The frustration of subject matter!

One of my biggest fruastrations as a photograher is shooting the same old stuff around me. Anyone else feel this?

We all see fantastic shots from spots we'll never be able to go to. I think many times we are held back more by available subjects than our actual skills.

I have a challenge every weekend of trying to come up with something new to shoot and it gets frustrating. I'm really gonna go nuts this winter .

I know what you mean. I am looking to shoot other stuff - don't know yet what???

I think we all have the same problem. once we've mastered the shots of subject matter that we're used too, we come to a stagnant period. in all hobbies it's the same.
being a musician , I get the infamous "writers block" as well.

I've been trying to emulate some of the shots I've seen here from all you wonderful members. there's some stuff I've shot " in the style of cnyram" and "in the style of ricksawthat", for example. . . though YOU might think your tired of your style, others find an inspiration in it.

so to that I say continue on, but once in a while, shoot something your not used to (like boa constrictors. . . lol). what I'm saying is get out of your comfort zone. . .
this is a great forum and great people on it. . . good luck. . .



I'm not afraid . . . YOU WILL BE. . . YOU WILL BE. . .

It's the same here Rick. I get excited when I get to do school portraits .Gives me the chance to do different things. Otherwise, It's the same bugs and birds out back.

I know exactly what you mean Rick.
Being very limited in my mobility, I have to try and find things around the house or around work. I'm running out of things to photograph here at the house. I'm trying to convince my wife to go uphill with me. The Blue Ridge mountains are quit nice this time of year. (not as pretty as Kim's but still nice).

I'm really looking forward to the fall, which will keep me happy for about a month. After that it's about 5 months of dullness. The snow will be exciting for about a day, that gets old real fast!

Same here.. feel like i need some very large ladders or very high walking stilts.. most of the stuff i want ot shoot i need to be 300ft tall..

I was feeling the same. Now I drive up to the Blue Ridge Parkaway in western NC and go exploring.
I check sites, look at maps, etc. Found State parks. Waterfalls ( lots of them ). Old towns. Bluegrass, Car & bike shows, Lakes, Caves, mountain view that go on til no end..

My only frustation is going alone. Not many people in my area interest in Photography and Exporing..

joecap said:

I was feeling the same. Now I drive up to the Blue Ridge Parkaway in western NC and go exploring.
I check sites, look at maps, etc. Found State parks. Waterfalls ( lots of them ). Old towns. Bluegrass, Car & bike shows, Lakes, Caves, mountain view that go on til no end..

My only frustation is going alone. Not many people in my area interest in Photography and Exporing..

Click to expand...

I have the same problem, no one I know is as into photography as I am, no shooting partners. There is a local photography group, but I'm not the club type.

If I ever make it up there to you all you better be ready to go!

You think you get "shooter's-block"? I started a 365(+1) project in January and it has been a REAL struggle to come up with something to shoot every day. This project has really made me push my creative envelope. I've been forced to look at what might otherwise be boring subjects in a whole new way.

One of the things I've forced myself to do is to learn to get close. I mean real close. Take a subject that you would normally shoot from a distance (if at all) and compose the shot by framing on just one small piece of the subject. Often this tells a more interesting story than just taking a snapshot of the entire subject. This really expands your creative options. Even the most boring subjects suddenly become interesting. Often it comes down to what you leave out, rather than what you put into a shot. Less is more.





"Me and My Shadow"

My new 10-24 has helped me with this a bit. I'm looking at ordinary things differently and shooting things I normally would have just walked by.

But..., I still need new material!

I know what you mean. I live in the most boring part of Texas so subject matter is scarce.

Well, the second most boring. I'm forgetting West Texas.

Still, there's often a treasure of good material right under our nose.

Frustration? Frustration? Did you say frustration? Here's what I've got to work with. (What you can't tell, by the photo, is that the rain is going sideways.)



View attachment 15410

I see you made it to Florida just in time Ted!!!

Just think of the wonderful cloud pics you can share with us

I know the feeling everone same here. To compound everything where I live drive five minutes out of town and you will find yourself in a cornfield. Can only take so many photos of cows and barns. The folks around here I have to watch, I don't need farmer brown coming after me with his shotgun because I stopped to take a picture of his cows.

Hats off to everyone doing a 365. Think you are having a hard time? I am on day 600 I don't want to hear about it LOL just kidding

I keep thinking to myself as another great great photo op goes blurring past at highway speed, that if I had more time and a place to "legally" park my large truck with its hazmat load, I could really get some great landscapes, animals, people, rainbows, yada, yada, yada.
But that is the same thing with about everything in my vocation. Time at home on weekends gets consumed with all the things / projects that I can't get done while working during the week. Time with family and local events gets crammed into a 36 hour logbook re-set on weekends before the 14 on 10 off cycle to 70 starts again.

I guess the point is that we all have limiting factors and it up to us to find our "out of the box" interests.

Was thinking that it would be fun to take pictures from different perspectives, or to make captures with a surreal feel to them that isn't the results of post editing.

Mr.Smith said:

Same here.. feel like i need some very large ladders or very high walking stilts.. most of the stuff i want ot shoot i need to be 300ft tall..

Click to expand...

Been thinking the same way. Even considered getting the wife to budget a Hot Air Balloon trip during the leave changing season. She's not too happy about the price...

Every time I post another picture of my pond, barn or sunset, I duck, waiting for thrown debris...... for being so redundant....:sleeping:

thinking of vacations that add potential photo ops is always one way of breaking the subject block. I personally avoid the 365 day projects because I actually think that the mind/shooting needs breaks, and that it is better to find dedicated blocks of time, with a fixed subject matter for shooting.

Macro is one way of finding subject matter as these inserts show, especially in winter or increment weather.

I also like seasonal shots when windows open up, whether Fall colors, or spring plants, even blizzards, etc.

I am always a bit envious of locations like Europe, that has endless cities, villages, and scenery in such a tight area footprint.