Lack of Inspiration

ThyJones

ThyJones

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Hi All,

Bit of a random post but i was wondering if anyone has any advice please. Relatively new to photography, ive taken a few photos i really like am am proud of, ive got a 500d, with 18-55 kit lens, 50mm 1.8 nifty fifty and a 55-250. My issue is lack of eye/inspiration.. i'm yet to have a subject i prefer but i do like landscape and nature.

I went out today, over cannock chase, loads of snow,deer,stags etc but i just couldnt see anything that inspired me. Any suggestions?feel like im missing the mark or missing opportunities.

Thanks
 
Set achievable goals...

I hate to say it (as I haven't done it) but how about signing up for a 52...
That way the 'lack of eye' is taken away from you, all you need to do is shoot the subject... You may find inspiration from this.
 
I would also suggest joining the 52, where there is a different theme set for each week. I did it last year and found myself trying styles and subjects I'd never looked at before, so you might find it's exactly what you're looking for.

It's just getting underway now for 2015 to it's the perfect time to get on board.
 
Some days a scene doesn't present itself to your eye, it happens. No big deal. Nothing to worry about.

Did you enjoy the walk though?
 
Alastair said:
Some days a scene doesn't present itself to your eye, it happens. No big deal. Nothing to worry about.

Did you enjoy the walk though?
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This^
And as you improve! your idea of what's a 'good shot' rises, so where you might have taken 20 shots, you can no longer see one. Your next step is to analyse what it is that you think is 'good', then you will go out to shoot more focused, looking for a shot rather than waiting to be inspired.
 
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Sometimes you just go out, and it's a beautiful day, fantastic light and all is right in the world - but this doesn't mean you'll see a shot you want to take. Forcing it will usually just prove fruitless, so ignore the camera and enjoy the walk.

(Equally, you can guarantee when you head out on an overcast day without your camera the ideal scene will open up before you at every opportunity).

Someone posted something on here along the lines of "if you had to describe the scene you were trying to capture to someone else - this is what the photo should convey". So try and analyse why you like the view before you, and then try and capture it. Often "a nice view" isn't enough of an inspiration :)
 
I think we all get like that from time to time, but what didn't inspire you about the scenes you saw?

I mean " loads of snow,deer,stags etc" sound perfect for some really good shots unless the sky was grey and really dull.

But I would say that you have definitely missed opportunities there, even if the sky was dull and overcast and the landscape dull.

If you had taken some shots then we could perhaps have been able to give you better advice because, after all, "A picture is worth a thousand words".
.
 
I'll disagree with you @petersmart, it's not as if there's a shortage of uninspired photography on the internet. Sometimes the inspiration isn't there, no matter what the scene or circumstances and if it doesn't grab you there's no need to force it. For most members this is a hobby to enjoy, not a chore to endure.
 
petersmart said:
I think we all get like that from time to time, but what didn't inspire you about the scenes you saw?

I mean " loads of snow,deer,stags etc" sound perfect for some really good shots unless the sky was grey and really dull.

But I would say that you have definitely missed opportunities there, even if the sky was dull and overcast and the landscape dull.

If you had taken some shots then we could perhaps have been able to give you better advice because, after all, "A picture is worth a thousand words".
.
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'

I.e one of the photos I took, the scene looked quite ideallistic in my eyes, but the vision in my head was a lot better than the photo, the end result, a photo i'm not happy about that doenst really portray what I was going for, which I feel like i've wasted an opportunity and am left with just a basic snowy path lol.


IMG_3259_zps84148a4a.jpg
 
Also, thanks to everyone else for the replies, i've taken this onboard, and have signed myself upto the 52 week challenge.
 
ThyJones said:
'

I.e one of the photos I took, the scene looked quite ideallistic in my eyes, but the vision in my head was a lot better than the photo, the end result, a photo i'm not happy about that doenst really portray what I was going for, which I feel like i've wasted an opportunity and am left with just a basic snowy path lol.


IMG_3259_zps84148a4a.jpg
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Unfortunately that is something which happens quite often, a scene which looks good in the wild does not translate well to the smaller dimensions of the camera.

However I think you missed some opportunities by concentrating on the overall scene when some close up pictures of the sun striking the snow covered ground twigs on the right side might have yielded some reasonable pictures.

Here are a few pictures I took years ago which illustrate this:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/20926615@N05/sets/72157622914044889/

And this picture:



would have been just an ordinary snow scene without the lady and her dog.

In fact the lady was not there when I first looked at the scene through my lens but then put in an appearance much further down the path, so I waited until she reached the point near the tree before taking the shot, and I'm quite happy with the result.
CBL/19 Dec 2009/0037 by Albert Hurwood, on Flickr

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taking what Peter has posted above, and combining it with the advise of trying to capture what makes the scene special... In this instance it's the gorgeous light making everything glow.
This is most emphasised on the back-lit, snow-covered twigs and bracken at the side of the path - so inspiration could've been found looking for some details in there.

Or not :)
 
Joe Cornish (my candidate for UK's #1 landscape photographer) said "Get out more: shoot less". I often have days when I come back empty-handed. It makes the days when I don't special.
I went through a phase a couple of years ago where I nearly sold my kit. None of my photos made me happy. Then I realised I was simply trying too hard. I was getting so stressed about producing the world's best landscape or the front-cover wildlife shot that I'd stopped enjoying my hobby. So I gave myself permission to be rubbish. I decided not to photograph for others, but only for myself. By messing around and messing up, I gradually worked out (I'm still doing it) what works for me. It's a journey most of us go on.
 
petersmart said:
I mean " loads of snow,deer,stags etc" sound perfect for some really good shots unless the sky was grey and really dull.

But I would say that you have definitely missed opportunities there, even if the sky was dull and overcast and the landscape dull.
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What's everyone got against overcast days? You can get some wonderful light on overcast days. By looking through images on here you'd think the sun perpetually shone in England :)

@ThyJones

Start looking at images you aspire to create, and work out why you like them so much. How do they differ to yours.

Also... A scene that looks boring on one kind of light can come alive in another, so revisit places often. I know of many places that look crap in the morning, but great in teh afternoon and vice versa.


Oh... and there's no rule that says you have to shoot on a sunny day. Embrace all weather and all light. In fact, some of the best light happens in transitioning weather, storm fronts... during storms, just before, or after them. Overcast days give really low contrast, which can be an advantage when the landscape itself, and not the sky is what's important. Some of the best images ever taken were taken in awful weather.
 
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