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How do you get past loss of interest/boredom
Since moving back to the UK I've lost interest in the model photography scene. I've done two group shoots and one 1-1 shoot in 2 months. The last group shoot was this week and I just felt like I didn't want to be there and left about 30 mins before the end. I've been in contact with models about shoots but then not followed through with making arrangements. Has anyone been in this sitaution and how did you get past it? Jun 30 18 01:49 pm Link MarkGerrardPhotography wrote: I've not had that happen but when it does, I think it's time to move on. If it's not your livelihood, why are you torturing yourself with something that you don't want to do? Jun 30 18 02:00 pm Link My interest in model photography died a couple years ago. Just lost interest, moved on and didn't really care. 99% of my photography time now is spent shooting sports for a local university. 20 different teams, about 100,000 images a year. Way more interesting, way more challenging and way more fun. Keeps me pretty busy. I come to MM these days mainly to chit-chat on the forum. Jun 30 18 04:15 pm Link I got really tired of shooting models several years ago. It was a combination of my learning curve slowing down as well as it getting more difficult to book models at that time. I took nearly a year off shooting models to focus on other things. I came back with some new tactics that didn't get more shoots, but greatly reduced flaking aggravations. I no longer feel driven to shoot models. I enjoy it when it the opportunity comes along. I'm happy to do three shoots in a month and then none for 3 or more months if that's how it goes. I recently accepted I probably won't be shooting models indoors much anymore, so I sold my strobes, got rid of my old hot lights and bought some LED lighting I can use for table top and model work as well as use them for work lights. Rather than trying to regain a lost passion, perhaps it's better to recognize shooting models simply doesn't have the same priority and adjust accordingly. The great thing about shooting models primarily from a hobby perspective is you don't have to if you don't want to. Jun 30 18 04:40 pm Link >>>>> Note: I have not reviewed the OP's portfolio. >>>>> Been there. Fortunately, there are things that can be done. Some suggestions, random order: ... Photograph something different. When this happened to me, and when I examined the images I was producing, I noticed that the images all started looking alike. Sure, maybe there were different models, but the lighting, the composition, the expression where all very similar. So, shake things up: --- If you've been using natural light, learn to use studio lights. --- If you've been using studio lights, learn to use natural lights. --- Change your camera perspective -- move the camera high pointing down or low pointing up. --- Experiment with wide angle lenses. --- Challenge yourself to use off-center compositions. --- Tell a three-image story in a sequence. --- Change your subject matter -- photograph landscapes, cityscapes, abstracts. --- Choose a theme & experiment -- for example, photograph people walking their dogs or urban birds or ??? --- Experiment with sloooooooow shutter speed. --- Photograph people on the street. No, that's too easy. Get their permission first! I could go on, but the basic idea is break out of your rut. Take chances & expect to fail often. Indeed, if you aren't failing often, you are doing it wrong. Try photographing that which you are scared to photograph. Another thing you can try is to get honest feedback from trustworthy & knowledgeable mentors. I think a lot of us settle into a comfort zone and many rarely stray to far away, but the excitement & true artistic growth comes from challenging yourself to do better or at least to do something different. Jun 30 18 04:40 pm Link I decided to focus and spend my energy doing things that kept me busy and paid my bills. Jun 30 18 04:41 pm Link MarkGerrardPhotography wrote: I... like you... attend groupshoots... including 100% of my own... LOL! You may be losing interest because you're imagination is not being challenged. I would recommend trying different venues... new locations... possibly including some travel plans. New shooting worlds and unique locations can stimulate the creative process... Jun 30 18 05:10 pm Link It has happened to me. Took a year or so off. Good advice above try new things. I avoid group shoots like the plague mostly because I don't want to end up shooting low angle with a wide angle lens. Which I understand is what happens. Jun 30 18 08:10 pm Link Dan K Photography wrote: Nope... doesn't happen... not unless you want it to. This image shot at a groupshoot... high angle... telephoto lens... Jun 30 18 08:36 pm Link Suddenly losing interest in something you enjoy can be a symptom of depression or other medical problem. Just something to consider. Jun 30 18 09:30 pm Link This hasn't happened to me! I have enjoyed shooting models for many years! Jun 30 18 10:04 pm Link Bill Sylvester wrote: Not to psychoanalyze the OP, but, if you're finding having a hard time getting out of bed (and not due to sickness), it could be a symptom of depression. It may not be just a photography thing. Jul 01 18 12:34 am Link Keith Moody wrote: Same here. Jul 01 18 04:28 am Link MarkGerrardPhotography wrote: Maybe shooting people is boring. Unless you have an interesting subject. Jul 01 18 04:29 am Link Bill Sylvester wrote: True sometimes. Jul 01 18 04:32 am Link I don't work with Professional Models, there simply aren't any (of interest) in My location. Working with newbies can be totally frustrating and depressing due to rejection, flaking etc. One of the things that keeps My chin up is Wardrobe styling. Once I find an enthusiastic subject ( a challenge in itself ) We then set out and collaborate a look which keeps things interesting. I don't feel a need to shoot everyday. Challenge Yourself by taking a random person You see in the Mall or Grocery store and make them look like a million. (I grew up in Sale Moor just S. of Manchester). Jul 01 18 04:52 am Link Yeah. I got the shits of the whole model bit about 9 or 10 years ago. Where you do one or two a month. I do one or two a year. Jul 01 18 08:21 am Link I beg the question of how? To ask why? In other words, why bother dodging the boredom? Jul 01 18 09:36 am Link I have never done a group shoot, working with one model, let's say 2 hours was best for me. Thinking of a theme and finding the appropriate model or a particular model making me think of a theme was fine for almost 10 years. Now I think I am done shooting with models My last project was to illustrate the 7 deadly sins with one model...... A little too ambitious for me, and far too expensive, if doing 7 shoots with 7 different models.... I wonder if 7 MM photographers would each select a theme and I combined their effort on the theme for a show. Most likely unfeasible, (some sins are more photogenic than other) but would it be interesting.... Jul 01 18 11:18 am Link I'm there now and it's very frustrating. I've been there for a while. Yes, being depressed might be part of my not shooting models. Another thing that has slowed me down is the the expense. Some models are wanting 50% down and a two-hour minimum. My Social Security check just doesn't stretch that far. I don't whine when paying for talent. A model posing for me is probably working a lot harder than I am. Sometimes when I look over my portfolio though, the images begin to all look alike. It's getting tougher to come up with interesting concepts and ideas. I do enjoy model photography and fortunately it's a hobby for me. I'd never be able to pay bills with my photography and that's fine with me. Photography is a creative outlet for me. I still do car shows and airshows. In fact I'm going to Oshkosh at the end of the month so I can shoot some neat airplanes. And I am rereading Art & Fear  A muse would be nice. Someone who is simpatico. Someone who wants to just go shoot and see what the results are without adding in the complexities of money and business dealings. I don't know where I'm going with this. Just somethings I've been thinking about for a while. Jul 01 18 11:54 am Link Looknsee Photography wrote: This, could not have put it better myself. Also shoot what you enjoy, if you still enjoy shooting. I had a friend who had a Master's in photography. He had a job shooting for an import company. They imported baskets and pottery and textiles from Latin America, some beautiful stuff. He was well paid but it was the same stuff over and over. He hated it, we used to talk and he would ask me how I could love photography so much. I managed a small chain of photo store at the time and I told him that it was because I shot what I wanted, I could come up with techniques I wanted to explore and then just do it. One day he quit his job, started teaching photography at our local University. Now he shoots what he wants and he loves it again. If you are done with Models there is nothing wrong with walking away and shooting what you want. If you want to continue or have to, then look for new inspirations. Look at a statue or painting and think "I'd like to do that but I can make it different and better. Jul 01 18 02:01 pm Link Looknsee Photography wrote: Jowady wrote: I used to photograph a lot of landscapes & eventually I was feeling that I was stuck in a dust storm of non-creativity. The pictures just started looking alike, and since I was doing all the darkroom work myself, it was very time consuming with little satisfaction. Jul 01 18 04:37 pm Link I haven't tired of shooting models..I have tired of certain styles or subject matter...mostly when I find myself repeating same shot/same set up shoot after shoot I still keep those around as I know I can get something good from them....but I will find myself looking for new themes / styles to explore it doesn't take much though.. a couple shots tequila and a couple hours on Shorpy.com is all that is needed usually Jul 02 18 09:19 am Link The best way to break out of any sort of artistic rut is to force yourself to make work that you hate. Whenever I'm stuck, I go shoot pretty landscapes. I freaking hate pretty landscapes. The reason it works so well is that there are only three possible outcomes to purposefully making the sort of work you hate: 1) you quit photography altogether. This sounds negative, but let's be honest ... If all it took to make you quit was a month of shooting stuff you don't like, then your heart wasn't really in it, and you were going to quit anyway. You just spared yourself a slow death. 2) you learn something new that you can apply to your own work. I rarely shoot color, but my landscape breaks are a good opportunity to practice working with color, and that comes in handy in the rare instances when I do want to shoot color. 3) far and away the most likely ... After a while you start to miss the work you were bored with before, and you start coming up with ideas for when your bullshit work period is finally over. And when it is, you hit the ground running, with a renewed motivation. I mean I guess you might learn that you actually like that other thing, but that's pretty unlikely. Usually it's just a good excuse to suck for a while, because you're making work that you couldn't give a damn about. Jul 02 18 04:49 pm Link Mark, I have analyzed your situation and am pretty SURE I know what's wrong, but more importantly...., the SOLUTION! It's NO FUN looking at DEVI sideways! If you turn her right-side-up, your passion will immediately return and the kink in my neck will go away as well!!! THAT solution will kill two birds with one turn!!! LoL John Jul 02 18 10:03 pm Link John Silva Photography wrote: LOL John ...Mark, If the desire for photography is there... change the subject matter (like many people have said in this and other forums) good model collaborations are great but sometimes the desire to coordinate and/or hire is not there or (in the case of money) not in the budget. With digital there are a lot of different creative directions to go. Look at the work of your creative colleagues. I go to Flickr for non model photo inspiration sometimes and Instagram can be a good resource too. Jul 03 18 02:48 pm Link Bill Sylvester wrote: Interesting and frightening thought. Jul 03 18 05:02 pm Link I used ta get rip roarin' drunk, then after me haid cleared a few days later, everything was fine . . . now, I jest take a looooonnnnnngggggggggg nap, and hope I remember what I was doin' afore I nodded off . . .  SOS Jul 05 18 07:29 am Link Hi My suggestion is to sign up to Pinterest on the web. This is a site where creatives, many at a professional level, share their new work. You can search for photography ideas and themes which you would like to explore. You can build up your own mood board too. This will make finding models much easier too - you can share reference shots and doing so will show you are credible and serious. With an image or idea in mind, you can then plan the shoot and might have more personal satisfaction and enjoyment. I do this and find I'm having much more fun with my photography now. Hope this helps! Martin Jul 06 18 02:46 am Link MarkGerrardPhotography wrote: I think it is perfectly fine to lose interest or experiencing boredom, which is basically a lack of inspiration. Jul 06 18 04:02 am Link Love the advice in this thread to try new things to break out of your rut...also I'm going to add that there's nothing wrong with taking some time off. No pressure to either quit entirely or come back to photography by a certain time, just do something else for a while and see how it feels for you. Being on the outside of something you love can really help clarify your perspective, or can help remind you of why you liked it in the first place. Good luck! Jul 06 18 11:26 am Link Love all the great answers! My first thought was that the group was boring / was not good enough - look around to find someone with great enthusiasm to shoot with in new ways and incorporate new things ... fog or new lighting styles etc Jul 06 18 10:43 pm Link Thanks to everyone for their replies. Depression is definitely a factor but I've suffered from that since before I got into photography. I used to do landscapes/scenery when I was living near Seattle and enjoyed it and now I'm in one of the most scenic parts of the UK but not really into that at the moment either. Plus the closest area of beauty is currently closd due to some a?? wanting to satisfy his curiosity and see what fire looked like resulting in resources being brought in from 200 miles away to fight it without much success Jul 08 18 12:07 am Link MarkGerrardPhotography wrote: Here's a good exercise: come up with 20 good and UNIQUE photos in your flat. Don't set up or rearrange anything, don't do portraits or food or anything that needs to be posed - just 20 unique images exactly how things already are. Jul 08 18 04:59 am Link I haven't lost interest in working on shoots as long as I am working with great talent and the project is fun. Being the production coordinator and or art director also helps. My interest was lost when the industry in South Florida became over run with "will work for free" and our industry was so glamorized that everyone wanted in. Pushing out those of us trying to make a living. The once amazing photographers I was privileged to work with moved on. Production companies downsized or closed, Social media made everyone a photographer, model, hair or makeup artist. Until they weren't. Then moved on to the next leaving some of us to deal with new realities and ways to make a living. I lost interest in fighting for a dollar when I needed two. I am so grateful to have a hair clientele to fall back on. Then out of the blue one of those amazing photographers whose hair I cut asked if I heard of micropigmentation? I hadn't. But I was curious. It's now my new interest and I can offer it as a new service. You'll find a new interest probably when you aren't looking. In the mean time become a tourist and take lots of pictures for your self! Rick Aug 03 18 09:46 pm Link rick lesser wrote: Something else you can always try: save up & hire (as in pay for) a model who is not in your league! You might learn a lot. Aug 04 18 07:36 pm Link For me it is having other hobbies. I play pool at the pro level. As a matter of fact I just spent $250 having my custom made one of a kind cue made by Bert Schrager for me in 1981 refinished . As it happens a local cue maker who is amazing at details did the work, 11 coats of varnish, returning the cue to perfection, a new irish linen wrap, two shafts refinished with new tips at $25 a piece. It looks amazing. I work part time -retired 12 years ago. I have two small dogs that keep me busy. Keeping up with my son and daughter, my 4 grandchildren Active at 4 local senior centers My best friend is 90 so I visit him at least twice a month and spend the weekend with him. Doing this thing taking pics of models is only a hobby. But, I love it when a shoot works out, a model keeps wanting to do more shoots with me What i am saying is have other things to do Aug 04 18 08:19 pm Link MarkGerrardPhotography wrote: Mark, you must be depressed!!! Aug 05 18 07:18 pm Link MarkGerrardPhotography wrote: I’d say that if this is just a hobby for you then set it down until you are inspired again. Find another creative release in the meantime and maybe you’ll come back to photography stronger. However if you’re hoping to make a career of it just keep in mind that there are people grinding every day for peanuts. If you don’t have the drive, going to be next to impossible to make it. Aug 07 18 01:30 am Link Sometimes just switching gear helps. I went from Nikon to Olympus and had to learn a very complex menu system which kept me occupied, albeit with a lot of cussing and kicking while doing so. Learning something new is tough, but accomplishing it helps to keep one active. I also got into the drone thing heavily and invested maybe $10K in aerial gear along with passing te FAA Part 107 drone license. Bad part is all the legal issues regarding where to fly (Where one would like to fly is likely illegal.) and public perception of drones (Often bad as in "I'll call the cops for spying or trespassing!"), and those who violate the laws making the flying issue even worse with me being being legal. So that has been sidelined over the Olympus GAS issue which resulted from the drone's aerial camera mount (Same lens m4/3 mount.). I got lots of ideas for shoots, but just getting around to them all is the issue for me as my mind wanders too much, often to some other avenue of interest. Variety really is the "Spice of life." Aug 07 18 06:31 am Link |
