How do you get out of a photography rut?

[gail bisson]

I find myself in a real rut these last 2 weeks. Everything looks the same and I am never happy with any of my shots- too far, too close, same bird, ugly pose, etc etc
I had the day off yesterday so I spent the whole day visiting my various favorite sites, took 801 images and deleted all but 3 when I came home. I didn't like any of them yet I am sure that there were some decent shots in there. I am just tired of my same stuff.
So to get out of this rut:
I have decided that I will not touch the camera for 2 weeks to give myself a break.
I will go out with only my 100-400 (to stop the long lens tunnel view thinking) on my next day out.
I will look more at OOTB stuff although that really isn't my cup of tea.
I will drool over Nick Brandt's and other photographer's websites and get inspired but not mimic.
I will give all my gear a good cleaning.
I will __________________________________. You ( the viewer) fill in the blank here!

Gail
PS I am not depressed!! So no Prozac for me ...yet!!

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Gail - aside from putting down the camera, maybe shoot something totally different for a short period e.g. no birds. Try shooting landscapes, flora, other wildlife or people to experiment a bit.

I'm sure you'll shake off the feeling shortly and I am also sure you are being too tough on yourself and your images.

Rachel

[shane shacaluga]

I would suggest giving macro a shot, instead of looking far and wide, look close around your feet for a while ;)


Other option is to go on a holiday and shoot other species not found in your area

Good luck and keep sharing those awesome shots!

[Randy Stout]

Gail:

I do think that sometimes a two week hiatus can recharge your batteries, no photography. Your idea of switching things up when you restart is also helpful.

You have been hitting it very intensely for a while now, give yourself a chance to catch your breath, let your muse surface.

Cheers

Randy

[Bill Jobes]

Hi Gail,

I've was a photojournalist for daily newspapers back in the film and darkroom days. When I began to explore digital photography in 2005, I found my life's passion re-ignited.

I soon plunged headlong into avian photography, and pursued it on an almost daily basis for a couple of years. And eventually, I burned out.

The fire ebbed. I too got weary of my subjects and my treatment of them. I desperately needed a new challenge.

This has happened three times since 2005. The first time, I simply let the gear lie idle. Eventually the inspiration returned.

Next time it happened, I decided to change directions completely. I started to explore macro, landscapes, cityscapes, and other genres.

To my surprise and delight, I was thrilled with the results and the renewed sense of discovery.

You can see how all this turned out by visiting my web site: www.billjobes.com

You'll see many avian photos, but much more. Looking at it again just now, I see it's very representative of the experiences I described.

I have even returned to sports photojournalism, which you can see at: www.starpowerpictures.com

These divergent excursions re-charged my creative batteries for nature and wildlife, and empowered me to return with renewed enthusiasm to bird photography, which still anchors all my photo interests.

One of the best things I ever did was to park the super tele lenses for a while, purchase a 30mm 1.4 lens, and just walk around town and nearby cities. You may wish to consider that.

But not to worry. No matter how you redirect yourself in the interim, I predict there's a good chance that you, too, will return to avian with a new sense of purpose.

- Bill

[Jim Neiger]

Gail,

You have hit the wall. Now raising your own bar has become very, very difficult. I suggest you spend some time thinking about what you have observed while in the field and try to envision images that if you were able to make them would get you excited and raise the bar. Then try to make a plan that makes it possible to get the images you have envisioned. Then go out and execute your plan until you get the image you want. Some images come easy, others take months, and some never happen. Its the pursuit of these images that will keep your blood pumping. Good luck!

[Roman Kurywczak]

Very interesting question Gail and I find photographers who concentrate on one thing often get that way. Rachel and Shane have touched on something I was going to suggest......expand your horizons! Photographers who are one dimensional often burn out or stagnate. I have never stood before a grand landscape and have felt that way because more often than not.....you don't get the shot as either the weather or the light doesn't cooperate! The "almosts" I call them. Pushing yourself and expanding your boundaries may seem scary at first......but you will quickly see that when you are learning and still photographing, it gives you ideas to try in your "specialty". Macro has taught me to see. Landscapes photography has taught me patience. You don't like morning/afternoon landscapes.....try night. Push yourself and your craft to the limits. Macro photography is the most accessible as you can go buy flowers any time of year.....shoot them indoors with different lighting....it teaches you to understand and see light. There is no failure in photography......unless you don't learn from it. I teach this philosophy and try to live by it. these days I spend way too much time behind the computer and look forward to photographing anything! Get out of that comfort zone and push yourself and your gear!

[dankearl]

Gail,
I got tired of chasing birds around and just put up the big lens, bought a FF landscape lens, some new filters and
have been just doing that for a couple of months.
I am already looking forward to fall and winter and the "bird" season again.
I will continue doing both however as I enjoy both disciplines.
I loved your Moon photo, maybe try more of that if that interests you.

[Grace Scalzo]

For me it can be as simple as finding some new, interesting, and fun subjects...no matter what lens you choose. Even returning to some old friends ( night herons in my case) can be fun. Tell their stories, see the humor in them, spend time in their world, whether you get a picture or not. Let go of the pressure to always come back from a shoot with something spectacular...you've set your own bar way high, but it doesn't always happen, and most often does when you least expect it. And always, if I may quote Chas Glatzer, shoot the light.

[Iain Barker]

Hi Gail

I definitely think trying a different sort of photography will help. I took a break for a week recently and went to an airshow where photographing the jets seem easy compared to birds is flight. Now I can't wait to get back to the birds again.
I do hope you get over this as your images are stunning. I wish I could get stuck in a rut where all my images were all the same as yours!

[Daniel Cadieux]

Is it photography rut in general or just bird photography?

There are times during the year that bird photography slows down due slower bird activity so I turn to macro...insects, flowers, mushrooms, patterns found in nature, etc. Whenever this happens I seem to get a rejuvenation of excitement about bird photography. Although for me it is not a rut in itself, it makes me wonder if those short "bird breaks" help in keeping it fresh for me. So yes, I do think concentrating on other subjects may help you.

It may also be a good time to go back and process files you may have not had time to do. If you accumulate to many un-processed files before going out on other outings it can get a bit daunting and overwhelming knowing you have all these files yet to process...with other outings looming around the corner to accumulate yet another bunch of images that you will put aside due to yet another outing to...well, you get my point :-)

Grace is correct, putting to much pressure to deliver can lead to un-needed stress and disappointment in what should be fun hobby. Been there, done that. I've trained myself to be satisfied of an outing even when nothing good photography-wise has come from it.

Anyhow, a short break from it all to re-charge the batteries (yours, not the camera's!) will surely not do any harm...you've been quite busy travelling and living the bird photographer's dream that you may simply need a breather. But not for too long please because we want to see some new stuff from you soon!!

[Jerry van Dijk]

Hi Gail, some great advice already given (including by yourself!). An additional tip would be to not go for single, technically perfect images depicting the birds in all their beauty and at great light, but follow a documentary approach and tell the story of a single species' complete ecology and life cycle. It will challenge you to learn a lot about your subjects (probably including things you never knew) and to use all this knowledge to plan ahead to be there at the right time in the right place to capture all those special moments and behaviours. You'll go far beyond the focus on image quality and having the right light. You might even add the story in words to the pictures and make a complete documentary.
Getting inspired by other photographers with a completely different style (whether you like it or not) has helped me tremendously to take the next steps in my photography. My current favorite nature photography book noted that many photographers stay in a 'registering' style. They depict the different species in a very nice way with technical perfection, but that's it, while the really big shot photographers focus on getting a (often emotional) message across with their image. It triggered me in trying out a more painterly style, making more use of the environment of a species like OOF colors and elements in combination with classical compositional rules, that I saw some other photographers doing. Here's a link to the website of a real expert in more 'impressionist' photography I learned a lot from: http://www.photo-moments.nl/2011/nl/...geid=1&divid=1 (it's in Dutch, but you'll recognize the word portfolio to get you to the images)
Working with restrictions also really helped. Just get yourself to a nice area with only one lens and just make it work, even if it's not really suited to the situation. You'll be frustrated at first, but it force you to learn to see with new eyes.
And I find it very relaxing to visit my photography subjects without my camera and just enjoy looking at them without constantly thinking about best compositions (you'll have a hard time doing that the first few times!). It will strengthen the bond you have with them already.
Best of luck!

[gail bisson]

WOW! Thanks everyone for the great ideas!
I have decided that in 2 weeks I will work on the beautiful fall foliage Cape Breton is famous for and if I happen to "accidentally" include a bird in the photo you will forgive me!
I put my 600 in the case it comes in and moved it to the farthest recess of a storage closet to remove any temptations.
I just finished meticulously cleaning my tripod by disassembling all the legs, clean out all the sand in the threads with a soft toothbrush and greased the threads. This will make me think twice about submerging it in salt water and sand and mud as I will have to clean it again.
The funny thing is that I am already looking forward to using my camera in 2 weeks now that I have imposed a moratorium on my photography!
Gail

[gail bisson]

I had a look at your website Bill. Some really nice shots. My favs were Autumn Eagle, Old Door and Tree, Barn Door and Yellow Leaf Road. What filters or effects did you use for Yellow leaf road?
gail

[Nancy Bell]

Just another thought....take a walk every day without your camera. Just swing your arms and stretch your legs. Clean your closets or garage. Read a book (not about photography!). Cook a meal with an unusual ingredient. Just do something very, very different. Maybe incorporate this into your weekly routines.

[Melissa Groo]

Gail, I think it sounds like you have a good plan. Forcing yourself to use a different lens, and to take some landscape images, will really challenge you to look at things differently. One thing you can do that incorporates the landscape thing with the birds is really focus on getting good habitat shots. Make the bird small in the frame and really give a sense of how it lives its life. Of course you can do this with all wildlife--deer, fox, etc.
You might also get inspired by doing some photography with a purpose. Find some sort of conservation effort locally that is focused on a particular species or habitat, and offer to contribute some photos to the effort. That can really help to motivate.
Your eye and work are so stellar that I look forward to seeing the results of whatever path you take.

[John Chardine]

Hi Gail- For me photography is so vast and completely open-ended that at 60 years of age I will not live long enough to get to the end: a whole lifetime is not enough! In fact the only things that have interested me in my life are those that are impossible to master. I think an appreciation of the size of the photography universe is enough, at least for me, to keep the home fires burning.

I will add that I have started to print my images and this seemingly simple act has opened up a whole new universe.

[Arthur Morris]

1-Take a walk with your least used lens with no tripod.
2-Go to the Southern Oceans
3-Try for some pleasing blurs.

[Michael Gerald-Yamasaki]

Gail,

Greetings. One thing about OOTB that I find particularly inspiring is the bi-weekly themes. Something along those lines (shooting to a specific task chosen by someone else) might work for you.

Cheers,

-Michael-

[Bill Jobes]

I had a look at your website Bill. Some really nice shots. My favs were Autumn Eagle, Old Door and Tree, Barn Door and Yellow Leaf Road. What filters or effects did you use for Yellow leaf road?
gail

Thanks for the kind words, Gail.

Yellow Leaf Road was shot with a Canon 14-24 lens only using a UV haze filter. I did some light processing using Topaz Simplify 4, but I don't recall the details, as it was a few years ago.

I was fortunate to come across that abandoned road in the woods, before any wind scattered the leaves that had fallen overnight.

[gail bisson]

Thanks everyone for the great ideas.

1-Take a walk with your least used lens with no tripod. Easily done and will do that in 2 weeks! No camera until then to recharge the batteries.
2-Go to the Southern Oceans . I am going to the Falklands with Emily in January. We have had that trip planned for a year now.
3-Try for some pleasing blurs. I make lots of" not-so-pleasing blurs!" Does that count?

[BobbyPerkins]

I understand your frustration and alot of great advice here. Sometimes a change in approach makes all the difference in personal vision. I really liked what Jim Brandenburg did when he did "Chased by the Light". Where he tells the story of how one of the greatest nature photographers renewed himself through a Zen-like exploration of his craft and the untamed north woods, taking just one photograph a day for 90 days.
Perhaps a little extreme medicine there, but an inspiring story & work none the less.

Good Luck to you, every day is New day, like nature full of Renewel

[Marina Scarr]

What I did last year was macro, and I loved it. You'll use different equipment and techniques; learn a lot more about flash; look for and photograph subjects in a totally different manner. Afterwards I did some posting in the macro forum and had fun while learning a lot. Scan the other forums and other photography websites to see what else might float your boat.

I also agree that going out with ONLY a lens you rarely use a great idea. Also, when you are out with your long lens, think about how you could capture your subjects from a different and unique perspective with a short/wide lens.

There is also watching educational videos on PS and/or your plugins. On adobetv they are free. There is also lynda.com which is not free but probably worth the money. There are many utube videos out there on just about anything you wish to learn.

I am confident that it will all come together for you.

[Martin Dunn]

There are occasions when I really cannot be bothered to lug 15kg of camera gear around, especially if I am fairly sure that there will be no need for long lenses and tripods.
So, when I am visiting a country where I don't expect to encounter wildlife I just take a compact camera with me. I use a Fujifilm X10 - I like it because it has a proper viewfinder.
At first it feels strange but it is amazing how liberating it can be when you don't have to think about which lens to use. It's a bit like the old days with a 35mm SLR and just a prime 50mm lens. You have to go looking for shots that will work with the equipment you have at hand rather than carrying equipment to cater for every eventuality.

[Clyde Hopper]

I sometimes go out and just leave the camera at home . Those are the days I see so many potential Master pieces .............Next day ,I go back out and try ,to make those "Master Pieces" a reality . But then again ,I do a good amount of portrait / people . Sometimes, Getting to be alone in the wilds is a welcomed silence !

[Chuck Nolan]

Just get out there and keep shooting, even when your mood is telling you otherwise. That tends to work for me.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Gail wow what a thread, I guess most people have had similar experiences to some extent. I agree with the suggestions and I will try them myself, just to encourage you thou, when I first got my 100-400 in the first few days I used it solely. On one day I got birds, insects and flowers, and I was amazed at the versatility of the lens. If you go after dragonflies and butterflies and moths you will not be bored in fact it will be touch and go which is best birds or macro! (keep the 1.4TC handy just in case)