I was in a slump. I just got out of it, and I feel liberated.
There are two elements to every shot - the technical element (focus, DOF, exposure, etc.) and the artistic element (subject selection, composition, light design, etc.) Some will throw DOF into Artistic while tossing lighting into Technical, etc. This thread isn't about that, so lets not go there, please.
Occasionally I'll go through periods where I'm just not hitting the mark on one of these two elements. I'll have excellent subject selection, great composition but I set the DOF too narrow and I missed my focus point. Or maybe I'll have a pic that is clear, the focus point is perfect, but I look at the image and it doesn't speak to me. Its just card filler.
I know when I miss on both of these - the artistic and the technical, that I'm in a slump. And I've been in a bad one for many, many weeks now.
Being in a slump isn't good for you. It drives you from your computer. You don't rush home, pour a glass of excellent wine and dive into a couple of hundred images with youthful abandon. You dread transferring the images from the card because you know you're gonna look at image after image and they're all gonna disappoint.
Being in a slump isn't good for the team. You're mind wanders, you start to press, take too long capturing a routine image. Your buddy awareness wanes as you are focused on pulling your weight (and believe me, my photos are part of my contribution to the team) and its easy to drift off.
For me, recognizing the slump is easy:
* Enthusiasm - if I have images that are over a week old and I haven't gotten to them, I know I'm in a slump.
* Time - if its taking longer than 5 to 8 minutes for me to get a macro image together, and more than 10 or 15 for a W/A, I know I'm not throwing strikes. I do very little in photoshop and my shots come out of the camera 90 to 99% ready to roll. If I'm spending time in PS its 'cause I'm trying to fix a lazy shot.
* Hiding - If I'm not posting new images all the time (heaven knows I'm shooting new images all the time) its because I'm in a slump.
Getting out of the slump takes time. I've been in this slump since early August and my La Bufadora trip. I've been gradually liking the stuff I've been shooting less and less - La Bufadora, Labor Day, La Jolla and the Garth trip. Progressively less inspired output and me being in denial about the slump - just trying to shoot my way through it.
This week, after seeing the terrible pics I put up from Friday's dive, I was more determined than ever to bust out of this funk I've been in, and drive the artistic and the technical elements back to the place where they should be in my shots. It was time for some serious SLUMP BUSTING
What I do:
First thing I did was have a serious talk with myself and admit I was off my game.
The Technical
Next, I went back to the basics. I did a Ruler Test so I could get my eye back - my shots were too flat, the DOF was the same shot after shot and the relief and rugosity was lagging and my shots were all 2D snap shots. The ruler test reminded me there was more to life than f10 and f22.
It was then time to revisit my lighting. I dived the entire day on Saturday with only one strobe. It forced me to compose differently. I was able to achieve some dramatic lighting that I loved.
I sought better bracing. I went back to three point braces and stopped kidding myself that I can free hand-hold in the surge at 1/80th and come out with something that doesn't look mooshy. I was able to achieve super tight shots at 1/60 this weekend by applying better technique.
The Artistic
This weekend I was patient. After 4 dives, I came home with 101 images of about 14 series. Most series had 2 to 6 images. The Flat Worm had about 27. I kept things tight, I edited in the field by being more stingy with my shot selection - I was focused and patient.
Incorporating new methods to shoot old subjects. I found a bumpy shell to shoot the flat worm series on. I moved focus points around. I shot through urchins instead of around them. I didn't adjust the horizon and let the subjects tell the story.
Fill less of each frame. Incorporate a more judicious use of black in my shots. By changing the POV I present I can bring in more and larger black panels, letting that light void make the rest of the frame's colors and subjects POP.
In Closing
I recognized I was in a slump. All the signs were there - bad shots, low morale, excessive time in post.
I got back to basics. I did some time in the batting cages with my lighting and DOF reference shots. I added some clubs to my bag before I hit the water, shooting lots of Macro at 1/60 and 1/80, and opening things up to f29, f32, f36 and clamping some shots down to f14. All at the desk until I could repeat the results and achieve the lighting and expression I wanted. No lucky shots. Lather-rinse-repeat. It takes practice. Lots of it.
I simplified the rig and set out to capture something different out of the familiar. Light it differently. Move the creature onto a different canvas, wait patiently for it to do something shot-worthy.
I decided to bust out of it NOW. Claudette can tell you - this weekend was all about me and my focus. I was determined to not come back from this trip dreading the chore of looking at the drek I shot. I was pretty intense and probably not a lot of fun to be around.
Thank you, dette for understanding and rolling with me.
SO - what do you shooters do when you're in a slump, you're not feeling it and your shots are not up to your expectations? Tell me about your slump busting.
---
Ken
There are two elements to every shot - the technical element (focus, DOF, exposure, etc.) and the artistic element (subject selection, composition, light design, etc.) Some will throw DOF into Artistic while tossing lighting into Technical, etc. This thread isn't about that, so lets not go there, please.
Occasionally I'll go through periods where I'm just not hitting the mark on one of these two elements. I'll have excellent subject selection, great composition but I set the DOF too narrow and I missed my focus point. Or maybe I'll have a pic that is clear, the focus point is perfect, but I look at the image and it doesn't speak to me. Its just card filler.
I know when I miss on both of these - the artistic and the technical, that I'm in a slump. And I've been in a bad one for many, many weeks now.
Being in a slump isn't good for you. It drives you from your computer. You don't rush home, pour a glass of excellent wine and dive into a couple of hundred images with youthful abandon. You dread transferring the images from the card because you know you're gonna look at image after image and they're all gonna disappoint.
Being in a slump isn't good for the team. You're mind wanders, you start to press, take too long capturing a routine image. Your buddy awareness wanes as you are focused on pulling your weight (and believe me, my photos are part of my contribution to the team) and its easy to drift off.
For me, recognizing the slump is easy:
* Enthusiasm - if I have images that are over a week old and I haven't gotten to them, I know I'm in a slump.
* Time - if its taking longer than 5 to 8 minutes for me to get a macro image together, and more than 10 or 15 for a W/A, I know I'm not throwing strikes. I do very little in photoshop and my shots come out of the camera 90 to 99% ready to roll. If I'm spending time in PS its 'cause I'm trying to fix a lazy shot.
* Hiding - If I'm not posting new images all the time (heaven knows I'm shooting new images all the time) its because I'm in a slump.
Getting out of the slump takes time. I've been in this slump since early August and my La Bufadora trip. I've been gradually liking the stuff I've been shooting less and less - La Bufadora, Labor Day, La Jolla and the Garth trip. Progressively less inspired output and me being in denial about the slump - just trying to shoot my way through it.
This week, after seeing the terrible pics I put up from Friday's dive, I was more determined than ever to bust out of this funk I've been in, and drive the artistic and the technical elements back to the place where they should be in my shots. It was time for some serious SLUMP BUSTING
What I do:
First thing I did was have a serious talk with myself and admit I was off my game.
The Technical
Next, I went back to the basics. I did a Ruler Test so I could get my eye back - my shots were too flat, the DOF was the same shot after shot and the relief and rugosity was lagging and my shots were all 2D snap shots. The ruler test reminded me there was more to life than f10 and f22.
It was then time to revisit my lighting. I dived the entire day on Saturday with only one strobe. It forced me to compose differently. I was able to achieve some dramatic lighting that I loved.
I sought better bracing. I went back to three point braces and stopped kidding myself that I can free hand-hold in the surge at 1/80th and come out with something that doesn't look mooshy. I was able to achieve super tight shots at 1/60 this weekend by applying better technique.
The Artistic
This weekend I was patient. After 4 dives, I came home with 101 images of about 14 series. Most series had 2 to 6 images. The Flat Worm had about 27. I kept things tight, I edited in the field by being more stingy with my shot selection - I was focused and patient.
Incorporating new methods to shoot old subjects. I found a bumpy shell to shoot the flat worm series on. I moved focus points around. I shot through urchins instead of around them. I didn't adjust the horizon and let the subjects tell the story.
Fill less of each frame. Incorporate a more judicious use of black in my shots. By changing the POV I present I can bring in more and larger black panels, letting that light void make the rest of the frame's colors and subjects POP.
In Closing
I recognized I was in a slump. All the signs were there - bad shots, low morale, excessive time in post.
I got back to basics. I did some time in the batting cages with my lighting and DOF reference shots. I added some clubs to my bag before I hit the water, shooting lots of Macro at 1/60 and 1/80, and opening things up to f29, f32, f36 and clamping some shots down to f14. All at the desk until I could repeat the results and achieve the lighting and expression I wanted. No lucky shots. Lather-rinse-repeat. It takes practice. Lots of it.
I simplified the rig and set out to capture something different out of the familiar. Light it differently. Move the creature onto a different canvas, wait patiently for it to do something shot-worthy.
I decided to bust out of it NOW. Claudette can tell you - this weekend was all about me and my focus. I was determined to not come back from this trip dreading the chore of looking at the drek I shot. I was pretty intense and probably not a lot of fun to be around.
Thank you, dette for understanding and rolling with me.
SO - what do you shooters do when you're in a slump, you're not feeling it and your shots are not up to your expectations? Tell me about your slump busting.
---
Ken
