Getting bored with macro?

LV Moose wrote in post #15828450

Nah. A year ago it would've; a Canon 100-400 is now atop my short list.

I just got one from a dentist's wife. She bought it because her friend is a photog, but she never used it. Her husband used it a few times at nascar races, but that's it. I got a practically new lens for about half price. I love it. It makes a great macro lens too.

You might also try destination shoots. Like national parks. Canon even has some free classes at some of the parks. They even loan you any gear you want. I went to Yosemite last summer. I got to hook up my camera to a 12oomm. You could make out people on Half Dome from Glacier Point, 3 miles away! I've been back twice since then. There's so much to shoot, not to mention just being there. A buddy of mine and I got up at 3am to get there at sunrise. Awesome.

For a destination shoot, you could also try something like Doug Gartner's Wild Photo Adventures. His tv series was very good.

I see nothing wrong with moving on from hobbies that no longer suit you. Life is most enjoyable when we do things that light that fire of anticipation in our brains. The problem is that it is unlikely any one activity will sustain that fire for a lifetime. I obsessed about tennis for 12 years as a young person, but when that got old, I found a new obsession in golf. After about 12 more years of that, I moved on to photography. I think that for me, at least, the transitions occurred largely because the most thrilling thing in any activity is the sensation of improvement. The problem is that this sensation is very easy to come by at first, because we make measurable improvements on a regular basis in novel tasks. As time wears on, however, it takes more and more effort to get less and less improvement until we get to a point where it would take 100% effort all day every day just to gain the tiniest increase in skill. For me, that is the point where I lose my interest in something. That said, I feel no obligation to continue doing it or mourn the loss of interest, because there is always some new exciting activity around the corner that may provide years of fresh enthusiasm, and I would rather focus on the future than the past in this regard. Anyway, take all that nonsense for what it's worth, I guess

gatorlink wrote in post #15831562
Anyway, take all that nonsense for what it's worth, I guess

Consider it taken

I was exceedingly fortunate that everything in my life conspired to make me do macro photography. Having found it and worked at it a host of opportunities and passions have presented themselves. I feel so much love for what macro has given me in terms of skills and understanding that knowing that my passion for it will fade makes me very sad indeed. But macro was only the key to unlocking my understanding of photography and now the only way is up. Which is a bloody good thing because my back is killing me!

Snowyman wrote in post #15836822
?...knowing that my passion for it will fade makes me very sad indeed.

You don't know that it will; we're all different, and macro plays a different role for each of us, and our interest in it fades or grows variously for each individual. I started a thread a year or so back about my appreciation for macro; I understand your love for it.

LV Moose wrote in post #15837199
You don't know that it will; we're all different, and macro plays a different role for each of us, and our interest in it fades or grows variously for each individual. I started a thread a year or so back about my appreciation for macro; I understand your love for it.

I know me, and unfortunately I am a fickle lover and my passions wax and wane.
On the bright side, I am very pragmatic, adaptable, interested in absolutely everything (with the exception of XFactor) and always in pursuit of perfection.

Snowyman wrote in post #15840771
I know me, and unfortunately I am a fickle lover and my passions wax and wane.
On the bright side, I am very pragmatic, adaptable, interested in absolutely everything (with the exception of XFactor) and always in pursuit of perfection.

sounds like someone doesn't want to admit they love x-factor.

gatorlink wrote in post #15831562
I see nothing wrong with moving on from hobbies that no longer suit you. Life is most enjoyable when we do things that light that fire of anticipation in our brains. The problem is that it is unlikely any one activity will sustain that fire for a lifetime. I obsessed about tennis for 12 years as a young person, but when that got old, I found a new obsession in golf. After about 12 more years of that, I moved on to photography. I think that for me, at least, the transitions occurred largely because the most thrilling thing in any activity is the sensation of improvement. The problem is that this sensation is very easy to come by at first, because we make measurable improvements on a regular basis in novel tasks. As time wears on, however, it takes more and more effort to get less and less improvement until we get to a point where it would take 100% effort all day every day just to gain the tiniest increase in skill. For me, that is the point where I lose my interest in something. That said, I feel no obligation to continue doing it or mourn the loss of interest, because there is always some new exciting activity around the corner that may provide years of fresh enthusiasm, and I would rather focus on the future than the past in this regard. Anyway, take all that nonsense for what it's worth, I guess

This is a most interesting topic and I did enjoy everyone's perspective, especially Ryan's...