What is your "Comfort Zone"?

[FrankS]

I think street photographers who are too shy to take shots other than of people's backs, are operating inside their comfort zone, and need to get out of their comfort zone in order to take more interesting pictures. As an example.

 

[Hsg]

"You know why I quit playing ballads? 'Cause I love playing ballads."

-Miles Davis

The only difference is that none of 'us' are like Miles Davis or anyone famous. Whether we take photos of cats or fire hydrants or the back of people's heads, no one cares!

So lets not delude ourselves. As long as we have a comfort zone and that comfort zone does not infringe on other people's comfort zone, we should be happy. There is no demand for us to do anything, because we're nobodys.

 

[FrankS]

There is only the drive for self improvement.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I think street photographers who are too shy to take shots other than of people's backs, are operating inside their comfort zone, and need to get out of their comfort zone in order to take more interesting pictures. As an example.

Dear Frank,

Very true. But anyone whose comfort zone is that small is, as I put it in the opening post, is likely to be "so awful and unimaginative that just about anything will be an improvement on the garbage [they] are churning out".

In other words, they're not street photographers at all. They're not even wannabe street photographers. Their "comfort zone" would be learning how to take good street photographs. But they don't even want to attempt to get into a comfort zone.

All right, it's not great street photography -- http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps street.html -- but unless you can muster at least this much, the phrase "comfort zone" is all but synonymous with "couch potato".

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Roger this is very interesting, and an issue that plagues me.
My comfort zone has always been "portraits" of single objects and some still lifes (you can see my web page below). I seriously love doing that, and (IMO) am good at it. But .....

In my mind, I have beaten that theme to death, and badger myself with "Jees, Dave, not another still life!"

For several years now I have been trying to get people into my pictures. Not posed, just people doing something. But I can't get that done right, so I fall back and do another still life photo. (Maybe it's a "control" issue?)
It still excites me to do still life scenes, but I want to do new things . I just can't move into that larger world.

"Comfort" is a two edged sword.

Dear Dave,

Beautifully put. Yes, when you feel it's time to move on, it's time to move on. And it can be difficult, as well you know. But the thing is, you're trying to establish a new comfort zone -- in which I wish you every success -- and you know that "comfort zone" and "easy" don't necessarily match at first.

Cheers,

R.

 

[randolph45]

I think street photographers who are too shy to take shots other than of people's backs, are operating inside their comfort zone, and need to get out of their comfort zone in order to take more interesting pictures. As an example.

I like the sound of that.
Besides the exposures under my rock are way too long and always come out very dark.
Just not enough outside influence.

 

[JP Owens]

My observation is that the comfort zone of most people who call themselves photographers is anywhere but taking photographs.

They have no photographic comfort zone. They aren't even in the game. Cool gear? Check. Dog-eared copy of "On Photography"? Check. DXO Mark score on all their lenses? Check. But the gear is in "Like New" condition and has "only 2000 clicks" after a year of ownership.

At the very least our comfort zone should be somewhere in the game. It seems to me that an awful lot of "photographers" spend too much time cheering from the bleachers.

<Rant Mode Off>

 

[Daniel Teoli Jr.]

Good thread! There is a saying "If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes." - John Wooden

Sure, I'd like to be a conflict / worldwide social doc photog. But I'm going on 61 and health is so-so. Nothing to prove, I don't want to be beheaded or die of Ebola. But I try to push myself locally.

I have a number of projects I want to do. They require cooperation from people. It always take effort to work on connections. I met one contact yesterday that would have been promising. But the person said they got it all covered with their own cell phone cam.

That is how it is a lot of the time nowadays with people I approach for a project. If they have a cell phone cam and a $50 ink jet printer from Walmart they don't need me.

In the 1970's photography was more of a mystery and it was much easier to get cooperation. Of course you still see tons of photogs every day getting cooperation with great projects. But that is not how it works for me. I have to dig hard to get projects and cooperation.

You probably couldn't do this book nowadays in the US anyway with all the privacy laws.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3869305355/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Just depends on being at the right place at the right time...and having basic skills to bring the project home.

 

[Daniel Teoli Jr.]

My observation is that the comfort zone of most people who call themselves photographers is anywhere but taking photographs.

They have no photographic comfort zone. They aren't even in the game. Cool gear? Check. Dog-eared copy of "On Photography"? Check. DXO Mark score on all their lenses? Check. But the gear is in "Like New" condition and has "only 2000 clicks" after a year of ownership.

At the very least our comfort zone should be somewhere in the game. It seems to me that an awful lot of "photographers" spend too much time cheering from the bleachers.

<Rant Mode Off>

Good summation!

 

[Daniel Teoli Jr.]

... yes, and advising the study of other photographers photos is another odd one ... why would anyone want to take anything but their own style of photograph

... yes, and advising the study of other photographers photos is another odd one ... why would anyone want to take anything but their own style of photograph

Art has a long history of copying and paying homage to mentors. If your a creative genius fine, you may not need to ever look at another's work. You may know everything under the sun, so why bother wasting time. But for me, without learning from others, I'd be nowhere.


Avedon learned from his mentor Munkacsi


https://duccnguyen.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/martin-munkacsi-the-pudle-jumper-1934.jpg?w=625&h=782


http://www.speedlighter.ca/wp-conte...homage-to-munkacsi-guys-jumping-umbrella1.jpg


Munkacsi also inspired Cartier-Bresson to get into documentary photography with this shot.


https://iconicphotos.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/munckacsispokenbybresson1.jpg?w=700


Munkacsi has also inspired and taught me.


I expose myself to a varied diet of life and 'others' art to always learn and grow.

 

[Daniel Teoli Jr.]

I think street photographers who are too shy to take shots other than of people's backs, are operating inside their comfort zone, and need to get out of their comfort zone in order to take more interesting pictures. As an example.

True.

When it comes to shooting people from behind on the street...that would make a good thread of its own.

I do it sometimes, but to succeed the pix has to have an 'answer back' that holds one's attention and is not just boring back's of people.

http://danielteolijr.tumblr.com/image/41366644596

http://danielteolijr.tumblr.com/image/41195534285

The photo should be focused and not just a snapshot of mish-mash you see a lot of on the net. The one's that smack of "Hey...look at what I did...I shot some random people on the street!"

I usually have no problem getting into a person's face to shoot if I want or their back. It is good to be 'ambidextrous' so to speak when it comes to street work. But shots from behind can be winners too.

 

[Roger Hicks]

My observation is that the comfort zone of most people who call themselves photographers is anywhere but taking photographs.

They have no photographic comfort zone. They aren't even in the game. Cool gear? Check. Dog-eared copy of "On Photography"? Check. DXO Mark score on all their lenses? Check. But the gear is in "Like New" condition and has "only 2000 clicks" after a year of ownership.

At the very least our comfort zone should be somewhere in the game. It seems to me that an awful lot of "photographers" spend too much time cheering from the bleachers.

<Rant Mode Off>

YES!

This was a large part of what I was getting at. "Comfort Zone" is taking pictures, not whingeing about the difficulty of trying something new.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Robin P]

But the gear is in "Like New" condition and has "only 2000 clicks" after a year of ownership.

2000 clicks in a year is more than 5 exposures per day - plenty. A film a week.
I realise that some professionals have to shoot scatter gun fashion to insure that they have at least one good shot from the hundreds they take but I'm suspicious of amateurs that do the same.
Amateurs - Enjoy the luxury of considering the shot before you press the shutter button, you'll reap the rewards of having less dross to sift through when you get home.
I'm out of my comfort zone when I have too many similar shots to choose from 🙂

 

[Bob Michaels]

I have been thinking about "comfort zone" ever since Roger broached the topic but found it difficult to express my thoughts.

I do know that I only take consistently moderately good photos when I am in my comfort zone. But those are not the photos I want since I have already done more of those in my lifetime than needed. I find when I am out of that comfort zone is typically when I get those special photos I want.

I need that self induced tension sometime in my emotional state or sometimes with the subject, sometimes both. There must be some element of randomness. Sometimes simple confusion is even better.

I find I do well when I am lost, when it is an unfamiliar culture, when I am language constrained, or even when the technical conditions are challenging.

I sense that too many photographers are afraid of failure. They are satisfied to shoot 100 frames and have 98 good ones. I am happy when I shoot 100 frames, have 99 stinkers, and one that really sings out what I want it to say. I am even willing to accept 100 stinkers if I sense the next time I may hit a home run.

 

[Paul Jenkin]

There are too many things to see, ideas to work with and experiments to try to allow myself to get into (or stay in) a comfort zone. Yes, I love landscape and travel photography - and that will probably account for the majority of what I shoot - but it doesn't have to be the same stuff all the time. I try to change things around - sometimes incrementally, sometimes more radically. I hate to be bored or feel I'm covering and re-covering old ground. Yet there's a part of me that wants to develop a photographic style and that's where it all starts to get difficult for me as most photographers with a recognisable style ternd to shoot similar subjects in a similar way.

If I had to choose, photographically, I'd go for variety over familiarity every time...

 

[Brian Atherton]

I came out of my ‘comfort zone’ a while ago, by setting up a website as a vehicle for posting images.

Years ago I joined a local camera club as an outlet for sharing my work, and left after less than a year: even though the members were a decent, welcoming bunch, I just didn’t feel involved or enthused, mostly because of the interminable and tedious discussions about the latest gear at the expense of producing photographs.

Professionally in photography over many years I enjoyed the anonymity of working for others, as I’ve always been a loner, so probably being a member of a camera club was always going to be a fail as it just doesn’t suit my personality.

Frankly, I’m a little out of my ‘comfort zone’ even discussing it here on RFF.

 

[pyeh]

I think that a lot of people who use the phrase 'comfort zone' probably don't have any real insight into themselves or realise what real discomfort can really mean. Likewise someone saying "think outside the square/box' often indicates to me that that person proably hasn't had an original thought in his life, if he uses a cliché like that, or isn't given to rigorous thought and method if all he can think of is some form of fantastical quantum leap.
What Brian Atherton alludes to is far more significant to me - an overcoming of inhibitions and a striving for new emotional challenges; to open up oneself to scrutiny and to give without receiving.

 

[emraphoto]

There is only the drive for self improvement.

Indeed mon ami. Foolish or not, getting far outside my comfort zone appears to work for me.

 

[emraphoto]

I have been thinking about "comfort zone" ever since Roger broached the topic but found it difficult to express my thoughts.

I do know that I only take consistently moderately good photos when I am in my comfort zone. But those are not the photos I want since I have already done more of those in my lifetime than needed. I find when I am out of that comfort zone is typically when I get those special photos I want.

I need that self induced tension sometime in my emotional state or sometimes with the subject, sometimes both. There must be some element of randomness. Sometimes simple confusion is even better.

I find I do well when I am lost, when it is an unfamiliar culture, when I am language constrained, or even when the technical conditions are challenging.

I sense that too many photographers are afraid of failure. They are satisfied to shoot 100 frames and have 98 good ones. I am happy when I shoot 100 frames, have 99 stinkers, and one that really sings out what I want it to say. I am even willing to accept 100 stinkers if I sense the next time I may hit a home run.

Few photographers, or artists for that matter, understand or use concepts like tension in their work. Perfectly placed compositions that follow all the rules make up 90 percent of what I see. In the comfort zone I suspect.

I thrive on tension. I create far better work with friction and limitations.

 

[Hsg]

One could work under the assumption that every photographer must try to improve and explore in order to further the art and craft of photography. That is one way of looking at it.

On the opposite is the view that the above paragraph is delusional nonsense in the face of stark reality. That reality being that there are so many photos out there that even if you did have something new, it won't be noticed because no one looks for something new in photography anymore.


Take your pick. I personally think that no one cares whatever I do photographically, so I might as well do what I enjoy.