What do you do when you get disheartened?

Daysleeper40

Daysleeper40

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I spent two and a half hours trying to photograph flowers with my new Raynox lenses earlier today. Only ended up with about 15 shots - uploaded them to the computer and they were all pants. Binned the lot immediately. Not a happy bunny at all :bang:

Can't decide if this means I'm improving in that I know when I can do better rather than trying to PS what I have managed to take, or that I'm just getting lucky when I actually do manage to take an ok shot :shrug:

Anyway my question is - what do you do in this situation? Do you keep trying the same subject until you get something you're happy with, or do you go and shoot something completely different instead? Or do you have a different way of dealing with rubbish photography sessions? (I find lager helps :D )

Just interested how different people react..?
 
Haha o the joy of macro, it takes a heck of a lot of getting the hang of focus and composition with the higher magnification stuff, just keep at it.
I use to bin loads when I started but now most are keepers, it just use to inspire me to improve, but I would try a different subject.
 
Most of mine are rubbish so I am pretty well used to it :lol:
I find that if I think its going to depress me i am better off doing something that I know will come out better and then go back to whatever was a problem later.
Usually when I go back to something I find I improve a bit because I am more relaxed, and then because I feel I have done better it seems easier - if that makes sense :thinking:
 
I took what I thought was some pants shots recently.
Until I got them on the PC, done some editing, spent some quality time with them :D

You'll be surprised what a good edit does to a crap shot!!

either that or I have a look through my 'best' folder, or flickr account, where all my best shots are.
That normally gives me a boost.

A recent trip to the zoo resulted in me taking about 230-250 shots.
Only 30 made it to my 'best' folder......
 
susie said:
Most of mine are rubbish so I am pretty well used to it :lol:
I find that if I think its going to depress me i am better off doing something that I know will come out better and then go back to whatever was a problem later.
Usually when I go back to something I find I improve a bit because I am more relaxed, and then because I feel I have done better it seems easier - if that makes sense :thinking:
Click to expand...


That does make sense - the thing that bothers me about doing something I know will come out better is that it seems a bit like playing a 3 year old at a computer game... you know you're going to win so when you do it's not much of an achievement!

I guess if you make sure you go back to the difficult thing later it doesn't really matter though...
 
Thomas Edison

"I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward"

So true, thats what keeps me going......
 
Daysleeper40 said:
I spent two and a half hours trying to photograph flowers with my new Raynox lenses earlier today. Only ended up with about 15 shots - uploaded them to the computer and they were all pants. Binned the lot immediately. Not a happy bunny at all :bang:

Can't decide if this means I'm improving in that I know when I can do better rather than trying to PS what I have managed to take, or that I'm just getting lucky when I actually do manage to take an ok shot :shrug:

Anyway my question is - what do you do in this situation? Do you keep trying the same subject until you get something you're happy with, or do you go and shoot something completely different instead? Or do you have a different way of dealing with rubbish photography sessions? (I find lager helps :D )

Just interested how different people react..?
Click to expand...

When you say that the shots were pants, was it down to composition or sharpness or any other factor?

If it was composition, then the best thing is most likely for you to decide what you don't like about the shots and avoid that (until you feel that such composition might actually work for one particular shot).

Sharpness is a whole different issue...
 
Holden Caulfield said:
Thomas Edison

"I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward"

So true, thats what keeps me going......
Click to expand...

I'll remember that - thanks :thumbs:

mr_pants said:
When you say that the shots were pants, was it down to composition or sharpness or any other factor?

If it was composition, then the best thing is most likely for you to decide what you don't like about the shots and avoid that (until you feel that such composition might actually work for one particular shot).

Sharpness is a whole different issue...
Click to expand...

Composition was the only thing I was happy with to be honest - it is focus issues with the new lenses mainly... and getting the lighting right.
 
Holden Caulfield said:
Thomas Edison

"I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward"

So true, thats what keeps me going......
Click to expand...

Very true! Learning from mistakes is far more valuable than getting it right in the first place by luck! Keep up the hard work!
 
I suppose it depends on why you're not getting the result you want.

Do you know what you're doing wrong and what you need to do to achieve the shot you're after?

Is it shooting technique that's the issue? Weather conditions? Lighting? Choice of subject? Post processing? Camera shake?

If it were me, I'd want to know what was broken so I could fix it otherwise I'd be :bang:
 
Daysleeper40 said:
I'll remember that - thanks :thumbs:



Composition was the only thing I was happy with to be honest - it is focus issues with the new lenses mainly... and getting the lighting right.
Click to expand...

If you're happy with the composition, then you're much more than halfway there.
 
How many things that are worth doing, have you been really good at first time you tried?

For me, I can't think of one! And those things that I am quite good at, I've been doing for a long time.

Fortunately, learning is usually quite fun. I can enjoy making mistakes provided I learn something that will help me do better next time.

Sleep on it. Analyse it. Post it up here. Learn, and try again.

Oops. Sounding a bit deep there :lol: :D

Richard.
 
Daysleeper40 said:
I spent two and a half hours trying to photograph flowers with my new Raynox lenses earlier today. Only ended up with about 15 shots - uploaded them to the computer and they were all pants. Binned the lot immediately. Not a happy bunny at all :bang:
Click to expand...

Ask yourself this.

Of all the shots you uploaded and binned, why did you press the shutter in the first place? Start looking through the viewfinder, see the shot before you press the shutter, not later when they're on the pc.
 
I talk crap on here................:thumbs:
 
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