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Lost my focus
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Hey everyone
Not sure what to be doing with myself at all. I have seemed to lost my drive and focus on photography over the last couple of months. I have had a rough start to the year loosing my grandfather and mother in the space of 3 months and it has definitely thrown my and I have lost some of my drive, photographically speaking.
Not looking for sympathy but I do need something. I need to know what advice people have to get me inspired and get be back behind the camera again
Thanks for the help
Daniel
Hi Daniel
Sorry to hear about your loss, i myself have been lacking in drive, lost my job, but kept busy with my new born,
i am planning myself to take a series of shots in the coming weeks when the evenings get shorter take shots of beech sunsets in my local area, thats if we get the weather, also thinking of doing long exposures of streets around my home town using ND filters.
Try some strobe lighting or light painting, try self portraits, possibilities or endlessphillip
How about a bit of travel? Go somewhere you haven’t gone before. Bring your camera and hopefully the newness of the place will help you get snapping again.
I’d recommend Belfast, if you haven’t been there before. I went a few years ago for relatively little money. It’s a really nice city, the people are really friendly. Most of all though, it feels just alien enough from a regular Irish city that you’ll see things a little differently and feel a little out of place.
And even if it doesn’t get you inspired again, you probably need a break after what you’ve been through.
Hi Dan.
My condolences on your losses. I lost my father last month & understand how it can effect your drive to get out there & photograph stuff. I too have not really being motivated lately, but I think that’s more to do with laziness on my part than lacking ideas on what to shoot.What I’ve started to do is, trying techniques that I haven’t tried before such as different flash techniques. I set myself a challenge & then try to come up with ideas to achieve the desired effect. Not always successful, but it keeps me shooting, even if I don’t go outside.
Setting a theme for your photographs is a great way of getting yourself motivated too. If you normally shoot landscapes (for example), shoot something completely different, such as macro, street, people etc.
We all get into a rut from time to time & it’s usually hard to come up with creative ideas. I normally look at everyday items (often things lying around the house) & try to visualise how to photograph it in a different & creative way. Sometimes, it works for me, but more often it doesn’t. If you usually shoot during the day, try some night shots. I think anything different will help to motivate you into shooting again.
If I am allowed to comment on this issue, although I’m struggling to find the right words:
Must be this very rainy day. Since morning, everyone I spoked with feels depressed due to severe grey weather. I sympathise with you and feeling sorry for your sadness. I am not always a positive person, but I suppose in moments like these we have to pick ourselves up and look into good things. None of us can say is doing spectacular, otherwise we wouldn’t be in front of the computer posting, but I feel that we can force ourselves to get better. We all shared our depressing moments, due to loved ones departures, illness or long term job losses. In times like these, friends and family are the best comfort. A good friend is your camera, too.
Give yourself a task, get it done. How about a night shoot along Liffey River when weather suits? How about thinking of organizing a PI members exhibition, with shared expenses among exhibitors? How about a similar as above, but in the form of a printed book, or an E-book, i.e. Blurb, photobook?
I hope this message will make it through.
Thats rough Daniel and you will need time to get back to “normal” dont force it but
do have a goal and a project to get stuck into when the time is right. I dont know if
you belong to a camera club or not, but if you do then make the effort to go to the
meetings as being with like minded people will get the juices flowing again, if you dont
belong to a camera club then join one, look on the site for one near you.Thanks guys. Your kind words and words of wisdom have managed to get the camera out of the bag at least!!!
I am going to set myself a project over the next couple of weeks and I will post the results up here first!
Thanks again to you all
Dan
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