inspiration needed, please

[back alley]

it's damn cold outside and there isn't even much snow yet.
that translates into a grey/brown and uninviting environment in which to shoot.

i am most comfortable shooting outdoors on my beloved whyte avenue but i am also feeling the effects of winter more this year than most.

i have new to me 50/1.5 and a 35/3.5 lenses and it's killing me to sit here on the computer and not be able to play with this new gear.

table top shooting and indoor shooting are not my strengths but if i'm to shoot i need to do it indoors. but i just don't 'see' much indoors in my own home.

how about posting some indoor/table top shots to offer as inspiration and as a sanity saver for this old street shooter.

i need some help here folks.

joe

 

[bobofish]

It's damn cold here too...and windy.

How's about this:
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/cezanne/sl/
(except for the skulls of course, unless you really do have some skeletons in your closet)

Get yourself some fruits, a bottle of wine and a herring, and go nuts!

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I feel the same way as you, Joe. Wish I could help.

Only advice I could give you is brave the elements for about 10 minutes. You'll be amazed at how 10 minutes of dash-and-snap will do as opposed to 24 hrs. of brooding inside.

That's what I had to do to get a few shots yesterday. I even posted one shot on my photoblog. Nothing exciting, but I got to go outside and shoot, dammit.

 

[Biggles]

Indoor shots? I've done, and do, a lot of those. Wish I had a scanner. I'd show you some.

One idea, though...

http://www.reflectoporn.nl

No, I'm not being silly. One can have a lot of fun looking for reflective surfaces (and the fleeting images therein) in the indoor urban landscape.

I've heard that Calgary has some kind of interlaced tunnel-bunker thing going on downtown to keep people from freezing in winter. Bet it has shiny bits...

Got something like that in Edmonton?

 

[JoeFriday]

I can't do indoor shots with an RF.. only with a digicam, and those invariably look cheezy, but that's just my lack of talent

however, I went out tonight and shot 5 photos to finish off a roll of Ektachrome that I'm anxious to get developed.. some shots of christmas lights and other brightly lit objects.. I just made sure to wear warm, but thin, gloves the whole time

 

[kmack]

Grab a couple of peppers and a funnel
Washington Post Camera Works -- Edward Weston: Revisited and Revised article you may want to peruse. .

 

[JoeFriday]

LOL.. I have to admit that a lot of my cheezy home shots involve my reflection in silly objects.. here's one I took not an hour ago with my Lumix digital (hey, it's got a Leica lens, so it's ok)

 

[Bertram2]

i
how about posting some indoor/table top shots to offer as inspiration and as a sanity saver for this old street shooter.

i need some help here folks.

joe

Joe,

table top is NOT very entertaining IMHO !
How about inviting some green-eyed redheads for a glass of champagne or two, to shoot some portraits ? Or whatever kinda pics? :angel:

Best,
Bertram

 

[Frank Granovski]

Joe, go to Sears, The Bay, the mall, and shoot some dummies---mannequins, dolls, stuffed things, strange people---but don't take my picture.

Sears usually has the best lighting, I've found.

Then there's always outdoor street portraiture. Hey, there's MacDonald's, a donut shop, and that young chick you know who wants to be pretty in pictures. 😉

 

[Bobbo]

Street shots of cold people outside window shopping for christmas?

Soup up some Tri-X to 1600 and take that 50/1.5 to a hockey or basketball game...alwasy does it for me, and you get to be inside🙂.

 

[Todd.Hanz]

Shoot some selfy's near a window and practice your exposures, isolate something in the snow like a leaf, play with photoshop and learn something new, take an hour or so off the RFF then comeback and see how bad we've screwed stufff up. I don't do many table top shots but here are some I've tried.

Todd

 

[Kin Lau]

Not shot with an RF, but at least it's a shot of an RF 🙂

You'll have to excuse the polaroid quality... I didn't pull it out right.

210/5.6 Symmar on a Calumet 4x5 with a swing to get the plane of focus diagonal across the front of the camera... otherwise only the viewfinder window would be in focus.

Oh yes.... on the ground glass, everythings upside down _and_ backwards 😀

 

[raid]

Drive down to Florida and enjoy some warmer weather, Joe. Well, this is one suggestion. If this one is not working for you, how about this; try some indoor modeling with a friend. Experiment with different light sources. If this fails, go to Starbucks and drink some good hot coffee, and take photos of coffee achievers there.

 

[JoeFriday]

joe, if you decide to take off.. you might want to let one of us know this time 😀

 

[Chaser]

In all seriousness you could track down some people to do nudes with ... if you are into nudes and can find some willing bodies. Or you could invite some people or just one person over and do some portraits...

 

[JoeFriday]

maybe you can find some victims at www.musecube.com

 

[DougK]

If you're feeling the itch to shoot, it probably wouldn't hurt to scratch it. I usually resist going outside with my camera during the winter but once I talk myself into going it's hard to come back in. I kind of like going out when it's bleak and drab because it's a bigger challenge to find interesting photos. If nothing else, you can get a bit of light exercise which by itself might help cheer you up.

Dang, now I really want to go shoot too... better start thinking about which camera to use since it'll take me a while to decide :bang:.

 

[wlewisiii]

If you need the street shooting experiance, organize a nice big party at your house and then settle into a corner and let things... develope... 😀

I will get my butt out this weekend and burn some film in the 7! I don't like the cold, but I grew up here. I can do what I need to do...

William

 

[Frank Granovski]

Yes, nudes. You can get them from any escort service 24 hours a day. (Ask for the redhead with the big bumps.)

 

[eli griggs]

Old shoes, hats and white shirts on hangers. Reflections in metal and glass. Shadows, mealsand drinks before, during and after stages, old mementos, dusty corners in attic, basement, shed( keep a look out for an old Parker for me!) and the contents of old trunks, suitcases and boxes long forgotten. Tools, plumbing, light fixtures; collections of anything numbering more than two. Neighbors, Neighbors homes, sheds, gardens, kids, family members, pets, hobbies and chintz. Hunters and Vets with favorite guns/trophies/photos. Woodworkers in their shops.

Away from the block...

I don't know what kind of access you can get but off hand the following suggest themselves to me. The lobbies of large buildings for interesting silhouettes and offices with natural light. Thrift stores, hardware stores, feed stores, china shops, antique shops, fire stations, train stations, police stations, military facilities, truck stops, pool halls, hotel bars with/without musicians/bands, local schools and school events, factories, animal shelters, stables and farms. How about some day trips by train or bus to places you've never been?

Ride-alongs with cops, taxi drivers, meals-on wheels and local bus services.

Remember to bracket and don’t forget to keep us posted with pics and updates!

Cheers