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Old 18th July 2014, 07:57 AM
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GoodOldNorm GoodOldNorm is offline
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Default Photographing whats in front of you.

Do you photograph what you see in front of you even if it means the result may be dull or at best ordinary? I often find myself in places where I know I will not be visiting again, I do my best to make use of the light available but I usually just end up with a record of where I have been with no outstanding photographs. For me the photos I make in such situations are just memories captured to remind me of my travels in later years.
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Old 18th July 2014, 11:29 AM
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Sure, I take photos every day, and most of my photos are ordinary From tome to time I go trough the piles of negatives and wish I'd taken even more photos!
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Old 18th July 2014, 12:01 PM
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I usually plan to go somewhere that I think will provide good opportunities. Even then, I often find that my first shot or two are the ones I like best. I go through a routine of taking shots from a variety of angles, and perhaps changing lens, depth of field etc, but the view I 'instinctively'(?) found seems to work best. Lately, I have taken less shots when out and about, but not specifically on a photographic mission. I do pack a camera, but results have been disappointing when I'm not focused on photography. I can feel a bit disheartened if I look at a set of negatives I've just processed and think that there are none I would like to print. Medium format helps because of the limited number of frames. I tend be more selective , with less repetition of similar subjects.
Alex
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Old 18th July 2014, 12:59 PM
JOReynolds JOReynolds is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alexmuir View Post
Medium format helps because of the limited number of frames. I tend be more selective , with less repetition of similar subjects.
Alex
I too think that the pallava associated with heavier, bulkier equipment improves image quality. I borrowed a compact digital a while back and took lousy pics - it was just too easy to snap, snap, snap.
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Old 18th July 2014, 04:44 PM
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Martin Aislabie Martin Aislabie is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alexmuir View Post
Medium format helps because of the limited number of frames. I tend be more selective , with less repetition of similar subjects.
Alex
If you think MF restricts you - try LF

Or you could just try going out for a whole day with only one roll or even a part used roll.

Actually, I'm not against people going snap, snap, snap, with a 35mm - as long as they learn from studying their mistakes. Its part of ones personal development as a photographer.

However, some people never seem to move on from the machine gunning technique, hoping that just one of their millions of frames might be OK~ish.

Eventually, most of us learn than its quality not quantity that counts.

Learning to look very carefully before trying to take a shot is good practice for all photographers - it just seems like the slower the process the more critical ones eye.

I have, more times than I care to remember, have spent half an hour or more trying to frame a shot with my LF, using different view points and/or different lenses, swing, shift, rise & fall, then come to the conclusion that the shot isn't that special and put away my camera.

On the other hand the right subject and in the right light, almost everything works.

Landscape photography on a bad day can be very character building.

Martin
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Old 18th July 2014, 05:00 PM
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Why would anyone want to restrict themselves from taking lots of photos?
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Old 18th July 2014, 06:06 PM
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I'm not a recorder of things, no matter what.
Often I'll take a camera with me on the off chance that I may see a scene worth shooting, 9 times out of 10 the frame count will stay the same.
I like to shoot with intention, with a purpose, which is restrictive if you'd rather just shoot anything and everything.
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Old 18th July 2014, 06:50 PM
marty marty is offline
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I always do my best to look with attention at everything that passes in front of my eyes. When I am in place where I know there are low chances to come back I try hard to find the "interesting" shot, sometimes happens sometimes not, and in the latter case I just bring home a mere "memory" shot. Better than nothing, if I came home with no shot it just wouldn't feel right, it would feel like not having done my thing, if you know what I mean. It's hard to admit but most of my pictures are just ordinary pictures... But still I try hard. That said I take lots of pictures only when I feel the place and the light have a great potential, otherwise it's just a couple of snaps for memory. For places I can reasonably reach by car it's obviously easier to go there on purpose when I know the light it's right and do a "conscious" job.

Cheers, M.-
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Old 18th July 2014, 06:53 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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for my personal work I tend to restrict myself to 1 roll of film, whether it be 35mm or MF, I go for a good walk, and always take 1 camera, usually a fixed lens such as a Rolleiflex, of one of my may folders, and 1 roll of film, which I find concentrates my mind to get at least 2 or 3 good photographs on that roll, I also tend to walk the same areas, I am familier with them, and always am looking for that something different, and it is a rare day that I don't finish the roll, and there is always something a little different, at least 2 or 3 ''winning'' shots, and with MF, with only 12 or 16 frames, I very often come back with at least half of the frames worth printing
Richard
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Old 18th July 2014, 08:43 PM
big paul big paul is offline
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Norm I take a camera with me everywhere (well almost) and as I type there is a Nikon F5 with a roll of tri-x and a 300mm AF lens fitted and a RB67 PRO SD with a roll of fp4 ,sitting on my dinning table next to me .when I go out I may take one exposure or three rolls it all depends ,the trouble is sometimes we don't know if a photo that we have taken will be better with age ,photographs that I have taken in the 1970s are very valuable to me and if I had a time machine I would go back and take more ,but at the time I thought I had taken enough ,and yes I have got a habit of photographing things in front of me and behind and left and right ..I like to record things I see ,I am not an arty photographer and I am not a great photographer or that great in the darkroom ,I don't earn a living out of it but I feel that I need to take photos and dev and print them to a standard that makes me happy ,it makes me feel that I have achieved something ,and it fulfils some kind of need in me ..as others here I enjoy the proses using a cameras clicking the shutter ,then going home and developing the film ,and then printing some up ,and I will revisit my negs at a later date ,to look at them with new eyes so to speak ,and anyway who are we to say that we have taken or not an iconic photograph its up to others I think ,so I will keep on taking photographs and one day you never know...by the way on my website I have had ,total page views 172204 and total photo views 121302 views and my FADU link has had 30 clicks and I get visitors from all over the world to my site ..I have spent a lot of money over the years on my photography ,for no financial reward ,but for just the great pleasure that it has and is giving me ,and others ..........I hope.......




www.essexcockney.com
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