Hitting a brick wall

Charlotte, I used to be the shyest person out, not any more!

I've just reread this and I sound like a winging old woman making excuses. I've just given myself a kick up the bum.

I shall stick the sigma 24mm on the k-r tomorrow go and find a tripod and try all the things suggested. No promises regarding people though I'm so shy you don't even see me when I'm out, but I'll try.

I live in one of the most beautiful parts of France and should just get off my backside and practise, practise, practise.

Hi Frogfish, I might be able to find a cyclist in lycra cycling somewhere around here - they look very fetching dressed up in their favourite teams colours.

Thanks again,
Charlotte

Now now ... careful you don't get yourself arrested as some sort of pervert, shooting young men's lycra encased backsides !

Hi Charlotte,

I'm a cyclist in lycra! Mind you, I'm perhaps one of those that shouldn't be wearing that sort of gear nowadays!

Dr O must be wondering what's happening in this part of France as I wrote to him today saying just about the same as you, that I'd lost my inspiration.

Perhaps it's the weather change or perhaps there are less and less butterflies, though I took some Red Admirals just yesterday. But with the rain come mushrooms, and I've just spotted some nice specimens nearby. And Dr o is right, landscapes become better this time of year. I think you just have to realise that taking landscapes is more difficult than you'd imagine and you do have to learn and practise.

All the advice you've been given is good advice, and I'm going to use some of it to get out of my malaise. I'm going to try to enter more comps as this narrows down ideas and makes you concentrate on something you may not have done before.

Lots of suggestions here already, so you may not need any more, but I have noticed that you use narrow Depth of Field with great skill in your macros. Why not develop that theme and use your DOF skills to photograph subjects other than Macro with a narrow DOF? This could be anything, even buildings and landscapes to an extent. I know you have a good few older lenses and these tend to produce lovely out of focus effects.

Regards
David

Hi Charlotte, Entering a competition will certainly give you something to think about....try it....regards jeeess

@ Frogfish

Hi darkskies,
I think you'd get rather odd looks if you rode a cycle in anything but lycra in France.
I'm glad I'm not the only one, perhaps it's just the clocks going back. I was feeling silly having started this thread but if it's helped you as well I don't feel so bad.

I think, as the good Dr. said we've become complacent and take our surroundings for granted and miss the opportunities because we see them every day.

Thanks David,
I've got Lot's of experimenting to do.

Yes jeeess, I think that's a good idea.

Thanks again

Charlotte

OK a few I've taken this morning - I've had an out of focus day so far because I'm finding it difficult using a tripod. I think a release cable or remote is the next thing on the list along with a polarising filter.

Please bear in mind I need to do some serious work on my compositions.






















This last one is an example of French Health and Safety in action - these are stepping stones across the river.




I think I might have posted too many - but if anyone has the time C & C would be appreciated - I've not got an ego and I need to learn.

Thanks for looking.
Charlotte

I'm not sure why they've come out so small and if you click on them they are absolutely gigantic and you can see the pixels.

You're definitely not the only one . Loads of wise words above, but I think the idea of entering the comps (particularly the fortnightly) is a great one (forces you to try stuff out you might not otherwise have done).

Your photos from this morning are a wee bit too thumb-naily to see fully (re-post a bit bigger?), but the last one looks fascinating and the reflected house in #6 is obviously a really good subject. I like #2 the best of the 'shroom shots' - nice of it emerging from the leaves and the cap is shown off well by the dark/bokeh'd background. For me #4 has a bit of the 'background plants which look like they're growing out of the subject' thing going on - in which I'm a past master via lamposts growing out of my kids heads when I try to take informal portraits...

I hope that's worked this time - I can't edit my post above though.


Thanks Northgrain - I didn't notice the 'rabbit's ears' sticking out of the fungi.