Getting out of the photo doldrums.
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- Опубліковано 13 вер 2023
- It's inevitable that from time to time you will lose your enthusiasm for photography and it can be hard to motivate yourself to get out.
In this video I talk about some of the ways I lift myself when facing a bad case of can't be arsed!
Equipment Used
Bronica SQA
Velbon 655 tripod with Manfrotto MG460 head
Kodak Ektachrome
Preview App
Mark II Artists Viewfinder (iOS only on the App Store)
Vlogging Equipment
Panasonic G80 with Rode Wireless Mic II
Etsy Shop
steveonionsphoto.etsy.com
Contact Details
Email: youtube@steveonions.co.uk Twitter: Steve_ONions / steve_onions Instagram: steveonions1 / steveonions1
UA-cam: / @steveonions
This is a great photography channel. Honest and relaxing. No silly hype and gear worship. Focus on the craft. Well done, sir.
Thank you 😊
couldn't have said it any better.
I will leave the early AM stuff to you kids (I'm 80). But I will say, as I often do, thank you for the perspective. Color film is wonderful. Slide film? For another life. Although I have been scanning slides from 1976, and I have to say, they are some of my favorite pictures. But when I attempt to make "art", you have been my guide. It is B&W. There is so much to say about this, but I would only be saying what you have said for a while now. As always, thank you.
I’m not likely to spend long with colour slide to be honest, it’s more akin to a digital look and only for odd occasions. I am enjoying colour negative landscapes at present though, very natural.
I love slide film I have a roll waiting to use when the trees start to change colors.
I think we all go through that stage of no motivation and as you grow older it gets worse, I have always enjoyed shooting local and it often the case of been there done that why do it again, but as the seasons change there are different pictures to be had, yes its hard getting up and the winter scenes look better when you are looking out of the bedroom window at it! but you have to make the effort, television helps a lot these days because its all crap on there, yes I do understand where you are coming from. I always found ektachrome a very cold film to use and you had to be spot on with the exposure as with most slide films! When I do go out I try and get about 25 different pictures on the card that gives me something to play with when I get home! thank you for taking us with you, now lets charge my camera battery up and get out there hang on its raining so maybe tomorrow!
I never used to struggle until a few years ago, always felt excited when the alarm went off. Perhaps it was covid or just over familiarity with the same old locations, either way I’m much more difficult to please these days 🙂
some beautiful small gems there! Using slide film, no longer, a need and must, for me! C-41 adequate. Color in soft rain is often a hidden gem! We go out to shoot, not because we must, but because we have that need!
I’m currently liking colour negative landscapes Jason, the softer the better.
Very nice compositions 😊
Pure pleasure, as always, Steve! To my shame, I know your shooting locations more intimately than my own places :)
😀
I love slide film. There is something special about the look when you nail the exposure. To bad it has become so expensive though!
I used to enjoy viewing my slides on the light box and projecting the 35mm ones, still nothing quite like that feeling.
Yes that bring back memories. My dad used to do that all the time. I wonder if we still have that light box somewhere@@SteveONions
Thanks Steve lovely video as always
Thanks Stuart.
i like every single shot!
Thank you 😊
I haven't taken a "serious" picture in ages. Camera just sits there, can't think of what to do with it. But eh, it shall pass, I'll come up with an idea eventually
I wish I could buy inspiration on Amazon 🙂
@@SteveONions Especially when it's a hobby and not a source of income. I imagine professional photographers are, by way of needing to shoot to live, awash in inspiration, even if it's inspiration to shoot every idea no matter how mediocre
Good episode...have been less than enthusiastic all summer, first it was a hot and nice june, I enjoyed the sun and such, but did not want to take many pictures, july was never ending rain, almost no pictures taken there either, august flew by without much done, I did setup a used Nikon D80 that I bought cheap, with nice ccd sensor and an okay 18-55mm zoom lens, normally I would use my 35mm 1.8 lens....but wanted to try something else, september was somewhat better, still have not shot much yet, but I think it will improve from now on, thank you for the video, lovely forrest pictures really! Liked the unbothered mentality with this one!
I know how you feel, all too often I need a shove to get myself going 😊
I know exactly what you mean, I was having a horrendous time getting out of bed due to lack of motivation, just thankful that a holiday fall at the right moment and I’ve come back fired up to shot, that and I’m doing a bit more street photography which I’m really enjoying 👍
I’m just back from holiday too Andy, only took the iPhone so no getting bogged down in serious photography. I also find urban photography the perfect antidote to the CBA’s.
I keep waiting for one of these times Steve when you bust out the lomo purple😊
I wouldn’t rule it out 😊
Hi Steve, Been on a wander since early retiring! Back now and binge watching your goodly vlogs. Know where your coming from with enthusiasm issues. I found it was lack of developing and printing. Now back in the darkroom, there is a renewed vigour to try different approaches. First call is giving the old 6x9 folder a day out. Then trying the Salt printing process to do some contacts. Great vlog Steve 😁
Cheers
Diz
You’ve got me feeling guilty Diz, not been in the darkroom for ages and wonder if my chemicals are even usable now 🙁
Hey there Steve, a great and equally inspiring vid as usual. I think that, sooner or later, we all come to face the mental wall of "eh, nevermind", be it within the practice of photography or outside of it. At the end of the day I think that the most wonderful thing about photography is walking through the very same familiar environment over and over again and finding ways to look at it differently. To find a way to find beauty, even in just the "usual" stuff. Great idea to switch it up a bit by choosing colour this time. Variation is the key to the (b)locked mind.
I hope you will find more joy in doing what you do again. Wishing you the best. Thanks again for the inspiring images and words!
Replace photography by life, and that's a neat life mantra ;)
"At the end of the day I think that the most wonderful thing about [life] is walking through the very same familiar environment over and over again and finding ways to look at it differently. To find a way to find beauty, even in just the "usual" stuff."
Thank you 😊. I think part of the problem is that we lose sight of why we originally took up an interest, we spoil it with too much equipment or an obsession with quality (whatever that is).
I realize you shoot mostly landscape but for me, when I am feeling unmotivated, I switch genres. I go from landscape to birds/wildlife, macro flowers and insects, black and white in woodlands, black and white old buildings, etc. Just switching things up usually does the trick for me.
It good to mix things up from time to time, urban work also makes me keen to get the camera out again 👍
Giving you brain different problems to work on can be quite refreshing, even in a familiar location. You've found a good way to work yourself out of the doldrums and wind up with some lovely images.
Thanks Bob, I’ve just got to find a reason to shoot the other 4 rolls of Ektachrome now 😊
Now that >is< a challenge. Perhaps in a studio where you have control over the light? 😉
On that second series of images, with the ferns and the dark patch, I actually like the underexposed image best. I like the extra contrast in the image from how dark that patch of mud is.
Fair point Tim, it begs the question as to what the correct exposure really is (or is there ever one?).
@@SteveONions “Correct” is often an artistic decision, not just a technical!
Glad you are okay and out and about. I truly appreciate your knowledge of film types and what to expect from them. I am just ready to give film a try again; my confidence is about there to chance a try at it again. I am concerned about metering using only the camera's built in capabilities though. I have seen many reasons not to rely on it. Anyway, thanks for posting this video.
You’re welcome James. Accurate metering can also be achieved with a digital camera or even an app on your phone. I like the old fashioned spot meter mainly because I’m comfortable with the whole process.
@@SteveONions Thank you for responding.
Steve, hi!
Thanks for the wonderful walk through your woods.
As always, you've touched on a serious topic. Yes, it happens sometimes. Especially when you are emotionally or physically very tired. Who doesn't know this state: when you don't have the physical strength to go out on a plein air painting, or when you are in nature, but you can't see or feel anything?
Photography is a job, a very pleasant job, but a job! And when you are devastated, nothing works. That's normal.
The only right solution is to let yourself go with the flow for a while, to recover.
Some time passes and everything comes back: you get a vision of the world around you and you want to go somewhere to film.
Take care of yourself and give yourself time to rest!
PS A dozen of my works made with the LUBITEL camera went to an exhibition in Italy. The organisers of the exhibition asked me to write an accompanying text. The text identifies the photographer who inspired these works. The name of this photographer is Steve O'Nions.
That’s so kind, thank you 🙂.
Another fine video and thoughts Steve, personally I think variety is the answer, I love landscapes, but I love street, sports, and news and events. I'm lucky working for a newspaper, every work day is a different subject, likewise my personal stuff, I like to mix it up, keeps my lonesome brain cell ticking over a bit. The only time real time I feel a bit of pressure, or a touch of burnout is creating content for the channel, sometimes I'm buzzing, other times it's bloody hard work to put on a positive effort, the confidence drops a tad and I have to revert to complete and utter bluffing.
Making videos for UA-cam has helped me tremendously, in years past I’d have long droughts that made me think whether I wanted to carry on shooting at all 👍
Totally get ya there mate for me being from Yorkshire as you know winters are long and miserable, so my only real photography target was weekend sports, as in my hometown it's not exactly the rolling dales. Since being in NZ photography has been a daily constant through work and play, always something to shoot, then making YT video content has definitely given me a massive creative outlet, I've never had a website, really struggle with motivation on insta, so apart from the paper and FB YT has been amazing. Keep the vids coming mate gonna be a tad controversial here but each week I click on yours ahead of Toms... @@SteveONions
Just wanted to say thank you; i need to jump back into things as well
You’re welcome David.
Nice feature as always. I wonder if using a polarizer might have helped with the foliage images - the last one especially - reduce the reflection glare and bump the saturation. That's something I remember when I'm home looking at images - oy - makes me nuts. Thanks for bringing us along. A stark reminder that I haven't had a proper outing w/ my camera in awhile.
I often use a polariser in woodland (especially when it’s wet) but I was keen to see how the film worked unfiltered (so maybe on the next roll 🙂).
Excellent, interesting and informative video, as always. I usually associate focus stacking with the likes of Malley or Griff, but never with proper photography. Loved the resulting images though. Atb.
I had two frames left and though ‘what the heck’ (I must have been bored!).
Timely vlog Steve and thoroughly enjoyable too and enjoyed all compositions, as ever. And the use of colour was great to see too. 👍
Defintely a current theme amongst many photographers it would seem. Rick Bebbington's recent excellent vlog covered the associated issue of dealing with the frustrations of a lack of creativity, which in turn leads to a case of "cba".
Your staying local and reducing expectations is a good antidote.
On creativity, I am breaking any shoot into two parts : the same old same old "meh" shots followed by something experimental (whether ICM, or ME, or Macro). Might work as a plan. Might not. But just trying it is a good thing to provide a stronger short term purpose, and a short term.commitment for a single month, ahead of the autumn peak season.
Some may find Rick's vlog of interest to help overcome the cba blues. ua-cam.com/video/u_jUiXntbOE/v-deo.htmlfeature=shared
Always good to try something a bit different, often it can lead to a whole new path forward. I also find using simple cameras a good option, Holga’s are wonderful when you don’t want to be too serious.
1) In your first image, gradual (split) ND filter would definitely help, in my opinion.
2) Back in the old times, you could choose Kodak's professional slide films, which had better colours for scenes like you had here, without the constant need to push magenta 😊
Interesting comments, thanks for posting.
Thanks for this one Steve, I know that rut feeling too well, and I think you might have helped with this one In I’ve been shooting b&w for quite a while (as I Dev it as soon as I get back) but have a fridge packed with colour, slide film it is (in one hassy back anyway.😊
I’ve had long spells without shooting any colour and it’s good to change things up at times. I’m currently enjoying the Portra films for landscapes, a very muted look that’s quite similar to my mono work.
We need to make copies of Wales and the Lake Distict and put them around the UK so no one is more than 20 miles away. I reckon landscape photography would be lots better. When using incident metereing in conditions like the one you were phographing I face the light and hold the meter in front so my presence does not alter light next to me either from shadow or reflection. In brighter more direct light I find holding the meter to the side makes less difference.
I’m usually OK with incident readings but admit that it’s been a while since I’ve used one. I’m much happier with spot metering or even letting a digital camera make an overall reading.
The thing I've always struggled with is that it's all in my head. Nobody else has any expectations when I go out and shoot. There's nobody waiting when you return demanding to see the negatives eh ? If I get nothing that day, have I really missed out ? Better to have a nice walk than to stay in bed. Having said that I live in the North of England so poor weather half the year puts you right off going out. Can't win.
There’s less pressure when you’re on your own and nothing needs to be produced at the end. I feel that whatever pursuits we take up we end up spoiling the enjoyment with unrealistic expectations.
If you were to spot meter the 1st scene with bushes and ferns, would you meter the green bushes? It seems on the youtube (anyway) that the green of the bushes is about 18pct grey and one would want them there. Or perhaps one stop under to bring the fern colors up (I guess with Ektachrome may .3 stops under ). Photo you got was nice. I know in the "old" days we used to shoot Velvia at 32 rather than 50 to get a bit more saturation. Good way to get out and have fun.
I did find the ferns to be the perfect point to meter Erich. With slide I’m more concerned with getting the main subject perfect and watching that the sky doesn’t blow out.
I think the last time I took the camera out was a couple of weeks ago when I took my astro converted 1100d to Formby and did some IR . I am in good company, I think. I have also come to realise that I don't feel like repeating the same old same old . Time to challenge myself. Enough is enough. Great photograhy, Steve.
Formby is always a good place to go, I lived in Ainsdale for 15 years and the light was amazing at times.
I agree.@@SteveONions
I switched off after the 5 second intro as the shots weren't going to be any good. Only joking. I'm in Ireland at the moment and got some nice shots of the sunset over the beach. Very pictureskie indeed.The next evening it was stormy and no sunset as the horizon was blue. Grey with thick clouds, but I dragged myself down to the beach anyway for something different. Wonderful clouds, rain and fierce wind. Not a soul on the beach, but if I'd not bothered I'd have missed some beautiful, grungy angry scenes. Then back to a nice hot coffee and a sit by an open fire just before the storm hit.. You get all weathers up here in NW Donegal. The Wild Atlantic Way can be pretty wild. Best skies of any beach anywhere. I love visiting this place.
Glad you got something worthwhile for your efforts Simon, some of my best images have come during awful spells of weather. If I can force myself to get out when the skies are threatening I’m rarely disappointed, just need that initial shove.
I've overcome a lot of my personal emotional photography problems by reducing the choices while out and about, the method consists of selecting one lens and one film to work with, I've even removed the portrait or landscape decision by shooting square format. Mind you, the other day while watching the Tour of Britain cycle race go past, I got the old Nikon out and really enjoyed myself blasting through a couple of rolls.
I’ve also found the 1:1 format the best overall choice, I wish there was more choice in the smaller formats for a 24x24mm frame size.
@@SteveONions I've often thought about masking off the viewfinder, but that still leaves the full negative to tempt one. The advantage of masking say just one side would be to give a sort of raising or falling shift when holding the camera in portrait, either getting rid of distracting foreground or sky from the compositional moment of exposure.
This is well timed for me Steve. I've found that after going on a trip to a more grand location, that photographing my local area has been difficult recently. I like your idea of picking a small area, setting my sight on something small and just having a go at it. I'll give that a try..... On a side note, were you using any sort of warming filter? My limited use of E100 resulted in cold images.
Thanks Bryce. No filters were used but Ektachrome is cooler than the Fuji films, easy to fix in post processing if necessary, my days of carrying 81 series filters are long gone 🙂
Happens to all of us.
Even mid-roll.
😊
nice photos kodak gold 200 in 120 is pretty good and not to much money.
I do have a few rolls in but they may end up in the Holga 😊
I’ve not used Ektachrome yet in medium format, but I use and I have been using Velvia (50 and 100) and Provia for some time now.
Slides are meant to be projected, that’s why they have some colour shift in the shadows. If you have never seen a good medium format slide projected through a good lens you have never really seen a colour photograph.
Unfortunately I cannot afford to use just slide film, and also C41 film if optically printed is super nice, but when the light is right nothing beats a slide
I always loved projecting slides (when there were no other options). Something magical about seeing a scene blown up so large.
And I thought that I was the only one 😎
The odd ones out are those who don’t get disheartened from time to time.
Given that you weren't feeling it, that focus stacked shot on slide film without bracketing was very inspired!
Thanks Ben.
If you're really searching for something fun, shoot a roll of Lomo purple, Metropolis, or turquoise. Countryside or street photography, it doesn't matter. If nothing else, and it comes back so strange that you don't like it, you can still have a good laugh about it. And once in a while you'll get something really striking. To achieve this, it's necessary to look at some examples of those films to get an idea of how to use them. Just an idea, for when you want to try something bonkers.
I wouldn’t rule it out Dann, I quite like the look some of those films give, especially in urban settings.
Did go for some self developing of Black and White medium format film for the first time in my life. Both rolls shot with my new 4*5 camera. First roll I did make some stupid mistake with the lightmeter (2 stops overexposed :((). But the second roll went perfect. Only the last photograph is complete distroyed. Someting went wrong in the changing bag. Also changed the development in semi stand development with 510Pyro . So all in all everything rather new and exciting. So eager to get out with a roll of colour this weekend. It is always the process that has to be inviting. The results will follow eventually.
It’s great to experiment and also do your own developing. At least overexposing B&W by two stops will do little harm to the resulting negatives, often they turn out even better 👍
Sorry I made a setting error on the lightmeter. It resulted in 4 stops over :((
Really interesting video! It really inspired me to go out and shoot today:) btw, I’m curious to ask, you mentioned you develop C41 yourself, what kit are you using?
I’m currently using the Bellini 3 bath kit, works very well. I’m also happy with 2 bath kits from the likes of Rollei.
@@SteveONions thank you for your reply! Much appreciated. Do you have any experience with the cinestill 2 bath kits? I’
I always wonder in what general area you're taking your forest photos in. Plenty of of forests around me here in the Eastern Netherlands, but they are rather dry and in turn the vegetation differs.
Most of my forest is a bland collection of pine trees, nothing of real interest. There are just a few places where original negotiation is allowed to flourish and these provide me with the best opportunities.
I can empathize. Sometimes I just make myself go out, and then I often feel better at the end having done some work...but sometimes I just give the day a pass. I generally meter slide film at ISO 64, as a little too much light is usually better than not enough, especially for portraiture.
I often push to get out too although increasingly I find I can easily talk myself out of it 🙂
@@SteveONions Ha ha for a minute I thought you meant pushing the film!
Amazing: the pictures actually came out just about okay, all things considered. 🙂 Where was the film sent for processing?
I sent it to Ag Photolab, not as cheap or quick as their C-41 but still a good service.
@@SteveONions Thanks for the info!
interesting on the focus stacking of film... something ive never done actually.... do you get bad artefacts at all seeing its not raw?
No quality issues if I digitise with the camera and work on tiff’s, almost exactly like a digital workflow.
Thats exactly what I need as a film photographer, yet another camera 😅😂
Too many is never enough 🙂
@@SteveONions certainly feels that way, Im lucky to have only shot 35 so I have the excuse of getting more fidelity in bigger formats to excuse my purchases at the moment!
The shots were good. How did focus stack the scanned images?
I used Photoshop, just aligned them and then did a merge.
@@SteveONions Thanks, I will give it a try
Do you scan your color films or have the lab do it? If you scan them, do you use any software like Negative Lab Pro to render the color?
I scan my own films with a digital camera Steve, NLP is used for negative stocks but no need when shooting positives.
I find it difficult to get out sometimes too, especially because there isn't much near me and I live on a peninsula. This is one reason I've taken up macro photography, there's always cool plants and critters to take pictures of.
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but on the Broncia SQ if you leave the mirror locked up or accidently lock the mirror up, can't you fire a blank frame then use the multiple exposure lever to keep it on the same frame and bring the mirror back down?
You can indeed recock the shutter with the multiple exposure lever but sometimes it just doesn’t work and only a physical wind on will work.
@@SteveONions Ah, well that's good to know in case that happens to me. Anyways, great video as always!
Don’t jump like you did at the end! Next thing you’ll be selling your Bronica to pay for a new hip 😂. I never use fish eye lenses, I think they’re a bit gimmicky, but at 9:15 as soon as I saw the scene I thought of a fish eye lens for some reason. You were mentioning 1, 2, and 4 second exposures but didn’t mention reciprocity, is that not a problem with that film? Take care Steve.
I was new to Ektachrome so didn’t factor in any speed loss and was pleasantly surprised by how the film coped. I often spot scenes when editing the videos, it’s a lot easier than being there in person 🙂
Yes. Hindsight is a wonderful thing when you don’t have the distractions that you have when you’re there.
Always enjoy your videos Steve, but I felt a groan rise when you got to ‘focus stacking’, sorry. I feel the need to ask why you would choose to do this when working with analogue? Surely the joy of analogue is the play of depth of field, the stunning 3d feel from it. Why use a digital technique ? I know there’s no reason why the two can’t be combined, but for me, the joy of analogue is that level of wysiwyg, if you see what I mean? I know it’s your creative choice, but I guess my simple question is why? As personally I enjoy working with the limitations of my camera. Sorry, don’t mean to offend. Perhaps it because I’m just an analogue geek! 😂
I wouldn’t normally focus stack, not even when shooting digital but the whole point on this trip was to mix it up a bit. I didn’t want to stick to the same old processes, almost like autopilot, so when I had just two frames left I thought ‘why not?’ Come to think of it I’d have like to try this film in the Holga had it not been for the problem of getting an accurate exposure 🙂
@@SteveONions thanks Steve, makes absolute sense! Experimenting is good, I just felt a bit baffled as you are a mostly analogue guy!
How much are you paying for slide film development if you don’t mind me asking?
I think it was about £9 from Ag Photolab. If they still made economical E6 kits I’d shoot more of it and do my own.
Lovely video! For me, the name of the game is NOVELTY. Having taken orders of magnitude of stunning images (IMHO), I got massively bored to the point of not wanting to take photos at all. My discovery was to try radically new forms of photography. Of course, this meant "Fine Art" photography but it kept me going.
I like to simplify things sometimes when I’m bored Maggie, a Holga or pinhole feels like a breath of fresh air at times.
@@SteveONions It is interesting that you should say this because just yesterday, I was processing my first batch of pinhole negatives taken with a Konica T3 and a modified lens cap. I really like the moody effect on scenes that were totally boring before.
Almost everything you have said in this video could be said the same way about the situation at "Last Call" when the bars close and the females are assessed one last time. Re-listen with that idea.
A hobby isn't, or shouldn't be mandatory? Have other interests and bounce between them. Creativeness will suffer by over exposure.
I’ve quite a few interests Stephen, photography is but one (but it does at least give me some useful outdoor exercise 😊).
There's nothing wrong with you, you simply need some pinhole.. maybe some large for at pinhole😮
Hmmm, pinhole …..good timing 🙂
I can’t remember the last time I felt motivated to trip the shutter with thought and intent. I’m hoping this depressive funks eases soon. My acute CBA has advanced into chronic DGAF 🫤
You’re not alone, sometimes it takes a complete rethink and start from scratch.