unmotivated

[Marmalade]

Originally Posted by SNOOPY

I set myself a challenge....

Currently it is to photograph something with a letter from the Alphabet each day. Starting A thru to Z.

Its working for me.
I got the idea from DPS, there are heaps of diff challenges on here, why not pick one???
You dont have to publish them on here, just do them for yourself.

good luck.

This is what I am doing too. except mine is once a week. That way I have all week to come up with a good idea and get the shot done on the weekend when I have more time.

[Jim Bryant]

Uninspired for a reason, remember me telling I got nailed along the sidelines shooting a high school football game in October and then again covering a Seahawks game in December. I found out that I pulled some muscles in my lower back.

I was pretty much uninspired for a reason.......doctors orders. Now thanks to the marvel of modern drugs exercising, stretching and my wife's constant nagging of put your photos online to sell (something she's been at since e-commerce came into being), and, of course, posting my tutorial, which believe it or not, helped boost me grow out of this feeling sorry for myself phase while not being able to shoot. But I have shot four assignments this month, only because they paid extremely well and were return clients that I didn't want to pass onto another shooter.

Even through we all go through the highs and lows of photography, one can always find ways to keep or try to stay motivated. Read photographic books, shoot one picture a day, carry your camera when you go out. The excitement will return, it always does when you get a neat shot. Hang in there!

[prince]

I've been in your state Jody for over hmmm.. 2 months.. I got a new puppy and that takes a lot of time. I burned myself by taking a lot of photos (by my own standards) and learning new pp methods (finally I restricted to enhancements). I haven't updated my blog for 2 months and don't see anything that I want to photograph...

Finally I've started my engines.. took my first one for the balance assignment on DPS.. started following my flickr groups and browsing through pics, got a new zoom lens (still 2 more days till I get to hold it), and planning on using it for some macro shots, WWE, and racing event I am going to go to..

Lot of times I find myself restricted because of lack of lighting equipment, which I can't afford yet. One day I will.. till then I'll manage with some DIY style equipment

Don't worry you'll get out of it.. just look around and push yourself..

[ColorMEHappy]

I go through this about every other week, lol. I don't think of it as a weakness in anyway, and I still consider myself a very creative person, somedays I just don't have it and others days I am overwhelmed with it. My biggest problem is more laziness than lack of inspiration, normally I think of something amazing that I want to shoot and then I think of getting all of my equipment out and put together...and I get sleepy........I'm bad at that, that's why my dishes don't get cleaned everynight too!

I find going online is the best inspiration, sometimes I think to myself I should be able to think of stuff on my own, which I do but then other times I don't see the harm in getting ideas from other people.

I absolutely love the A-Z idea and I might try that out. I tried the 365 project and I think it lasted about 11 days, lol...I guess I was pregnant at the time, so I was even more lazy...but it was TOUGH.

[starrylaurie]

Originally Posted by Jim Bryant

You silly person....that's what contracts are for.......protects you and keeps your cleints honest

Yeah... or that's what we hope they do.

[genielamb]

Unmotivated? READ! That is my solution. Get your hands on a book titled 'Photography and the Art of Seeing' by Freeman Patterson. I am busy persuing my way through it and am totally enthralled. It makes me want to grab my camera and try out the 'out of the box' ideas. Like jumping up and down in the woods when photographing trees, or setting a target of photographing an item like a mail box 36 times with no two photos the same. Quite challenging and very inspiring.

[JodyGall]

Originally Posted by genielamb

Unmotivated? READ! That is my solution. Get your hands on a book titled 'Photography and the Art of Seeing' by Freeman Patterson. I am busy persuing my way through it and am totally enthralled. It makes me want to grab my camera and try out the 'out of the box' ideas. Like jumping up and down in the woods when photographing trees, or setting a target of photographing an item like a mail box 36 times with no two photos the same. Quite challenging and very inspiring.

Oooo...now this sounds like fun! I may have to hit the library up!

[candleman]

i fairly often get library books out (fine art and photographic awards) i love trying to figure out how they lit the subject or how i would approach the shot.
that normally gets me motivated again.
but its healthy to have a break. i often go a week without touching the camera.... but mainly because of time constraints

[kencaleno]

You do have a choice:

-A few ideas….
……..Things that people do every day

Waking up
Brushing teeth
Making Breakfast
Putting on makeup, combing hair
Shaving, man combing hair
Getting dressed, choosing clothes
Travelling to work, or school
Working or being at school
Having a business or school lunch
Making a phone call, cell phone, home or desk phone
Reading
Exercising, sports, after school activities
Doing homework
Preparing dinner
Having dinner
Leisure activities, hobbies
Friendship, family love
Activities with pets
Cleaning
Home improvement
Shopping
Getting in bed, tucking in the kids






Other people ideas



Teamwork
Musicians/singers
Feeling of freedom
Camping
Disabled people doing everyday activities
People writing
Homeless (sometimes difficult to get model releases)
Mum making school lunches
Crowds at events
Close-ups of hands doing something

- Products

Garden tools
Woodworking Tools
Kitchen utensils
Cell-phones
Books
Magazines

- Communications

Telephones
Cell-phones
Cables
Power poles
Telephone lines

- Technology

Computers
Circuits
I-pods
Stereo’s
DVD’s



- Transportation

Automobiles
Aircraft
Boats
Horse-drawn vehicles
Trucks
Hot air balloons

- People with Disabilities

Deaf
Mute
Blind
Wheelchair bound
Caregivers

- Casino, poker, dice, card games
- Fire extinguishers, firemen/police at work, fire engines
- People in a cultural/diversity setting
- Concepts (like: trust, happiness, sadness, loneliness
wealth, health, balance, success, fear, pride, joy,
sexuality, surprise, addiction, stress, commerce, etc.,)
- Seasonal pictures
- Christmas, Easter, Valentines, hallowe’en etc.,
- Healthcare and nursing
- Medical
- Fitness and sports

COUPLES
Cooking together
Hanging around non-sexually - doing everyday things
In bed having fun, being intimate/massage/kissing
Looking bored/having relationship problems/concerned/fighting
Getting ready in the morning- getting dressed, brushing teeth together
Driving together
Eating breakfast/dinner at home
Eating out
Watching TV
Looking at a computer together
Leisure- at the beach, in a hotel, on a balcony, skiing (non-cheesy travel)
Overall hugging, holding hands, mostly happy/laughing but some serious variations of each shot are be useful too
Couples with pets

FAMILIES
Parents getting kids ready for school- dressing, making lunches, brushing teeth
Eating breakfast/dinner together at home- should be vibrant and full of energy but bright and clean
On vacation- packing up the minivan, going camping, on the beach, at the pool
Mom and kid, dad and kid- having fun
Natural interaction all together in the living room, kitchen, watching TV
Activities- board games, video games, outdoor sports- catch, hula hoops, riding bicycles
Tension in family during teen years
Positive scenarios during teen years
Families cooking together and making healthy food choices - preparing fruits + vegetables
Series of images - family going through the day
Halloween
"Lush, magical holiday photography"
Family with dog or cat on carpet/rug
Family finances
Busy families heading out the door
Divorce situations
Families having fun outdoors
Family shopping
Mom + daughter arguing over shopping/fashion
Families using technology
cool kids and capturing their day-to-days, but here are some thoughts based on what buyers said they need.

Watching tv
Hanging out with friends
Couples - hanging out, kissing, breaking up
Playing video games
Watching movies

Watching tv
Hanging out with friends
Couples - hanging out, kissing, breaking up
Playing video games
Watching movies
Eating pizza
Doing homework
Spending time with parents/family - either negatively or positively
Skating boarding
Biking, Surfing, Soccer, Football - any athletic activity, especially informal with friends
Playing in park
Shopping in mall or in urban environment
Driving with friends
Teen driving that is safety related
Learning to drive
In dorm room
On college campus
Reading a book
Talking on cell phone
Getting ready for school
Eating with friends - at home or in a restaurant
Walking a dog
Going to a party
Going to a club
Dancing
Listening to ipod
On computer
In classroom
Study group
Painting and drawing
Taking a photograph
Drinking
Going to prom
Graduation
Packing to go to college
Volunteer work
Public speaking
On beach with friends
Kissing
Holding hands
Getting yelled at by parents
Teens in any kinds of family situations
Sleeping
At concert/indie concert settings
Playing an instrument
Putting on makeup
On a date/dating
Young couple in love
Watching a movie in a theater
Depression
Suicide
Drug abuse
School dances
Trendy, cool, hip kids across or within all ethnicities hanging out
Sub-cultures: music, surf/beach, skate
Teens in backyard settings
Teens in swimming pools
College kids on spring break
Teen boys hiking or camping




Diverse kids in the classroom doing various things - have a shot from behind of kids raising their hands - make sure they are having fun/enthusiastic
Rules in the classroom/Enforcing rules in school
Looking up and thinking
Doing art projects
Science projects (worms, plants, beakers)
Learning outside the classroom - in nature, exploring, looking at maps, looking at the sky, looking through microscope at bug outside
At the chalkboard, writing or doing math
Child or kids talking tteacher or in classroom with teacher (try using a non-white teacher!)
Doing homework - alone, with each other, with parents
Kids in the library, reading, or on the computer
Walking or riding bike w/ backpack on (alone and in groups)
Waiting for bus w/ backpack
On the bus (looking happy and sad/alone)
Modern technology in classrooms - flat screen monitors, white board
In computer labs
Surfing the web at home

Kids Playing
Pictures of kids hanging out on their own or in an after-school program
Doing sports: track, baseball, soccer, cheering for other kids (girls doing sports)
Doing sports and wearing proper safety equipment (helmets, wrist guards etc.)
Boys and girls playing sports together
On swingsets
Playing indoors with toys, legos, trains
Playing videgames
Being bullies
Organizations: in Girl or Boy Scouts, Boys' Choir etc.
Older kids walking down the street together
At the beach
Tween girls dancing and playing
Halloween
Birthday parties
Children with disabilities playing with other kids
In backyard settings
Babies
Modern beautiful shots of non-white and non-black babies - other ethnicities
Teething
Reaching for lightswitch, various other exploration poses
Being diapered
Preparing for bed
Child care - babies and nannies, other people whare not immediate family
With grandparents or older siblings
Tasteful nursing shots
Breast pumping - very current topic
Baby health issues - grabbing at ear, immunizations where you really see the doctor giving the shot while mom holds baby on lap
Series of a baby developing over time: from first month through the first year
Ethnically diverse twins
Close ups of body parts: eyes, ears, toes, teeth
Moms with friends: pushing strollers together on a walk
Moms and dads together, walking with babies in slings
Babies and moms having intimate moments - showing their connection, not tickling, naction - an 'un-moment' - she just woke him up and put him in her bed - beautiful moments
Toddlers
Health photos of any sort - smiling doctor looking at mom, kids whare sick (cold/flu), in doctors office or hospital, drippy noses, pink eye, staph infections, diaper rash, birth marks, doctor scoping kid's ear, aches and pains, kids holding shoulders, kids in casts, first aid - descriptive, specific pictures
Potty training - no butts, no nudity
Safety - reaching for lightswitch, cup on counter, toddler looking out window at water, playgrounds, bruised knees, mom backing up in driveway with bike behind the car
Green living - babies modern cloth diapers (i.e., no safety pins)
Progressive families - Dads helping and at play groups, moms working from home
Modern pictures - baby in car seat in SUV, modern shopping pictures
Every day chores: mom doing laundry with baby nearby, mundane stuff is badly needed
Mom dropping kid off at daycare
Kids with special needs - Autism, Down's Syndrome
1st birthday parties, other parties (trend now is smaller parties - not tons of people in a room)
Parents traveling with baby and/or toddlers - road trip or by plane
Without moms - learning to be independent
Learning teat and drink by themselves
Toddlers in wintertime

To name just a few....Now tell me you have nothing to photograph- regards,Ken

[Jim Bryant]

Man Ken, when we get you on a roll, you get it done Good ideas there. I'll have to copy and paste to a word document.