how to improve?

[back alley]

i have been thinking of ways to try to improve my photography and am wondering if perhaps we could do a forum think tank to generate some ideas.
it would be advantageous, i think, if we could also incorporate some of the ideas as a group, maybe helping to spur on others as well as ourselves.

it could be made to look like an internet class with assignments that we must 'hand in' as scheduled. (this is just one idea)

what do you do to improve your work?
anyone have an idea that you would like to contribute?

joe

 

[FrankS]

Whatever you want to get better at, you have to practise that thing. If you want to be a better swimmer, practice swimming, a better golfer: golf, a better reader: read, a better skater: skate, etc.

 

[FrankS]

An internet RFF photo class is a good idea. Assignments can force one to confront and learn concepts one avoids because of a lack of understanding of it.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

At one point, Joe, I decided to do the opposite of whatever came to my mind: use long lenses for landscapes instead of the conventional wide angles, go down on my knees instead of taking a picture in a standing position, use a vertical framing on subjects that suggested horizontal framing... In other words, do the opposite of what you think first, and do it as an alternate approach. As a result, I change my horizons a lot, play around with DOF and... still wonder how to make nice images (as you noticed in P.Net, I'm not above the postcard/snapshot level).

As FrankS put it, practice makes the master too.

 

[SergioGuerra]

An internet RFF photo class is a good idea. Assignments can force one to confront and learn concepts one avoids because of a lack of understanding of it.

That seems like a pretty good idea, Frank 🙂

 

[FrankS]

At one point, Joe, I decided to do the opposite of whatever came to my mind: use long lenses for landscapes instead of the conventional wide angles, go down on my knees instead of taking a picture in a standing position, use a vertical framing on subjects that suggested horizontal framing... In other words, do the opposite of what you think first, and do it as an alternate approach. As a result, I change my horizons a lot, play around with DOF and... still wonder how to make nice images (as you noticed in P.Net, I'm not above the postcard/snapshot level).

As FrankS put it, practice makes the master too.

OT:
There's a funny Seinfeld episode where George decides that since he is a failure with the decisions he has made in the past, he would do exactly the opposit of what he would normally do. I think he experienced some success initially. Just after this descision, he walked up to the most beautiful woman at the coffee shop and introduced himself as unemployed and still living with his parents. She fell for him. Can't rememberr how it ended.

 

[BrianShaw]

I agree with the practice recommendations (but you probably knew that already).

The part of 'practice' that I find most instructive is looking at what I've been shooting. I mean REALLY looking at it... with a critical eye. I do this best by myself; others find public scrutiny and review a good mechanism for getting critique. I try to detach myself from the emotion of the subject, or the emotion attached to having taken the image. Focus on the image itself as art... and especailly as art viewed by someone who doesn't/can't share the aforementioned emotions.

The best way for me to see what's going on with my photography is printing the better negs. A good looking neg sometimes becomes a mediocre print. When viewed as a decent size print (make up your own mind what size that might be) it becomes much easier to figure out what areas of photography could use some improvement. Printing lots of negs takes lots of time and money, but I find it the most instructive tool a photographer can buy.

I also pay attention to my attitude. If I feel bored by what I'm doing or reluctant to shoot, then something needs an improvement/change. Sometimes its just a subject matter rut that I've gotten into. Other times, my creative eye is just tired and needs a break. So I either start looking for other subject areas, or I just stop for a while and let my creative eye regain vision.

 

[egpj]

I have always been told to take lots and lots of photos as Frank S implies. That can improve the technical aspects of photography but it does not necessarily improve your subject matter or the eye of the photographer. Something like that is more intangible thing that deals with what drives the photographer. I am reminded of the Lenswork audio blog. B. Jensen talked about a long time friend that gave up his dark room and photography after he had mastered the technical aspects. He mastered it and then gave it up because he lacked the motivation to go beyond that aspect.

I think it would do us better to realize what we are striving for here. Is it just to master the technical aspects of taking a properly exposed and printed photograph? If so, once that is accomplished then what. Procure another piece of gear and learn how to use that one as well. So begins a never ending cycle of gear procurement.

Saying something. That is what I am struggling with right now. A project that I can concentrate on. Something that I can believe in and photograph so that someone else sees what I see and moves them.

I think that if you photograph something that you are emotional or passionate about then your images will start to reflect that and they will have depth of character passed on by the photographer.

Not all photography has to be something like a project but I think it would go a long way to giving us direction to improve. I don't particularly subscribe to the project assignments I have seen here on the forum (I need something that I can believe in) but I guess that is a start as well.

I don't know. I'm still working this whole thing out myself.😕

 

[BrianShaw]

OT:
There's a funny Seinfeld episode where George decides that since he is a failure with the decisions he has made in the past, he would do exactly the opposit of what he would normally do. I think he experienced some success initially. Just after this descision, he walked up to the most beautiful woman at the coffee shop and introduced himself as unemployed and still living with his parents. She fell for him. Can't rememberr how it ended.

equally OT... and way too personal to share with you folks:

This only works in TV. Please don't ask how I know 😉

 

[Joerg]

Most of my photography happens on my walking commute to work.
I just decide on one or two lenses to carry for the week and i will have to make due whatever picture opportunity presents itself. It challenges my imagination on what can be done (and not).
I also try to focus on dofferent things per week or day (residences, people, clouds, colors, contrasts, etc)
In addtion I inherited a modest MF setup which requieres a totaly different approach than RF cameras.

Good luck.

Joerg

 

[FrankS]

"I don't particularly subscribe to the project assignments I have seen here on the forum (I need something that I can believe in) but I guess that is a start as well."

I agree. Perhaps individual personally assigned topics/projects is the way to go, with feedback from a group.

 

[physiognomy]

Joe this is just me & might not work for everybody, but (& this might be my science background talking) I have been altering only one variable at a time to see what helps me take photo's that I like... I think that staying comfortably within 80-90% of what you already do is a good way to single out techniques you can add to your arsenal. This way you also don't go fiddling with what is already good practice!

Recently I've only been changing my perspective (like Francisco suggested about going down on your knees instead of standing)... With a little cropping here and there I've been surprised that I'm taking a higher percentage of pictures that I really like for a change... I have three recent shots in my gallery that spurred my enthusiasm - one in B&W (higher perspective) and two in colour (taken from ground level).

Some other factors I'm planning on experimenting with - seldom used focal lengths (I just got a CV 15mm), varying depth of field (possibly bracketing same shot), and adding 'movement' to my shots.

Cheers!

Peter

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

I look outside photographs for inspiration and ideas. Architecture, fabric designs, art exhibitions, contemporary dance set designs and costume designs and so on.

Although I like an evening in looking at some Henri Cartier-Bresson, Andre Kertesz, Brassai or Elliot Erwitt I find that actually puts me off doing my own thing for a day or two.

Also I like watching a good movie and paying careful attention to how the director has framed the shots and uses the light.

 

[dadsm3]

I'd be interested in participating in a workshop of some kind that could be submitted here.....any photo prof's out there with some ideas?

 

[BJ Bignell]

Also I like watching a good movie and paying careful attention to how the director has framed the shots and uses the light.

I do the same; I often catch myself thinking about how I like or dislike certain shots/angles/lights/etc while I'm in the theatre. Sometimes, I need to remember that I should just be enjoying the movie... 🙄

 

[Pherdinand]

shoot,shoot,shoot more.
I've noticed, it's really the ONLY thing that makes ME improve.
If i watch thge great masters' work, i just get the idea i'll never be able to do that, if i talk to people here i just notice that we all are different and what works for them does not work for me; the only thing that helps is shoot more and take a long look at my own stuff. And being cruel, throwing the mediocre stuff out.

Of course this advice interferes with your rff activity 😀

 

[FrankS]

There are 2 kinds of obstacles in life: with one kind, simple hard work, perseverance, and trying harder are the means to a successful solution. With the other kind of obstacle, exemplified by a fly trying to exit through a closed window, none of this advice would be at all useful. A change in thinking is required.

To answer this question on how to improve one's photography may require both? I don't know.

 

[BJ Bignell]

I've often heard that one way to improve in any type of activity is to leave your comfort zone. Push it as far as you feel safe, and see what results.

This is what I've done for street shooting. I'm still terrible at it, and not very comfortable, but I'm better than I was two years ago, when I was afraid to even use my camera in public where people might see me...

For street especially, because I tend to be shy, I find that it works better if I'm in a group. The RFF meets I've had have been excellent; when you're in close proximity of people doing the same thing as you, you tend to feel less like you stick out, and more like you belong. I even survived my first confrontation on the street, when a strange fellow in London (at Speakers' Corner, no less) suggested that I was doing something illegal - and perhaps perverted - when I took his picture without permission.

 

[back alley]

i agree with lots of shooting but i think there needs to be something added to that mix.
i'm reminded of the saying, ' a man can make the same mistake for years and call it experience'.

joe

hey bj, where are you now?

 

[Toby]

This the project I've set myself: Forget about buying equipment (you have enough) Forget about practicing technique (you know plenty) GO AND PUT YOURSELF INTO SITUATIONS WHERE GOOD PICTURES ARE ALL AROUND YOU!!! I've been reviewing my old negatives and these is the simple truths I've found interesting pictures happen in interesting places, research is as important as good technique, an opinion is as important as that new lens in the camera store window. Bottom line finding good pictures means going out into the world and looking for them, not waiting for them to come to you.