Topic: funny, the better I get the less I shoot....

[lauraburlton]

You know its really weird, I used to shoot off at least 4-6 rolls of film a week. Now though, I feel like evrything I do has to top the last and I feel myself trapped in a way if I do not have some "high art" to shoot. I still shoot off at least a roll a week on average but mostly just for kicks and its nothing special ( although I do not know if it would be a few years ago) I now find myself wanting to do projects and themes and elaborate shoots. But then if I do not have time to get all this fabulousness together ( and who does with life around) then I do not feel I am shooting to my potential and I just don't do it.... and to think I shoot mostly with toys. Kinda funny and ironic in a way. Anyone else ever get this way? bla bla bla I know

[beck]

Ah, you too? I will have to put blame on the weather...well, there are other things that kept me from shooting...but I'm about fed up with it being cold and every time I load the saddle bags up thinking it's going to be nice for once on a weekend...nope, it's freezing cold and windy. I've got millions of tiny pieces of paper through out the house with all my ideas on and most of them have more or less gotten thrown away by the Mrs. and I can't find my diffuser. I have every damn camera loaded too and I know it's not wise to leave film sit like that...ah well. Just another day at the orifice really. I've got a pair of identical twin red heads waiting on me for some fun in the sun...not that kind of fun, and hope to shoot them before they cut their hair. I've already threatened them with harm...and cash. They're interested...they're interesting. No more excuses dammit Laura...get your booty out there. I am....um, next week.

[Ed Wenn]

Laura, I know where you're coming from. Ideas abound here, but time is hiding away. My family and I have been living out of suitcases at the in-laws since January so a normally hectic life has become ridiculously unsettled and even more busy. I've taken about 57 million photos of my daughter, Amy, but have not been as mobile or productive/prolific as I'd like. Apart from anything, I've not got all my cameras and film with me anyway, so sometimes the appropriate tool is not to hand. This all means reduced shooting time and added frustration.

End is in sight. We hope to be back on home turf by the end of May....let's see if I get any more productive after then.

I've asked this question in meails to many friends recently, but may as well go public with it....Does anyone out there have a machine that gives you an extra 10 hours in the day? That would be cool. I promise I'd use it to take more photos.

 

[Susan B.]

Know this all too well.
Ed's right--time is a huge factor...
Then exhaustion from real life can get in the way...
The kid factor is large--I don't have them, but can imagine.

At times, I end up placing so much on the few hours I get per week and that in turn creates more pressure to pop out something usable.
So I have to remind myself--this is all for fun... go out there and play during the precious time I have.
Usually after that personal reminder, the minute I click the shutter, I'm so happy I forget about all that crap that was in my head prior. It doesn't work 100% of the time--all depends on life stuff. But it works most of the time.

Hope that helps a little.

[Rogerrr]

I hear ya....do I REALLY need another average shot I probably won't even bother to print?

[gricko]

I've asked this question in meails to many friends recently, but may as well go public with it....Does anyone out there have a machine that gives you an extra 10 hours in the day? That would be cool. I promise I'd use it to take more photos.

well, i managed to sleep less. 5 hours. daily. or a bit less. with 4 i can still function pretty well.  less than 2 hours of sleep more than 2 days in a row. after that i get in overburn. experimented a bit before geting it right. and it took same practice.....

back on main topic - shooting for me is quite solitary activity [if that is a proper construction]. and with family all the time around i get to take snaps mostly to and from office. after my lomo died, i was usualy carrying 3-5kg of eos 1 + glass. back breaking. last few months that i have to carry a laptop w/ me i had to drop photobag.....

for years have some ideas, but...... few more years it will have to wait. when kids get old'n'strong enough to go with me.....

did two rolls this weekend. very, very happy. nice, sunny day. by the river. hope there will be few nice shots.

[mike barnes]

for me, not cuz i think i'm better, but because i got the control issues over developing my own film, and doing my own prints, where initially i would drop off at the lab, and come back... easy... but doing it yourself is so much more time consuming, particularly if you don't have a permanent darkroom setup... so I'd say time and resources and control issue cause me to shoot less... 

[LT]

very true mike - but, seeing as you;re still doing it, I'm sure you'll agree it's worth the time and effort all the way.

[mike barnes]

true true leon... it scares me though that yet another film shop closed up in town... i'll have to get my fixer fix from elsewhere now 

but to get back to Laura, I do agree that in my case I do tend to think more of specific shooting rather than just random walking around with my camera with film loaded... also because I'm shooting with the toys, i find if i leave the film in them for too long they tend to get over light leaked and film spools get loose, so ya... less film, more specific, must agree.

[Janet_P]

Me too Laura.
I used to get so frustrated when I was at home with the kids, desperate to get out there and doing some shooting - it made me grumpy and that was no good for any of us. In a way I think I was using it as an excuse for not taking anything I liked (I'm not saying you are, your photos always amaze me), being in a rut was quite handy as it meant that I didn't have to take any shots at all and risk failure. Well, I soon got bored with that.

So now I tend to do more set up shoots. I have an idea in my mind and I strive to reach it with the camera - it doesn't always work but at least I feel like I'm not missing out on stuff.

Janet

[tread]

sounds like a common theme for most of us. although i'll hedge on the "getting better" part for myself. i am motivated by the notion of Spring I guess more to look at from afar but I'm gonna get ahead of myself and say in the middle of Spring the same malaise will set in as I ponder summer...just keep telling myself...keep shooting, something, anything, everything...

[outofcontxt]

Time, the teenager, the sheer stress of life. Yeah, those definitely get in the way. But I always make a determined effort to get out and shoot, even if it's just going to the lake (which for me, fortunately, is a mere walk away), making a grocery store run or doing some other errand. At times, I'll go on for days without shooting a damn thing (this week is a perfect example) and other days I'll have a burst of inspiration. But I always have a camera close by -- just in case. I've had too many instances of missing a great shooting because I left a camera at home. But, Susan's right. It's all about the fun. And, I might add, the opportunity to be creative. And I become a pretty unhappy camper if I don't get to do some creative, personal stuff.