Do you shoot just one topic?

wibbly

wibbly

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Wondering if the consensus here is that most people shoot just one topic/subject/genre or do you shoot multiple genres.

I love shooting all sorts of things, but mainly enjoy being out in the woods in the thick of it and finding compositions I like.

However I also carry a camera of sorts round with me all of the time and shoot all sorts.

Problem is it feels as if sometimes I don’t spend enough time shooting the real thing I enjoy and shooting everything else just for fun and consequently don’t concentrate on one thing.

Do you do likewise or stay true to what really is your jam?
 
I'm a JOAT (and master of none!) If it interests me and I think I can get a half decent shot of it, I'll give it a go.

My main interests are landscapes/seascapes and cars/bikes, moving or static (that's the cars and bikes - yet to have to pan a landscape!) but have been known to shoot wildlife and captive animals although I lack the attention span for serious wildlife shooting. Not so keen on shooting street or people, although I do take the occasional street market shot but that tends to be more of the products on the stalls than the people (other than general crowd scenes).
 
Well, unless you're a pro photography is not a mission. Let's not forget it is for pleasure. Mind you I have to guard against going the other way. I always end up photographing grave stones, no matter what I do. Which I do enjoy. But they are passive subjects and really easy to do. And I feel I really ought to be photographing other things.
 
Most things but rarely street, always feel too awkward and afraid of a public confrontation.

Howard
 
I don't get a lot of free time and mostly have to stick close to home so I tend to shoot the same places over and over. It's mostly about recording a memory for me, either that or recording for the day the subject can't be photographed again.
 
For me personally I think I have previously been bouncing around too many genre’s and not developed any deep skill at any one and subsequently not a notable or consistent editing style. Therefore not seriously picked up the camera for a couple of years.

Got the urge a little more recently and intend to focus on a couple of genre’s in 2023 and see how it goes, aiming try and get to the point of some consistent finished images I want to show off.
 
A bit of everything really.

I do have a set of quite different projects on the go and so sometimes will go out with one of those in mind.
 
I don't think I have a topic or a genre - although I mostly shoot street photography.

I mostly enjoy opening my front door and heading out for a walk with the camera - could be locally or I might pop on the train somewhere. I'm interested in photographing places and people - I'm not interested in Landscape, Wildlife, Macro, Transport - so I'm not going to explore these subjects just because I need something to point my camera at.
 
When asked what I photograph, I say 'nature' as I concentrate on wildlife and landscapes, both of which are nature IMO.

When I first started with photgraphy, 17 years ago now, I wasn't serious about it, I would photograph anything that caught my eye, genre didn't come into it. I must've been taking tens of thousands of images per year back in the day. I enjoyed it that way.

During 2012, I started getting serious about photgraphy, it became the passion it is today. The number of images I took though declined, I'd often go months without taking a single image. I bought my 5Div in September 2017 and it's yet to take 9000 images. I bought an M5 during 2020 (I think) and that has yet to take 3000 images. Same with my R7, had it since the begining of October and it's taken 49 images. All mostly wildlife with all 3 cameras but some landscapes too.

I enjoyed it the old way, when I took photos of everything but I still enjoy it now, even though I concentrate the vast majority on nature. I just enjoy it for different reasons and in a different way.
 
I only shoot one thing seriously enough to have come anything like competent at it i.e. have a website for those photos, give talks on the body of work and have had work published etc.

I obviously shoot family and holiday stuff but beyond that I don’t have the time for much else. That said I am doing a casual project about my experience as a match going football fan, which is way out of my comfort zone. But I’m going to the match anyway, so it’s not too much of a time expense and it’s on my mobile phone which I have on me anyway.
 
I would like to just take photos of a very narrow field, but the recent travel restrictions and close family illness has meant I can't.
No interest in wildlife, sports or people, not that keen on landscapes either, just want to visit cities.
Architecture and transport are my thing although a bit of urbex would be nice if I was a bit younger.
Such a shame that Russia is now off the travel list, some of their brutalist concrete constructions are incredible.
 
I'm primarily a Landscape shooter, I use my Fuji GFX 50S for that or/and my Bronica SQ-Ai, I also Blog my weekly trips (but rarely share my best shots as they are for an ongoing project) here:- https://www.ephotozine.com/user/topsyrm-149719/blog

I used to travel a lot often for work and I love to document the places I go with my Leica M9s often in B&W like this:- https://www.ephotozine.com/user/top...rmoor-walk--devizes-instead---vixen-tor-14132 but lately I haven't been travelling so much as I retired to do that project so sadly I don't get to do much of that anymore. I do occasionally get out and about on one of my motorcycles to do the "travel stuff" with the Leicas, I htink I've posted stuff on the forum before.

I very-very occasionally shoot Cycling when the Tour of Britain comes through our way but that's only once every couple of years, I use Fuji X-T2s for that..
 
For the past 2 or 3 years I have hardly taken a photo that wasn't of the street genre - the odd landscape on holiday, that I think will be suited to a mono conversion is about the only exception - and I am very happy just doing this one genre. 99% end up in mono, as I feel that suits the genre best.
 
My main love is landscape astrophotography is I think the name they give it! On digital & film.

Obviously that requires nice clear skies so it's not exactly a weekly thing.

My other favourites are woodland, landscape/sunrise/sunset, lately I have been doing more photos in Bristol rather than rural which I'm kind of enjoying but it gets a bit boring chasing the tourist subjects.... I wouldn't mind doing some more street/architecture stuff though but as with everything it's about capturing the LIGHT, SHADOWS or COLOUR!!
 
A wide mix, if you dont count weddings it's mostly abstracts and sunsets, but I'll take anything I can find.
 
I have an on off love affair with photography, getting too obsessed with macro or motor sport then hardly touching a camera for years. This time it is mostly shapes shadows and textures either indoors or streets and buildings in and around London plus recording places we have visited. Glorified holiday snaps really that I don't like spending lots of time processing on the lap top which is why my Flickr stream is quite random with photographs turning up out of sequence, only really making scenes if you look at the albums.
 
Great Question

I find myself always drawn to portraits (people/pets) but every now and then like to dabble with something different.

Just started refreshing my macro (lack of) knowledge so will aim to do some of that again at some stage!
 
was a manly Wildlife Photographer, but started. doing long exposure daytime fine Art type Shots and some star trail Shots
which i had no idea how to do aweek ago, but stumbled on a youtube Channel on night time Photography
 
I am a complete photographic tart tbh :) Started off shooting motorsport, aaaand eventually I had enough pictures of cars in motion and started shooting the people in the pit garage, paddock etc. Also started shooting landscapes. Got a Speedlight, bought Joe McNally's book "The Hot Shoe Diaries" and never looked back. I've shot products, insect macro, the odd wedding, abstract stuff (spent most of lockdown playing with fire and water in the studio), boudoir and classic themes (love Vincent Peters' personal work), glam, fitness, fantasy and cyberpunk themes (big fan of Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell). Travel photography also a big theme for me.

Fairly representative safe-for-work mix here:-
www.flickr.com

Owen Lloyd

Explore Owen Lloyd’s 1,361 photos on Flickr!
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
 
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Initially I was into landscape and particularly wildlife.
Up until lockdown wildlife was the sole reason for picking up a camera but lockdown put a stop to that and I had a re-think, selling all of my heavy kit.
I now enjoy street photography and the interaction I get with some people ... while on the street I will do some architecture/buildings and transport but if asked what I 'do' I would answer 'street photography'. :)
 
My vcery favourite subject is seascapes and anything connected with the sea - boats, fishing gear (commercial, not angling) in an indstrial sense. However as I live about as far from the sea as is possible in England, I don't restrict myself. I have an abundance of kit that would facilitate any genre, so that if I have a mind to try any particular idea, I can grab appropriate equipment. The main thing is, I enjoy the process most of all, film or digital, composing and seeing, so the subject can be anything so long as I can see an image in it.
 
id say mainly birds and wildlife, had a play with macro, landscape urban stuff ,feeds my GAS if nothing else, till I think something else :D
 
All pretty random, and whatever takes my fancy when out n about. But nothing at all in particular. It`s a hobby that I enjoy.
 
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For me it is sport which takes up pretty much every weekend although I am very much at a loss like today when the games are postponed.
I have developed an interest in street more towards the fine art style when shadows and light rather than photographing people as I lack the required confidence but living in a small town that’s nye on impossible to do.
My photographic journey started with my first trip abroad so travel photography is important to me but I haven’t been able to do that recently. I am planning my next holiday next year to Tokyo and that will be very much a photography get away.
If asked I’d say I’m a sports shooter which I love doing.
 
I like to take pictures of most things, though I generally stay away from pics of people, unless they are in a scene and show no signs of moving. ;) My favourite genre is foreign city travel, which has been a bit difficult over the last few years for obvious reasons. :confused: :rolleyes: I don't feel that inspired by my locale after so many years. I like the odd bit of sport, and go over the park most weekends during the summer to take pictures of the Cricket, though mainly for the Vit D and tan.

I have a camera with me all the time just in case anything catches my eye, which is not that often. I tried 'street photography' at a Christmas market last week, and realised that is definitely not for me. Good to try new things every so often though. ;)
 
Land/sea scapes, and wildlife mainly. Also use a drone for landscapes.
 
Pretty much just still life type photos, a bit of macro and flowers.
I like the creative party of photography. Coming up with an idea, setting it up and capturing it.
 
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zx9 said:
I am exactly the opposite, take me to the middle of nowhere and will struggle to take a picture until I find a farm building or a row of pylons, New Topography is the closest I get to landscape.
Click to expand...

And is New Topography landscape? Discuss! :)

The subject matter IS landscape, but the current definition of landscape would seem to exclude it.
 
I seem to be doing a lot of bird photography at the moment, but this is a result of my regular walks in the country rather than a considered genre. I prefer looking at books of street photography and portraits and this what I'd like to do more of, but as many have said on this thread, it needs a certain amount of confidence. I enjoy taking photos of the changing nature of my home town, too. Travel photography is nice, too, and hopefully will get to do more of that in the coming years. Overall. I probably need to dig deeper into one genre as my results to date are mediocre, at best.
 
Talking with other photographers there seems to be two sides to this, and I've spoken with some who even feel they can't explore other genres. There's a lot of youtubers who say photographers need a style that they're known for, that's how you attract followers and people coming to view your work have certain expectations about the photography they're going to see. If you have commercial aspirations, I guess that advice can make sense. If you're a wildlife photographer and you start shooting portraits, and for 6 months people see nothing but portraits on your page, you might lose some followers. Plus there's a view that to improve in your chosen genre, you need to keep doing it over and over until you perfect it and you're just wasting time if you dabble in other things. For the vast majority of photographers, I think that's bad advice.

Photograph widely, try everything, and try to master everything. Improving in one genre will ALWAYS benefit the others. When you start doing studio portraiture, and learning about lighting ratios and how to control the light - its directly applicable to wildlife photography when you're out in the field. Where is my light, how is it falling on the subject, what changes can I make to better position myself so that the lighting works in my favour.
Shoot sports - slow shutter panning looks great for motorcycles, it's equally great for kids playing at the park or birds in flight. Try street photography - learn about architectural composition and where people need to be positioned within the frame to benefit that composition.

Whenever you try a new genre of photography (try to master it - not just dabble in it) you face challenges and need to research solutions to overcome them. Every time you do this you improve all aspects of your photography. There are very few photographers who are famous for anything other than one genre of photography and that's for good reason. But that doesn't mean that it's a waste of time practicing and learning genres that you have no specific interest in, and perhaps taking photos that you'll never share with anyone. The process of learning will be a MASSIVE benefit.
 
99% for me it's aerial photography from my paramotor. My flying hobby rekindled my photography hobby, so I now have two hobbies in one! I also capture occasional family events and my dog but usually use my phone for those.
 
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Mostly enjoy wildlife and motorsport (not done much of that lately though). I (try to) photograph anything, but haven’t had a go at everything.
 
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