Square Wheels Posted September 25, 2017 Share #1 Posted September 25, 2017 at photography. It's too artsy for me. I'm more of a technical person, very little artistic capability. I remember taking guitar lessons, clearly an art. I was learning scales. The teacher said he'd play some rhythm and I should play some scales / lead over it. I panicked to the point I could barely play. Play someone else's song? No problem. Play it a little differently putting my own touches on it? Sure. Write my own? Never. I'll keep trying. There is a shop that offers walking tours of different areas. There are instructors along with you that help you take better pics, they'll have their hands full with me, I really do suck at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldendesign Posted September 25, 2017 Share #2 Posted September 25, 2017 What I get out of this is you keep trying to experience new things. Not only that but have the humility to accept help from others to do so. Oh and if you suck so bad that even professional help wont cut it, you move on! So just keep on sucking until you find something that clicks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F_in Ray Of Sunshine Posted September 25, 2017 Share #3 Posted September 25, 2017 I’m with you. Back in the day of film cameras I burned through roll after roll...and almost never got a picture I was happy with. I gave up and gave the camera away. When digital came along, the price of taking shitty pictures went to almost zero, there was the possibility of tweaking them on the computer and since they were “free”, I felt freer to experiment and take a whole bunch of shots. My pictures still sucked. I have decided that my phone is plenty good enough - the capabilities exceed those of the operator - and it’s less of a PITA to lug around than a DSLR, so I’m more likely to have it, should something present itself. My pictures still suck. My trick though, is to take pictures of pretty stuff. That way even if the composition is shit, the subject matter is nice to look at. ? 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Square Wheels Posted September 25, 2017 Author Share #4 Posted September 25, 2017 I might give this a try. http://edu.huntsphoto.com/wilton-nh/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddmaxx ★ Posted September 25, 2017 Share #5 Posted September 25, 2017 Take an art course at a local community college a couple of nights a week. They'll teach you a bit about composition and framing. Art lesson 1. Classical composition leads the eye through the objects from upper left to lower right. But only press the shutter once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted September 25, 2017 Share #6 Posted September 25, 2017 15 minutes ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said: I’m with you. Back in the day of film cameras I burned through roll after roll...and almost never got a picture I was happy with. I gave up and gave the camera away. When digital came along, the price of taking shitty pictures went to almost zero, there was the possibility of tweaking them on the computer and since they were “free”, I felt freer to experiment and take a whole bunch of shots. My pictures still sucked. I have decided that my phone is plenty good enough - the capabilities exceed those of the operator - and it’s less of a PITA to lug around than a DSLR, so I’m more likely to have it, should something present itself. My pictures still suck. My trick though, is to take pictures of pretty stuff. That way even if the composition is shit, the subject matter is nice to look at. ? That is also my tactic. Almost any picture of a road, woods, or lake is beeyootiful to me. I did advance a tad when Longjohn told me aboot touching what you want to focus on for an iphone. What will they think of next?! But lighting still confounds me. A pic of a beeyootiful full moon behind wispy clouds never comes out well for me, but I haven;t tried the touching thing yet! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris... Posted September 25, 2017 Share #7 Posted September 25, 2017 Don’t give up. I’m a very technical person with a little bit of an artistic side. Once you get the theory down pick a subject to concentrate on. I picked birds in the backyard. Set up a feeder, hide behind a blind. Or just shoot out of an open window. I then picked old barns. I looked online at different angles of the photos I liked and basically copied them. High school soccer is another one I like. My nephew plays, so I don’t feel weird going to the games. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Road Runner Posted September 25, 2017 Share #8 Posted September 25, 2017 All of the encouragement here is nice. Never give up. Do you know how many times Edison failed before he got a light bulb that worked? OTH, you might be right. You might just really suck at it. It just depends on how good at it you want to be. I could be an amateur painter. In high school, I was considered one of the best "artists" in my school. But my meager talent always left me sad. I gave it up because I could never please myself. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Posted September 25, 2017 Share #9 Posted September 25, 2017 If you enjoy it, who cares if you're good at it or not. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Kosciuszko Posted September 25, 2017 Share #10 Posted September 25, 2017 1 hour ago, Square Wheels said: I really do suck at it That's only one opinion, and so I'd just ignore it if I were you. I would suggest this: The next time you try to take pictures, frame the subject until you think it 'looks nice'. Not what you believe other people will think 'looks nice', but what you think - at that moment - 'looks nice'. And if 'looks nice' doesn't work for you, then try framing the subject with the thought 'This is how I'd like to remember it.' Don't spend more than a minute or so trying to frame it because that's working too hard. If it's not working for you, move on to another subject. Then - When you look at your photos that you've taken this way, seek out first what you like about the photo(s). Do NOT seek out first what didn't meet your expectations, or as someone said 'what sucks'. Keep trying this and it will give you a sense of what you like about your photos, which will help you frame them better, which will more things to like about your photos, which etc. etc. You will also gradually learn what situations work best for you for getting a good shot. Notice I said it will give you a sense, as opposed to a formula or prescription. Perhaps you won't create competition level photographs but I think you could eventually take pictures that you'd be happy with. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris... Posted September 26, 2017 Share #11 Posted September 26, 2017 1 hour ago, Square Wheels said: I might give this a try. http://edu.huntsphoto.com/wilton-nh/ It sounds good 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Further Posted September 26, 2017 Share #12 Posted September 26, 2017 Just keep shooting. When you see something interesting, take a BUNCH of shots,change settings and angles, maybe some of them will be good. Look at them and think about why you like the ones you do, and why you don't like the ones you don't. The pixels don't care, they weren't doing anything. If you're not having fun, slow down till you are, ya already got a job. And don't compare yourself to others. The morning news has pictures to put most of us to shame....But I like my pictures 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris... Posted September 26, 2017 Share #13 Posted September 26, 2017 I sucked when I first started taking pics. The technical aspects came pretty quickly for me. I kind of have a bucket list of pictures I’d like to take. My problem is that once I capture the image I’ve been trying for I have to find something new to challenge myself. I have a short attention span 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddmaxx ★ Posted September 26, 2017 Share #14 Posted September 26, 2017 And remember, Rome wasn't built in a day. You just got started. Don't expect to be Andy Warhol overnight. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtyhip Posted September 26, 2017 Share #15 Posted September 26, 2017 Don't say you suck. I am certain that if you practice, you will improve. I plan to start painting. I am a complete novice. Even if my first works will look like childs play, it will be a nice hobby to explore. I like to draw abstract things, and my painting will most likely be similar to that. Even if I do shapes, they will be my shapes. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted September 26, 2017 Share #16 Posted September 26, 2017 I don't think it is hard, you point a camera and take pictures. Take enough and you will have some good ones. Look at enough good ones and look for a common element that makes them good, then take more of those. Now instead of one in a hundred being good, one in 43 are good. I think it helps to have a great subject. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted September 26, 2017 Share #17 Posted September 26, 2017 10 hours ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said: My trick though, is to take pictures of pretty stuff. That way even if the composition is shit, the subject matter is nice to look at. ? Hey now, don't go giving away my secret. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F_in Ray Of Sunshine Posted September 26, 2017 Share #18 Posted September 26, 2017 9 hours ago, Dirtyhip said: I plan to start painting. Heh. I have no plans for that. My mother and my sister were both kickass painters. I didn’t get that gene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F_in Ray Of Sunshine Posted September 26, 2017 Share #19 Posted September 26, 2017 10 hours ago, Chris... said: Or just shoot out of an open window. I really hope the NSA bots crawling the web don’t flag this. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris... Posted September 26, 2017 Share #20 Posted September 26, 2017 1 hour ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said: I really hope the NSA bots crawling the web don’t flag this. ? I’m already on the Homeland security hit list Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted September 26, 2017 Share #21 Posted September 26, 2017 2 minutes ago, Chris... said: I’m already on the Homeland security hit list My grand-nephew married a girl named Isis. She friended me on Facebook, I'm sure that put me on the list too. I tried to get her to change her name but she said she had it first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedalphile Posted September 26, 2017 Share #22 Posted September 26, 2017 I must say your support is all very supportive, but please let him suck if he wants 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F_in Ray Of Sunshine Posted September 26, 2017 Share #23 Posted September 26, 2017 4 minutes ago, Longjohn said: My grand-nephew married a girl named Isis. She friended me on Facebook, I'm sure that put me on the list too. I've posted elsewhere about how I blew up my pressure cooker (by running it out of water) and expected black helicopters over the house at any minute. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedalphile Posted September 26, 2017 Share #24 Posted September 26, 2017 4 minutes ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said: I've posted elsewhere about how I blew up my pressure cooker (by running it out of water) and expected black helicopters over the house at any minute. How was the kitchen after that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted September 26, 2017 Share #25 Posted September 26, 2017 13 minutes ago, F_in Ray Of Sunshine said: I've posted elsewhere about how I blew up my pressure cooker (by running it out of water) and expected black helicopters over the house at any minute. Did it run out of water and explode while you were out running a marathon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F_in Ray Of Sunshine Posted September 26, 2017 Share #26 Posted September 26, 2017 18 minutes ago, pedalphile said: How was the kitchen after that? Heh. It was a pressure canner and I was doing it outdoors. When I came back the bottom of the canner was bulged out about 2" and everything inside was destroyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickinMD ★ Posted September 26, 2017 Share #27 Posted September 26, 2017 Keep trying, SW, you never know when that great picture will present itself. I was never that good at photography but, back in the '70's, snapped a photo of my cousin and his new wife, posing and smiling at me, just inside the church's doorway on the day they were married, ignoring the fact the light was coming in strongly from the doorway behind them - a big no-no. But instead of turning them into silhouettes, the result was beautiful: a slightly misty looking picture with rays of light descending from above and enveloping them in their tux and gown. After I mailed to my aunt, my cousin's mother, a set prints from the roll of film I shot, I soon got a request for the negative. That was 40 years ago and the couple still has an 18" print of that picture in their living room. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris... Posted September 26, 2017 Share #28 Posted September 26, 2017 I suck at portrait photography. I can get some good informal shots, but in a studio type setting or planned outdoor setting I'm not very good. Some of it I put down to the fact that I don't like being around people. Throw in a pushy Mom and I cant wait to be done with it. Baby pics are great though, if the parents leave. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris... Posted September 26, 2017 Share #29 Posted September 26, 2017 Some of my early attempts. Around 2007 when I got my first DSLR Start of the season and midway through the season. Most of the pictures looked like the first one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris... Posted September 26, 2017 Share #30 Posted September 26, 2017 My early bird pics were terrible. I just kept shooting, I improved over time. These are a few months apart. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Kosciuszko Posted September 26, 2017 Share #31 Posted September 26, 2017 42 minutes ago, Chris... said: My early bird pics were terrible. I just kept shooting Seems like you'd have to bag a lot of those little birdies to get decent meal, though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddmaxx ★ Posted September 26, 2017 Share #32 Posted September 26, 2017 My pictures aren't that good. I did however develop a photoshop skill to turn them into a sort of water color that actually looked better than the picture. I call it painting but others may call it hogwash. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddmaxx ★ Posted September 26, 2017 Share #33 Posted September 26, 2017 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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