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Lacking Inspiration?


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I am.

 

Went out yesterday with my smaller bag and two Sonys. The light was attractive, sunshine at a lower angle this time of year this far north. But I did no snapping. Too many negative issues crowding my day I guess. 🤔

Edited by Ed Rooney
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I get days like that (but, fortunately, not too many), when I just don't see the pictures. Not point in forcing the issue, I reckon.

 

Busy writing at the moment, for many hours each day... and that effects my ability to see pix too (so my camera is, literally, gathering dust).

 

When I take decent pix, I'm generally 'single-', not 'multi-' tasking. Not trying to do two things at once.

 

We have to be gentle with ourselfves (especially old geezers like us).

 

Put the camera back into the bag, Edo, and head to one of Liverpool's 'character' pubs, for a pint or two of warm English beer...

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17 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

I am.

 

Went out yesterday with my smaller bag and two Sonys. The light was attractive, sunshine at a lower angle this time of year this far north. But I did no snapping. Two many negative issues crowding my day I guess. 🤔

sorry to hear Edo.  I am in similar mental mode so i understand.  I actually had a decent day walking yesterday, saw decent amount of birds, including a lifer, and ended up deleting pretty much every image i took, as i found them totally uninspiring. 

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Don't try and force it Edo. What I have discovered is, being on the road full time in one of the most photogenic country on earth, you can imagine the number of images I am amassing. At the beginning of the trip, I was stressing. I would ask to stop for a few days or a week to give me a chance to edit my images for Alamy. I felt I was drowning. No more. Not because of the commission cut or anything. I just felt I was almost raping myself, stealing time on enjoyment and valuable travelling. Once I stopped doing that, I was amazed how easy it was to wait until I felt like it. No reason. One morning I wake up and want to edit. Life has got so more relaxing for me. My motto: GO WITH THE FLOW.

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31 minutes ago, gvallee said:

Don't try and force it Edo. What I have discovered is, being on the road full time in one of the most photogenic country on earth, you can imagine the number of images I am amassing. At the beginning of the trip, I was stressing. I would ask to stop for a few days or a week to give me a chance to edit my images for Alamy. I felt I was drowning. No more. Not because of the commission cut or anything. I just felt I was almost raping myself, stealing time on enjoyment and valuable travelling. Once I stopped doing that, I was amazed how easy it was to wait until I felt like it. No reason. One morning I wake up and want to edit. Life has got so more relaxing for me. My motto: GO WITH THE FLOW.

 

I aways listen to your thoughts, Gen. After all, we weathered the Sorbonne riots together. 😉

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When I leave the house I usually take a photo of something, anything, before I get too far into the walk and it sort of gets me in the mood/mindset.

 

Some time ago (2011) I took a photo of this as I was walking down the road to the park to get me in the mood and put it on Alamy. It surprised me by selling some time later (2016).

 

full-rubbish-skip-C769C1.jpg
 
 
Allan
 
Edited by Allan Bell
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I have been revisiting some of my Alamy images from about 15 years ago. Two things strike me, how poor they are technically, especially sharpness and noise and that just shows how much better the equipment is now. Secondly it has made me think about revisiting some of these places ( often within 50 miles of home) to take far better images of the places I had thought I had fully covered. I now have a list of about a dozen places to revisit, just waiting for some good weather and I will be back at it again, but with a purpose.

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Revisiting is one.

The other is keeping some sort of a digital or even paper scrapbook.

With things that come up, but are not good now or not here or need some doing.

With things that can be done better (revisiting; working the subject some more; different moods).

And last but not least simple concepts: clock on 12; 7 AM; 2 seconds to 12; clock with pub; station; people hurried; people relaxing; waiting. Cyclist going through puddle; waiting for red light; with too many shopping bags. Car tire on curb/kerb. Curb/kerb with litter; dog; kid's shoes/legs. Some sunny romantic picture on your phone of a place with the real thing behind it in the rain or just dull weather or out of season. Stuff on your phone that shows what's going on inside a closed building. Shopfronts out of focus in the background with their app or website on your phone in your hand in front. Newspaper on a table with your phone with the same newspaper. News on your phone with newspaper stand in the background. Some news on your phone like shortages or expensive gas/petrol/potatoes with blurred cars/shoppers in the background. (It's pretty easy to keep your phone and camera lined up with the background going blurry. Just rest your camera on the arm with your phone.)

 

Hmm now I have a bigger phone I could just do some of those myself.

 

wim

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I only do shooting when I am out doing something else.  Or if I am on my porch and the birds are accommodating.  I still have a few hundred images on disks I haven't even processed.  Lack of enthusiasm.  Might get around to it after the big pet expo I am going to later this month.  Busy getting ready for that.  

 

Hard to get excited to shoot when the return is so miserable.  No extra time and money will be invested to shoot any more.  Not worth it.

 

Jill

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Same here, not very inspired to go out and shoot stock, just for stock.  If I am out doing something else and an opportunity arises, I will take advantage of it.  Back in the good ole days, I put together fairly expensive trips just for the sake of stock and it was worth it...not anymore.

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6 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

I am.

 

Went out yesterday with my smaller bag and two Sonys. The light was attractive, sunshine at a lower angle this time of year this far north. But I did no snapping. Two many negative issues crowding my day I guess. 🤔

Take inspiration, Ed, that considering your circumstances (no car, small apartment, tiny kitchen) in a strange land, that without photography, it’s possible your only activity could be trimming your toenails. So get out there and shoot! Or…maybe a photo of you trimming your toenails. I’m getting close to that, myself.

 

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17 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Take inspiration, Ed, that considering your circumstances (no car, small apartment, tiny kitchen) in a strange land, that without photography, it’s possible your only activity could be trimming your toenails. So get out there and shoot! Or…maybe a photo of you trimming your toenails. I’m getting close to that, myself.

 

 

sorry, but how is not having a car a "condition"....  not having a liveable planet may be the condition we leave to future generations. 

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21 minutes ago, meanderingemu said:

 

sorry, but how is not having a car a "condition"....  not having a liveable planet may be the condition we leave to future generations. 

 

I generally leave my car at home, walk or take the bus.

 

Definitely lacking inspiration these days, though. All the rain here doesn't help either.

 

As Gen said, one has to go with the flow.

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Went out to shoot landscape the other day but the lighting was difficult. Nevertheless I fired off a few shots with auto-bracketing on at -2, 0 and +2 EV with little expectation of getting anything useful. Although none of the individual shots was usable (totally blown shadows or blocked out highlights) I tried Merge to HDR Pro... in Photoshop and also tried Aurora HDR and it looks like something usable can be saved from the day after all.

 

 Mark

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1 minute ago, John Mitchell said:

 

I generally leave my car at home, walk or take the bus.

 

Definitely lacking inspiration these days, though. All the rain here doesn't help either.

 

As Gen said, one has to go with the flow.

i have access to car sharing, but have stayed away, if i can't get there by my own means or public transport i will be off limit for now.  Got a bike when i got to Halifax- seriously pondering an ebike if i am going to use this as a base for a few years.  

 

but same on inspiration.  See plenty of stuff i should get camera out, and i don't....  maybe following Allen's approach to get that one shot out, at least gets the camera out of the backpack.   

 

one thing i started doing bird wise, is to try and take picture I Like of common birds.  Having fun with nuthatches this week. probably not much stock chances there, but if it keeps me going that is good

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12 minutes ago, meanderingemu said:

i have access to car sharing, but have stayed away, if i can't get there by my own means or public transport i will be off limit for now.  Got a bike when i got to Halifax- seriously pondering an ebike if i am going to use this as a base for a few years.  

 

but same on inspiration.  See plenty of stuff i should get camera out, and i don't....  maybe following Allen's approach to get that one shot out, at least gets the camera out of the backpack.   

 

one thing i started doing bird wise, is to try and take picture I Like of common birds.  Having fun with nuthatches this week. probably not much stock chances there, but if it keeps me going that is good

 

E-bikes are all over the place in Vancouver. I'd love one, but they ain't exactly cheap. Probably a good investment, though, and of course much less expensive than a car. I imagine that theft can be a problem. I would be hesitant to leave one sitting around in a public place for very long.

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1 hour ago, meanderingemu said:

 

sorry, but how is not having a car a "condition"....  not having a liveable planet may be the condition we leave to future generations. 

Don’t you know a joke when you see it? I would imagine Ed does. He has an amazing sense of humor, especially about himself. As I do. Maybe you just don’t understand yankee humor.

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23 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Don’t you know a joke when you see it? I would imagine Ed does. He has an amazing sense of humor, especially about himself. As I do. Maybe you just don’t understand yankee humor.

I’m contemplating my navel , now…wondering if it’s a photographic subject. Oh no! I’ll spare everyone!

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2 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

Take inspiration, Ed, that considering your circumstances (no car, small apartment, tiny kitchen) in a strange land, that without photography, it’s possible your only activity could be trimming your toenails. So get out there and shoot! Or…maybe a photo of you trimming your toenails. I’m getting close to that, myself.

 

 

Inspiration here. 😁

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Yankee humour, Betty? Sounds like something that might call for medication. And as coincidence has it, I trimmed my toenails this morning. 

 

You're in the wrong part of Kansas to get that great BBQ I had in Kansas City. Famous place, but I've forgotten the name.

 

The fireworks have started; it's Guy Fawkes Day. I don't do fireworks unless they're using a Howitzer. 

Edited by Ed Rooney
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9 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Yankee humour, Betty? Sounds like something that might call for medication. And as coincidence has it, I trimmed my toenails this morning. 

 

You're in the wrong part of Kansas to get that great BBQ I had in Kansas City. Famous place, but I've forgotten the name.

 

The fireworks have started; it's Guy Fawkes Day. I don't do fireworks unless they're using a Howitzer. 

 

I remember Guy Fawkes Day when I was a little kid living in London. It scared the pants off me. Vancouver has recently banned fireworks except for public displays, a good thing IMO.

 

There probably is no cure... 🤠

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15 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

We just had the third false alarm today. Madness.

 

Yup, it's tough to find anything good to say about fireworks. Not only are they bad for humans but for other sentient beings as well. They must terrify birds and other wildlife, not to mention pets. You need to talk with Mr. Fawkes about this... 🎆

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18 minutes ago, John Mitchell said:

 

Yup, it's tough to find anything good to say about fireworks. Not only are they bad for humans but for other sentient beings as well. They must terrify birds and other wildlife, not to mention pets. You need to talk with Mr. Fawkes about this... 🎆

My brother's dog, as a puppy, ran 1 mile to home after being scared by fireworks.

Fast forward a couple of years and the dog still avoiding the area where was scared...

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