Are you satisfied with your shooting style?

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hlockwood

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I'm not happy with my shooting style, but I can't seem to change old habits. I shoot almost exclusively with an M7. I never bracket exposures because it's (almost) never necessary. The M7 exposure is always spot on, provided I pay attention to metering the scene correctly.

I carefully frame the scene and then assume that I've got the shot. But when I look at the final image, I often think I should have I should have taken the shot with different framing. Or, I should have taken both portrait and landscape versions, or crouched instead of stand to get a more interesting angle, or changed position for a different viewpoint, or moved in or out for a change in what the viewer sees as the focal point, or change the aperture for alternative OOF areas in the image, etc., etc.

In other words, I don't shoot enough film, and, after the fact, it's too late; the opportunity for the best shot is often lost.

I've imagined that if I were shooting digital (I'm lusting for an M9. :D) this would change; I'd just keep firing away and pixel peep until I got it right. But I wonder. I suspect that, instead, I just have to be more disciplined and follow my own observations cited above. I'm not there yet.

So, I'm curious to know if this is a common problem, or are there other aspects of your (digital or film) shooting style that you'd like to change.

Harry
 
Are you satisfied with your shooting style?
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Yes ... but also very bored with it at the moment.

I need a project or something I can really get my teeth into, otherwise I may nod off looking at my own photos!
 
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Keith said:
Yes ... but also very bored with it at the moment.

I need a project or something I can really get my teeth into, otherwise I may nod off looking at my own photos!
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I know the feeling, Keith. In the cold months here in New England, I concentrate on printing rather than shooting. My project for the warmer months is to do a photo essay on that peculiar corner of Vermont known as the Northeast Kingdom (NEK) where we've had a log cabin in the woods for decades. I already have many shots I can use, but I need to augment, improve and update.

I should corner Bob McCann (sepiareverb), a resident of the area, for some ideas.

Harry
 
Ahem... well, shooting digital with spray and pray is NOT the way to learn to get the photo right the first time. Pixel peeping is not either.

You really need to forget the gear and get back to looking at the scene, anticipating the moments ahead and understanding composition. It is just basics that you need to concentrate on for the time being.

I am sure quite a few folks here can help you with that.:angel:

Once you learn what you need, you can shoot all the digital images you want and NEVER chimp.:)
 
hlockwood said:
I'm not happy with my shooting style, but I can't seem to change old habits. I shoot almost exclusively with an M7. I never bracket exposures because it's (almost) never necessary. The M7 exposure is always spot on, provided I pay attention to metering the scene correctly.

I carefully frame the scene and then assume that I've got the shot. But when I look at the final image, I often think I should have I should have taken the shot with different framing. Or, I should have taken both portrait and landscape versions, or crouched instead of stand to get a more interesting angle, or changed position for a different viewpoint, or moved in or out for a change in what the viewer sees as the focal point, or change the aperture for alternative OOF areas in the image, etc., etc.

In other words, I don't shoot enough film, and, after the fact, it's too late; the opportunity for the best shot is often lost.

I've imagined that if I were shooting digital (I'm lusting for an M9. :D) this would change; I'd just keep firing away and pixel peep until I got it right. But I wonder. I suspect that, instead, I just have to be more disciplined and follow my own observations cited above. I'm not there yet.

So, I'm curious to know if this is a common problem, or are there other aspects of your (digital or film) shooting style that you'd like to change.

Harry
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What you describe, is the perfect foundation for improvement. The first step to improving in anything is recognising the avenues in which you could have improved your work. Now you just need to feed this into your workflow, and use it to improve, when you have the opportunity and are out shooting the next time.

If there are strong common themes as to things you could have done to improve shots, then consider focussing keenly on one of these areas, and see if you can't noticeably improve in that regard.

You do take more images with digital, but the cost of an M9 also pays for a lot of film & developing..
 
Mcary said:
Question: Is dumb luck considered a style, because if its is well then that's my style :)
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+1 for dumb luck and also for relying heavily on intuition! My planned shots usually come out so so, but sometimes I will "shoot from the hip" and get it right. I even had a friend once admire my "careful composition" of a picture that actually went: look out the window, slap on the lens, open the window and hit the shutter... go figure... :D
 
Some days yes, some days, no. Some days I look at my stuff and say "hey, pretty good." Other days, I look at my stuff and say "boring, dull, cliched"....and I'll often be looking at the same stuff each time....
 
I get locked into boring styles. Maybe I should bring a cheat sheet with me till I get into the habit of looking at new ways to see the scene.

Besides what you mentioned, I forget to look for a detail to isolate, change position so the light comes from a different angle, look for a foreground objected to frame the main subject etc.

Maybe a cheat sheet with a short list of ideas would eventually broaden the way I see things.
 
Sometimes. Mostly no though. The worst is feeling good about a roll and seeing all the drivel that's on it. Then a few months later, actually liking that same drivel!
 
My shooting style has changed a lot since I first became interesting in photography. At first, I was one of those 'photographers' who preferred digital over film, but when I started shooting exclusively film in college, I fell in love and (almost) completely gave up digital.

I miss having 'assignments' to shoot and really thinking about what I'm shooting/ looking for. Like Keith, I'm also a little bored at the moment. I'm really looking forward to warm weather, leaves on the trees, and not having to wear 3-5 layers to go out and shoot at night! (I've also decided I'm going to face my fear and attempt to shoot infrared film... wish me luck!) :eek:

I've only just started shooting with a RF in the last year or so, and it's replaced my Nikon F and F3 as my primary camera. Now I shoot with Nikon S2, S3, Leica IIc, and Super Ikonta.
 
hlockwood said:
I'm not happy with my shooting style, but I can't seem to change old habits. I shoot almost exclusively with an M7. I never bracket exposures because it's (almost) never necessary. The M7 exposure is always spot on, provided I pay attention to metering the scene correctly.

I carefully frame the scene and then assume that I've got the shot. But when I look at the final image, I often think I should have I should have taken the shot with different framing. Or, I should have taken both portrait and landscape versions, or crouched instead of stand to get a more interesting angle, or changed position for a different viewpoint, or moved in or out for a change in what the viewer sees as the focal point, or change the aperture for alternative OOF areas in the image, etc., etc.

In other words, I don't shoot enough film, and, after the fact, it's too late; the opportunity for the best shot is often lost.

I've imagined that if I were shooting digital (I'm lusting for an M9. :D) this would change; I'd just keep firing away and pixel peep until I got it right. But I wonder. I suspect that, instead, I just have to be more disciplined and follow my own observations cited above. I'm not there yet.

So, I'm curious to know if this is a common problem, or are there other aspects of your (digital or film) shooting style that you'd like to change.

Harry
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This is a very good question for the simple reason that if you're not happy with the way you shoot, you're not going to be happy with the results.

In my case digital has been very useful in that it allowed me to practice but at the same time if it was not for film and shooting everything manual, not to mention using a RF, I'd be still lost with a big DSLR and unhappy with the results.
 
The 'dumb luck' expression accurate though it may be has given way to the 'even a blind squirrel finds a nut occasionally' expression for me! :D
 
Style? I don't even have one. Looks like I am getting more lucky in shooting portraits, but that's it :D
I love Keith's expression :D
Regards,
b.
 
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