The more I learn...

[Chaotic Beds]

...and the more I see of other photographers' works... the less unique my shots become. I'm just fully realizing this now.

When I first started to really get into photography, several people said my work was very unique. Even my professor, who has been a photographic artists for several decades, said "I've never seen that photo before" to many of my shots - her lovely artsy way of saying I have that unique eye.

And now, with my brand spankin' new DSLR to replace my $100 P&S, I find myself trying to recreate types of shots, or trying to get the "right" shot... instead of "my" shot. The results are relatively bland, lifeless....

And I'm realizing, to get back to having that unique eye so many people said I had, will take... eh, something. I'll have to figure that out.


Edit: Removed superfluous blathering

[MrJones]

couldn't agree more.
I find it that when I started (and during my course) I knew the rules but was interested in breaking them (overexposure is not a bad word), now I see other's photos and try to stay within the lines and rules.
I keed reminding myself - rules are there to be broken!

[Chaotic Beds]

There are rules to be broken, indeed... A lot of people say, for any art, you must first learn the rules before you can break them; you have to know why you're breaking them, etc.... And I tend to agree.

I'm kinda realizing that there's different kinds of people... Some people excel in getting beautiful shots by following the rules. Other people might get unremarkable shots when they follow the rules, but have great experimental work.

At my best, I think I'm somewhere in between... And now, for some reason, when I put effort and thought into my shots, they come out boring. That's sort of just my own weirdness though, the same goes for my music. My good stuff just sort of flows out of me on its own, but when I try to write a song, it's crap. When I let my mind zone out and my subconscious direct me, that's when the good stuff happens.

That could be seen as a sign of amateurism, if you don't have much control over your own creative output...

[Niresangwa]

Originally Posted by Chaotic Beds

That could be seen as a sign of amateurism, if you don't have much control over your own creative output...

Oh the irony, in that last statement!

In my other (rapidly diminishing) life, I have worked as a coach with national level athletes. The biggest difference between those who excel at that level and those who have the talent and skill set is the ability to be 100% focused during workouts and practice, but when it comes to the competition, they can turn off their conscious and just go.

Those athletes who continue to think and analyze when they race, never reach the next level.

There is a physio-psychological explanation for this (same reason that an ape's relative body strength on-demand is far superior to a human's), but that's an aside...

In this case however there's a parallel perhaps between your situation and an elite athlete.

[daft_biker]

I think getting boring shots because you are trying is pretty normal. Landscapes are a bit like that for me....if I have to work for it it's pobably going to be dull but if I get lucky all I have to do is not muck it up.

New cameras can be an incentive to try too hard aswell. If you've got the best gear you want the best result and that can get in the way of being experimental. Same with stress and all that stuff. I find my best shots come when I put less pressure on myself....when I'm happy, relaxed and there's nothing I'd rather be doing so the only thing I'm thinking about is the image.

Dunno if this will help anyone else but it seems to be how things go for me. Work stress put me right off my game last year for example.

[IABoomer]

Originally Posted by Chaotic Beds

...My good stuff just sort of flows out of me on its own, but when I try to write a song, it's crap. When I let my mind zone out and my subconscious direct me, that's when the good stuff happens.

This reminded me a lot of something Malcolm Gladwell wrote about the difference between "choke" and "panic". When you stop letting intuition take over and start over-thinking, you choke and can't perform.

gladwell dot com - the art of failure

[navcom]

It's not a sign of amateur-ness...it's a sign of being human. It's also a sign that you are on your way! It means that you ALREADY HAVE enough creative expertise to know that you are in a creative down time.

Even the most experienced pro's have down (or "blue)") periods in their careers. Actually, it's that way with business as well. The world around us is constantly changing and in order to keep moving forward with it, we have to adjust with it as well. It's inevitable. The same goes for your creativity. It evolves and changes as well. Those who succeed are those that can work through the down times and stay motivated and focused, just as Niresangwa says.

It's been my experience in the business world that those who succeed are not smarter or have more education. It's the one's who are motivated to succeed that do. They EXPECT to succeed and plan to do so. They also EXPECT to make mistakes and have down times and understand that they need to use them to their advantage and learn from them. They rise above their predicament or hurdle and succeed in spite of it.

So it's not whether or not you will have down periods...you will...it's how you handle them that determines if you stay moving forward.

[navcom]

Originally Posted by daft_biker

I think getting boring shots because you are trying is pretty normal. Landscapes are a bit like that for me....if I have to work for it it's pobably going to be dull but if I get lucky all I have to do is not muck it up.

I personally think it's the other way around. I'm a landscape photographer and I can tell you that there is no way I can rely on luck. I don't have that many years to live! And I'm part Irish!!

I will plan a sunrise photo for several days or even weeks or months ahead of time. I take photo walks without a camera and just look for things to photograph. I will set up the composition so there are as few surprises as possible. Then I come back when the atmosphere/weather/time is just right. If there is any luck, it will only make the image even better (better colors, better clouds, just the right fog, etc.).

Of course I also take the spur-of-the-moment shot. But if I tally up my treasured shots, 90% were planned.

My two cents anyway.

[Jim Bryant]

Just keep shooting pictures........that's all that really matters. One day that unique style will come back.

[RLucas]

Originally Posted by Niresangwa

Oh the irony, in that last statement!

In my other (rapidly diminishing) life, I have worked as a coach with national level athletes. The biggest difference between those who excel at that level and those who have the talent and skill set is the ability to be 100% focused during workouts and practice, but when it comes to the competition, they can turn off their conscious and just go.

Those athletes who continue to think and analyze when they race, never reach the next level.

There is a physio-psychological explanation for this (same reason that an ape's relative body strength on-demand is far superior to a human's), but that's an aside...

In this case however there's a parallel perhaps between your situation and an elite athlete.

Are you talking about getting in the zone? Yeah, I do believe it can be a factor in everyday lives. When I was younger, I used to be able to get in the zone almost at will. Where my art work was concerned, hours would pass by, and it would seem like minutes, and everything seemed so effortless. I wish I knew what I was doing then to achieve that. It's tough now. Of course now I drink about 2 gals of coffee a day! That might have something to do with it!