What Do You Do When You Feel Like You Have Done It All?

http://www.visitfortwayne.com/

Sorry you are feeling stuck in a rut. Maybe just take a "day-cation" near where you live and see what you find.

It's a shame you don't have wild horses there. I'm going with my husband for a weekend next month to set up his hunting camp. There's a wild horse herd there and I love taking photos of them. My husband hunts elk there with a gun...I hunt wild horses with my Canon. :)

Dear Vonnie,

I have said this in the past and will mention it again for you.

Creative expression is an outpouring of ones self. Eventually, there comes a time to replenish those waters. Relax, and refuel. New ideas will come. :-)

Realize that it is just a feeling because in reality, you haven't done it all.
Switch mediums!

I think 'switch mediums' is great advice. I did exactly that, about 20 years ago. I haven't felt 'stuck' since making digital work my primary focus.

Also, you haven't really 'done it all', Vonnie -- nowhere near!

Just start driving, walking, whatever, until you're somewhere you haven't been before; even if that's only 5 or 10 minutes from your own front door. First, though, take a break and catch your breath. :-|

When I was in art school, one of the first lessons we learn was to look at the object in different lights , settings, angles. there are countless possibility even if you take a photo of the same subject everyday.

"What Do You Do When You Feel Like You Have Done It All?"


Retire. :)

I've never felt like I've done it all. I was in Toccoa, Georgia yesterday heading to a really cool railroad trestle that I've never got a train on before when I was sidetracked by a sign for Toccoa Falls. Not knowing what that was, I went and was blown away



I stayed here for about two hours waiting fr the sun to get better and also enjoying the wonderful sounds of the waterfall and getting multiple shots. When I left, it was too late to go to the trestle. But then there is next time

If you've felt like you've done it all, you should seriously question that feeling because I tend to doubt that you have, in fact, done it all.

I understand your feeling - yesterday and today - the wife and I took a look down narrow country roads we'd never been on before - saw a few horses - none wild - saw some pinned up in dirt with no grass - and just next door, across the fence was a wide open pasture with NOTHING - no cows or horse or donkeys on it. Why do people stick a couple of horses in a tiny closed in pen and feed them dry hay - not even a green blade of weed to suck on.

We saw a few butterfly's, some bees, and today we saw cotton that has been sprayed so that the bolls will ripen quicker. It was amazing how the cotton threads sparkled clean and white in the sun - (pics later). And I'm hoping I set the camera up correctly to get a shot at "autumn" color that's come early to the swamp maples.

@Wendy - I'm jealous - I switched mediums a few years back - hasn't helped at all - except it's always "interesting" to see where my fingers lead me on the computer while torturing pixels.

Hmmm..good question! either do it all again but better...or try exploring some other art-forms by transferring the composition skills etc which you have honed with the camera into maybe say..painting or digital production or sculpture or...the list goes on!

edit: I see i'm just repeating advice you have already been offered...oops

@Roy -- You're doing fine, Roy; you just haven't found the bulk of your fan base . . . yet. I'm still looking for a chunk of mine, too! ;-)

I was already a computer hardware and software geek in my corporate life, back then. It was inevitable that I, and my camera, would end up creatively bound to the computer. Best move I ever made!

I agree with Marlene, switch mediums.. it always worked for me.

Hi Vonnie, Done it all??? You have only posted 20 images... I think what you describe is an artistic block. I get that from time to time...I think we all do. take a few days off...or work on something else or, like the others said, change mediums. There are countless possibilities right out side your door. For me the act of doing generates new ideas. Perhaps take your camera and just go walking wherever and shoot everything you see that is red or blue or round...etc. I assume you use digital so what difference if you delete 100 shots...you will accomplish what Alfred said. Not to worry...new ideas will come...you don't have to travel thousands of miles.

Here is what world re-known National Geographic Photographer did after 30 years. (Jim Brandenberg)

I have my camera in my bag everywhere I go because the pictures that later become paintings are super important to me. There is always a picture everyday no matter what I'm doing or where I'm at. I do have to ask a lot of people for permission and there are pictures I can't share like the ones of my nieces and nephews and the ones I take on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation...but I always have my camera.

Birds,flowers, trains, sunrise, sunset - check. Nothing left. Maybe take a photo workshop, head to the library, visit a museum.

Dear Val,

A handful of images on someone's site proves nothing. Just saying…:-)

Added thought: Better to say, A few images on someone's site reveals nothing about their background or entire collection.

Hello Girl! perhaps you need to consider new subjects. I have had a lot of fun with taking photos that I have collected and making abstracts out of them. There is no end to the possibilities! It helps me to relax as I experiment with filters, distortions, etc.

Get a macro lens and start experimenting with it. You might get hooked. There are lots of interesting pictures of ordinary objects, things in the garden...

I agree, one of the harsh things about photography is that so many of the pictures people think are great, and might buy, require going someplace interesting and scenic.

Vonnie, go to Flickr.com and plug in Fort Wayne, IN. Look at those images. Some are fantastic. Point being, you could spend the rest of your life there, perfecting your photography, and still not scratch the surface of great things to photograph.


Dan Turner
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online

What Dan said...

Not to mention doing studio photography... you don't have to leave your house accept to buy a few things to set up a home studio.

art or work is never done there is always a new path explore :)

Take a break from shooting for a bit. Go places without your camera. Look around until you wish you had your camera with you.