GKPE 8, Yet more NZ ramblings from some flightless Kiwis.

Sancho wrote in post #13683696
Thanks Sarah, as you can imagine things are WAY up in the air at the moment... hopeing to head up in Feb sometime but just can't pencil anything in.

Hopeing to take a break this weekend and head up to Nelson/Golden bay etc for a few nights, that will be a very welcome break!

No worries Just send me an email or PM when you have some dates.

lil_miss wrote in post #13686999
About $5k....

holly molly!

manipula wrote in post #13684481
All the people on here struggling with no shooting much or having lost their mojo either need to step it up or stop trying. Take random snaps like Aunt Mabel.

Really? Whats wrong with simply taking a break? I didn't lose my mojo, it was smashed out of me by a pretty feckin major event that happened around 16months ago. Didn't even realise it was at that time until flicking back through the dates on my photos.

Between that and the flood of crap that has followed it, and my own business taking off not leaving a spare moment I just havn't picked up my gear creatively! I miss it terribly but have a lot of much more serious priorities to deal with first, but I'm confident it will return and there will be time in the future.

I know trying to force it to happen is just a waste of time and getting rid of all the kit I have built up is not the answer either.

lil_miss wrote in post #13686999
About $5k....

$5999 is the price tag on my 5DII box! I certainly didn't pay that for it though, I got it the same month it launched here.

I

lil_miss wrote in post #13687002
No worries Just send me an email or PM when you have some dates.

Thanks Sister, will do

Well Im spending this week (year) going back to the start point and learing the theory of photography.

This weeks topic is histogram. Something I understand in principal but never use ...... why? well never bothered to learn and understand what it does and how it can help with Post processing.

Im tired of flat boaring images.

Oh Dave just read your blog. You must be very proud of your up comming book.

Sancho wrote in post #13687026
I know trying to force it to happen is just a waste of time and getting rid of all the kit I have built up is not the answer either.

Yep thats where I was at and time is the answer.

Writers, musians, artist all face same issue. Go do something else it will come back. Mine took 3 years. But still have all my gear.
Emotions effect all of the above, they go out of wack and our creativity changes ..... some loose it others use it to express what they feel.

lomenak wrote in post #13687012
holly molly!

NZ$ was quite weak at that time though, it launched at $2699 USD and stuck at that for most of its life.

I guess NZ$ vs Yen is the key?

that's not that bad on today's money. The mark3 could even be 3.5k

Sancho wrote in post #13687026
Really? Whats wrong with simply taking a break? I didn't lose my mojo, it was smashed out of me by a pretty feckin major event that happened around 16months ago. Didn't even realise it was at that time until flicking back through the dates on my photos.

Between that and the flood of crap that has followed it, and my own business taking off not leaving a spare moment I just havn't picked up my gear creatively! I miss it terribly but have a lot of much more serious priorities to deal with first, but I'm confident it will return and there will be time in the future.

I know trying to force it to happen is just a waste of time and getting rid of all the kit I have built up is not the answer either.

You've got completely legitmate reasons I dont think you've ever said you had 'lost" the desire to take photos though ... I know where you're coming from... me 'working' effectively 17 hours a day almost 7 days a week... I'm seeing the bigger picture though - even though everyone tells me i'm nuts

weka2000 wrote in post #13687075
Writers, musians, artist all face same issue. Go do something else it will come back. Mine took 3 years. But still have all my gear.
Emotions effect all of the above, they go out of wack and our creativity changes ..... some loose it others use it to express what they feel.

Definately true

lomenak wrote in post #13687568
that's not that bad on today's money. The mark3 could even be 3.5k

Hope they hurry up and release it.... we need two new cameras lol

lil_miss wrote in post #13687732
Hope they hurry up and release it.... we need two new cameras lol

You sticking with the 5D range?

When do you think that photography will be your full time job?

Yep sticking with for now - will see what they come up with We would like to both shoot with dual cameras, so need them to be similar.

It will be my fulltime job by the end of the year.. hopefully sooner.. we're putting the wheels in motion in the next month to buy a house - so once that's done and dusted, I'll be launching into it.. 2012 is going to be a huge year, but very exciting.... Believe me I'd love to be already doing it full time, it just hinges on getting the mortgage sorted and it takes a while to save a deposit I already only work 4 days a week in my office job, so I have Fridays off to devote to the business which has helped hugely.

Lost mojo? Heh. I'm still doin' the best I can with wot I've got but the 75 t0 300 is now 100 to 300. Still goes but????????

scotttnz wrote in post #13686119
Yep, I chose the stop trying option. I'll still buy a better than average random snaps camera though.

Game on I reckon.

weka2000 wrote in post #13686644
Hey Dave a man with all your knowledge and experence you may be better served helping those of us who havnt quit rather than just whinning like a pom.
Didnt you go through this same phase 4 years ago.

Similar but not the same. I just stopped and/or stopped trying. As I'll touch on with Sancho's comment below sometimes it's the right thing to do.

lil_miss wrote in post #13686999
The iphone (Instagram) makes it a lot easier to just take photos of anything and everything though... and its the one camera I always have on me and probably should use it a lot more....

I have to admit to using IG and the iPhone heaps, they're the epitome of happy snaps like Aunt Mabel and all the better for it I reckon, just fun, no pretenses.

Sancho wrote in post #13687026
Really? Whats wrong with simply taking a break? I didn't lose my mojo, it was smashed out of me by a pretty feckin major event that happened around 16months ago. Didn't even realise it was at that time until flicking back through the dates on my photos.

Between that and the flood of crap that has followed it, and my own business taking off not leaving a spare moment I just havn't picked up my gear creatively! I miss it terribly but have a lot of much more serious priorities to deal with first, but I'm confident it will return and there will be time in the future.

I know trying to force it to happen is just a waste of time and getting rid of all the kit I have built up is not the answer either.

As listed above I think when stuff like that happens, as I've done but for differing reasons, you just down tools, or simply stop trying to make it happen.

weka2000 wrote in post #13687039
Oh Dave just read your blog. You must be very proud of your up comming book.

I'm concerned currently actually. Having met with the author and seen the list of stuff to be photographed, I'm getting my thinking cap on about how to do it in a way they'll like, but still me.

...

I guess what I was trying to get at before is there's a case for letting off the gas, taking snaps just for the sake of it, or simply not taking them at all. I'm all for it, done it heaps before.

What I think is pretty screwed up is IF you're trying to get the mojo back, then doing half-@rsed is such a waste of time. The only way to get the kick up the ass is to feel it hurt, a proper shove. And while I love being out in the landscapes etc as much as anyone, you're not gonna find much kick up the ass doing the same stuff you've done a million times. Waterfalls looking silky might look pretty but it's also like page 3 on how to take photos in most books. Light trails over the motorway are next...

My lecturer once told me if you've got the mental block thing going on, just keep shooting, and eventually you'll take something you actually like and it'll trigger something off and set the ball rolling on something you're really into and will do work about which really wows you and others.

I personally think the 'just keep shooting' thing is actually reliant on the base premise that the person you're applying it to is an arty type who thinks about random cr@p too much anyway, so a mental tangent and idea is never too far away regardless. For the rest, if you're backing off, back off, enjoy just for the sheer sake of taking nothing or whatever random cr@p takes your fancy. And when you want to get back on the gas and get the juices going again, do it properly and push yourself.

I'm using you Tony as an example as it's the most recent, but I know there have been others. (I can't be assed to go back and re-read and have a lousy memory.) If you're wanting to push yourself you'll not do it snapping waterfalls using basic camera techniques you learned many years ago. (I admit there's something cool about heading all the way out into the bush to see them, but if you're easing off with the pictures, happy snap away.)


I've done the same thing again and started a train of thought I've lost, so I'm gonna shut up again...

manipula wrote in post #13688466
I'm using you Tony as an example as it's the most recent, but I know there have been others. If you're wanting to push yourself you'll not do it snapping waterfalls using basic camera techniques you learned many years ago. (I admit there's something cool about heading all the way out into the bush to see them, but if you're easing off with the pictures, happy snap away.)...

Yes I wasnt happy with them they were snaps and weather played hell like Mokoroa. I love waterfalls and much of it is the discovery. However this this lot has offered me something different, and one of those things is working out the light.

I have a shot in mind but not sure it will work but its starting to think and plan the shot (big weakness of mine "previsualisation) also looking at them and saying how can I better compose the shot.

I did need to keep going foward but when hearts not in it (last 3 years) its dam hard. Im sick of shooting same sh1t but not much else around that intrests me. Hopefully this year $$$$ will be better and have travel money to do day/night trips see more out of Auckland.

Dave honest critique is always welcome, im not that fragile ask tim

Think outside the box you soft @rse. If it has to be waterfalls try something different. An example, by which you're no means obliged, but we use it on the documentary section of the course I teach on.

Limit to 40 shots. That's not an end result it's the number you're allowed to take for the whole event or subject. (We came to 40 as it's close to a single roll of film as the course used to be run.) If the fun is the sense of getting there, document the trip. Remember as a documentary the photos have to make sense both together and to people looking at them as a story of the event, usually with little explanation. So 40 photos from the moment you leave your front door to when you get back home and the camera's back in its bag and the muddy clothes are washed. Then make it harder and limit to only one photo of the waterfall itself. (This will push you to make sure your exposure and setup are bang on, composition particularly before you even take the shot, and often the better photos come from time spent actually figuring out exactly what the shot needs to be as opposed to taking 200 snaps and picking the best one.)

You can further than that, shoot 40, only allowed to show people 10 from which the whole trip is explained. Shoot it, post it, no editing? No PS work allowed at all.

Push yourself man.