Anyone else giving up photography?

Totality

Totality

Totality

Soldato
Joined
5 Jul 2007
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NZ
Decided my photos are rubbish despite buying a 100-400mm a few months ago :(

Moving on to mountain biking now as just lost the motivation to continue. Shame really as at its peak I really enjoyed it!! The 100-400mm IS lens is for sale on MM for £700 if anyone's interested. It's basically looks new as its only been used a few times.

Has anyone else given up due to having awful photos when getting home? I know its all about experience but there comes a point when you have to realise I suppose that you cant be good at everything :D
 
I find myself deleting 90% of the photos I bring home with me, but then I think that's par for the course??

It was the same when I used to shoot film, and the expense of developing all that lot and still finding the duds was one of the reasons I gave it up for a few years.

Digital cameras though mean it's no longer a problem!

I'm a keen mountain biker too, and you may find that combining the two hobbies might be a way to keep going?

I can usually carry a dslr and lens in a chest pack clipped to the straps of my hydration pack, and it's a good way of covering a lot of ground stealth style! I've taken lots of shots of deer in Thetford Forest for instance that I came across on the bike.

Bottom line is though, life is too short to do things that you don't enjoy, so if you really feel that bad about it, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it! :)
 
Loads of people at work have started mountain biking. I've been looking for ways to keep fit that are enjoyable as the gym is sooo boring! Cant believe how much fun mountain biking is and never realised the amount of tracks around me. Good way to get social and keep fit at the same time! Looking forward to it!
 
Get a cheap film camera and have fun with it, instead of being so serious about digital and spending ages processing etc. Just develop and look at, then shoot some more:D
 
All depends on what kind of photography you like i suppose. Ive come very interested in the urban side of photography. Industry etc. Involving myself a lot in Urban Exploration. Get a real kick out of some of the Locations, then being able to take pictures and reliving the experience when i get home and upload them always means its worth it! I think i would get very bored taking pictures of flowers and sunsets tbh.
 
I've pretty much given up before really starting! Bought a D40 six months or so ago and just haven't had the time or inclination to go out just to take photo's.

I still fancy giving it a go but just can't seem to fit it in. :(
 
Practice makes perfect really, surely its about the enjoyment? what if you are rubbish at mountain biking are we gonna get a bargain offer of a new mtb?
 
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Heh you sound like my work colleagues. They are convinced my (relatively) new found passion for photography is just a fad, I've spent a fortune on gear this year!

Really though, for me at least the fun is in getting the crap pictures but slowly improving each time. If it was easy, then getting a decent shot wouldn't be a quarter of the fun :) Only the weather has dampended my spirits lately.
 
Bluelion said:
Heh you sound like my work colleagues. They are convinced my (relatively) new found passion for photography is just a fad, I've spent a fortune on gear this year!

Really though, for me at least the fun is in getting the crap pictures but slowly improving each time. If it was easy, then getting a decent shot wouldn't be a quarter of the fun :) Only the weather has dampended my spirits lately.
Click to expand...

Ahhh I've been doing photography for a few years now. Didnt rush out and buy the expensive kit. Just came to a point where I began to lose interest so dont really have the bug for it anymore :(

Was wondering if anyone else had lost the bug then become really into it later on again?

And NO you wont be getting a cheap mountain bike in a few months as I'm not buying an expensive one!! Give it till next year when I buy an expensive one in the sales and then change my mind lol :D
 
I was a little bit bored and uninspired after getting my DSLR a few months ago since I couldn't seem to find anything interesting to snap but since travelling around Asia and taking over 3000 photos photography has definately become a passion!
I'm looking forward to getting home and seeing how much i've improved and if I can turn a seemingly boring photo into something interesting.

Keep at it and just look for something that inspires you :)
 
Have you tried film photography since you started DSLR? Buy a cheap Olympus Trip 35, trust me, you'll go... wooo... :)

p.s. if ever you decide you don't need the flash... ;)
 
I go through phases, sometimes i don't pick up my camera for weeks and may be a month or 2 because I am busy with other things. MAy be 100-400 is not your lens, do you really like shooting things 500m away or things and people that is close by?
 
Sometimes feel like this. Feel like my photos are worthless compared to the great images I see online.

But this inspires me to get better.
To try to force myself to get better I'm moving into stock photography to learn the technical side of things. And there is nothing better than sales figures to show the quality of photos, within certain genres.

I really love taking the bets photos possible when I'm travelling. When at home on a riany day its hard to fathom picking up the camera. What I hate is the need to process the images extensivley to get them how I want. I come back form holidays with GBs ofRaw photos. I barely even bother batch converting them these days.

I need a way of getting better photos out of the camera with no PP. One problem with this is My D70 needs a good bit of processing to get the best out of the RAWs.

I'm thinking a D300 do D700 will give me much better out of camera Jpegs. I could shoot Jpeg + RAW and only process the very best. Combined with very good glass will minimse the need for editing.
 
I have a serious lack of motivation, and have done for a good 6-9 months, and I hate the fact I am sitting on (not literally) all this photo gear that I am not using :(

I don't know what is wrong with me!
 
I went through a phase earlier this year of not wanting to use the camera, but having Bells Palsey didnt help.
Still some times get a bit inclined to get shut but partly that's due to the weather being so awful and not being able to get out any where.

Mixing photography with cycling now which has rekindled the fire a bit.
Standing next to a road in the pouring rain, holding camera with flash and a brolly aint my idea of fun but you can get some excellent pics due to the lighting and the contrast of bright cycling gear against dark background.

Taken one handed this one, which aint easy with D80, grip and sb600

2849349294_82a3983fd2.jpg


If you dont like the 100-400, sell it, get a nice wide angle and get taking pics of mountain bikers in action. Mix the 2 together.
 
Yeah i was just gone say the above, i been skateboarding for a good 7 years now and only got into "photography" like xmas 2007. I though ok now i have to spend days on end to get good pictures, but i though oh well, why not combine skateboarding and getting pics. I know my photos aren't good compared to the magazine shots, but when i take pics of my mates and they use them on facebook/myspace i feel proud. So combine the both :D
 
I'd say that if you're just not enjoying it or feeling that you want to be out there snapping, its probably best to sell up and embark on something you'll enjoy a little more.. So long as you're sure you won't regret it..

I think we all struggle from time to time, some people regard me as a total nutter wedging myself in thorn bushes at 5am to take photos of deer etc, but I love the challenge of getting the shot and pulling it off...

That said, this year has been quite difficult. The weather has been absolutely bloody awful, many of my trips have been canceled. I got far more done last winter than I did in the summer and the coming months look like its going to be a repeat, just gotta hope for the light.
The summer months have been a bit of a break for me, and my processing/output has come on leaps and bounds and left me wanting to get out and get more shots.

I think its always difficult to ditch a hobby, especially when you've spent a fortune. I used to be a really seriously into Carp fishing, had been since I was 10 years old (gave up 2 years ago when I was 24) it just wasn't doing anything for me anymore and it seemed like wasted effort..

Just be sure before you flog your lenses!
 
I've not given up photography, but i'm going through a bit of a lull at the moment, not had any inspiration for a couple of months now and am struggling to get back into it due to work commitments and having a 2 y.o boy doesan't help. However i would never go as far as selling my kit because you will want to get back into it again which will cost you all over again if you sell up ;)
 
I'm not doing it as much now as I used to, I'm just getting sick of the equipment I have ( or don't have) And the price of pentax stuff is just daft.

Kicking myself for not going canon / nikon :(

I've tried to stop taking pointless photo's though. Using the test function on the camera more, to avoid taking an actual shot. I always end up with 100's of pics of the same thing, or the same angle etc.

I'm getting back into it on a quality not quantity basis though.
 
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