Hi Peter - it's good to see people encouraging photographers to practice their craft. I feel that's an often overlooked aspect of photography, - people generally tend to simply copy an approach and leave it at that. Not really exploring the real 'soul' of a photograph. Something that might be worth mentioning, is that inspiration/improvement call it what you will, is a delicate thing. Grasp for it too hard, or go purposefully looking to be inspired, and it will slip through your fingers. The greatest photograph IMHO I ever took, was something I happened to glance out of the corner of my eye whilst wandering around a museum with no thought given to taking photographs.
Thanks. I totally agree that we should concentrate more towards photography. After that is why we cameras. Good point about the inspiration/improvement. Trying too hard can be a block in a way. letting your mind "loose" might be a better way. By saying I letting your mind loose I mean allowing your self to make bad photographs. If are too afraid that we are making bad photographs we wont any good ones.
I had the privilege or visiting Helsinki in the late 70's. I remember the beautiful harbor there. My friend and I met a woman there who. upon seeing our uniforms, began to speak to us in the local language. We didn't understand her words, but her meaning was clear that she was very glad we were there as allies and protectors. I was humbled to see her appreciation of us. May Finland always be blessed.
Thanks Peter! The word 'location' introduced in photography by corporations producing heavy bulk photography equipment (everyone can name them). They suggest workflow as follows: arrive at the "location" which is well known place where tens of thousands photographs already had been taken, unpack your photo backpack pull out the camera and walk around one hour or more. And the dull and boring shots are guaranteed. As a consolation one may expect the shots have many many pixels and low noise because a photographer did right choice and bought Full Frame camera. My approach for tens of years I practice amateur and reportage photography is to walk a lot lot distances and places around, look at every corner and photograph when I have feeling and impression I can put in a shot and convey that precise feeling and impression to the others. And nothing else matters. Only feeling at the moment of taking photograph and ability to fix it in photograph, creating momentary composition by choosing right point of view and frame. Taking shot is very simple technically and exactly this make photography as an Art very difficult.
Bonjour la Finlande ! Merci pour les idées d'exercices; ce sont d'excellentes pistes ! Sur les 4 sujets (Choix d'un sujet -- Forme ou Couleur ; Dérivation sur une des images précédentes ; 180° (se retourner) ; Aléa de place [Direction, distance d'un point d'origine] ), on peut varier en forçant par exemple les moyens à employer: Ouverture ; Focale ; Iso.
Thanks for the creativity encouragement Peter! I've done the photo self-assignment three times. My first was in 1985, where I photographed emblems of fancy automobiles for photography class. My second was in 1991 where I photographed the doors in Brooklyn Heights and Greenwich Village in New York City for a commercial art class. My last was back in the winter where I shot up a roll of 110 film in Downtown Newark (New Jersey) for my own personal project. I'll definitely keep your tips in mind! All the best!
Came across your channel and was so amazed at the advice you give in photography. I am at the place not knowing what to do. The way you view photography is inspiring thanks for the advice
Peter, One exercise I often set myself is to go to one road, street or lane and set a distance to walk and a number of images to take while completing that walk. For example on a 100 yard/meter walk I must take 10 images. On a walk in a country side lane the distances maybe the number of telephone/electric poles and subjects could be nature, manmade, ground level, head height, shapes etc. It works for me,. Regards
Hello Peter, it has been a long time I do not watch your videos. The pandemic did its work making it difficult going out and taking photos. Probably an excuse, because you can olso take pictures at home. Today I first watched your video "7 bad tips". Excelent video and its contents. Now I am watching this one that is at least as important as the first one. By the way, my OLY OMD 10 Mark 2 is very good. I will keep it for a long time. Thank you and hello from Barcelona, Spain.
thank you very much, Peter, for this vid! i will apply these exercises in my photography. I, too, own an Olympus camera-- an e-m10 mark 3. And you are one of my go-to resource persons when i want to learn more about photography using an Olympus MFT camera. thanks!
Very stimulating Peter! I have done a lot of “lockdown” walking over last 18 months because of UK restrictions which became boring, so I decide the “devil can be in the detail” i strated looking at everything more closely, I looked up a lot and decide a single picture of a specific ordinary object or feature is pretty boring….but when you create a set of say 9 images of a similar thing the contrasts and difference suddenly become more interesting. I started by photographing interesting front doorways and soon realised how amazingly different they can be, I then went into different details , door knockers, , letter boxes, chimneys, dates carved into stone buildings, face masks dropped in the street,etc. etc. I have been doing it for some months and my goal is to produce a one copy photo book just for myself, with my different subjects on each page and feature my 9 most interesting shots. I have found it remarkably fun to do and now find wherever I go see more details than before. Many thanks for your regular help and advice 👌
You are totally right. When you have a set of images of the same subject, like you said, it becomes interesting. Collecting them in a small book is a great idea.
I keep a notebook for photography where I write down plans for future shoots. This includes studio work, landscapes, cityscapes, macro, wildlife. Sometimes, I have lots of ideas - totally different ones - but no time to implement them. - When I am stuck, I look into my notebook with those many ideas and will pick the one that speaks to me most at that time.
Thanks a lot for this video and the exercises. I have already done something similar with a random generator that I built in a spreadsheet. For example, I was able to randomly link certain lenses to certain towns with certain tasks. Sunny greetings JL
I very much enjoyed your instructive video.I'm going to view your video daily for the next 10 days so I can get the info into my head. I need to get better and not continue to take the same shots. Thank you so much for your instruction and experience. Regards Mike
Peter, you were so, SO right on the money with pick a subject....your ideas are great. Good motivation!!! Pushing creativity is so, so hard.... but it's like one of the old hand water pumps... once you get it going, it can get a life of it's own and take you to another level..... sometimes just looking at someone else's photos you really like online can get you going.... Flickr is a great example of that... when I go to that website I constantly find new people to get me going again. In photography, as a wise man once said.... be not afraid to fail..............be afraid not to try.
Just started taking photography in uni with an Olympus e-m10 mark iii. You stirred up more inspiration to get out there and learn than my class and I love how easy going your videos are! You're definitely my go to now 😭✨💯
Brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing. One exercise I do from time to time is to challenge myself to photograph a single subject in as many points of view I can think of.
Great video and great ideas. When stuck in a rut or just not inspired to practice photography, maybe because you're temporarily unable to travel beyond the locations you've been to repeatedly, these suggestions can get the passion going and move the ball forward again.
Definitely going to be trying out the Minkkinen Method! I belonged to a photowalk Meetup group years ago and one of the fun assignments was limiting yourself to 12 or 36 photos at a location even thought we were shooting digital. It was a great exercise!
Limiting yourself is a very good way to learn. It forced you to see a bit different. Limiting the amount of photos you make will force you to be more patient.
Thanks for the exercises! I will be doing all of them. I take underwater photos in a very amateur way, and struggle to find my own style 🤔. I think the first exercise will force me to take time and find my way ☺️
Sounds like a fun assignment I was stuck Then i boght a 100-400mm, now I can't wait to get out I've been focusing on have a pleasing back ground I had a great shot of pelican, but there was a huge chunk of cement in the back ground If i would have zoom in a little I would not have had to crop the cement block out.
@@des4719 Sounds like a fun assignment shooting your subject then turn 180° for a different perspective. I was stuck, Then i bought a 100-400mm, now I can't wait to get out I've been focusing on have a pleasing back ground I had a great shot of pelican, but there was a huge chunk of cement in the back ground If i would have zoom in a little I would not have had to crop the cement block out.
Hi Peter, a very good video, nothing about gears but emphasizing creativity. I sometimes use the 180 degrees method, e.g. photographing people that are looking at sculptures, paintings in museums. People's emotions watching e.g. "Mona Lisa" in Louvre or making selfies in front of "The Kiss" in Vienna are worth such attention. There is also one more way to get inspired. Currently, I had a problem with my leg and had to slow down, making frequent rests. Unexpectedly (!) this slowing down has opened completely new opportunities, thus substantially increasing a number of details that could be seen. Now, I apply this approach, even as a tourist. Anyway, many thanks for inspiring us.
And to answer your question: I already gave the first exercise to my students, but your video made me want to do this one with certain textures, shiny things, fluffy things, soft things, slippery, ribbed, stinging,… I would just pick one. Thank you again for your very interesting and inspiring video. I just loved it!
Way back in ancient times, camera clubs would have A to Z competitions. Slide film of 20 exposures, 20 of the 26 letters, club or officers would pick a word for each letter, and the members would shoot one image in sequence for each. Film was turned in to the club where it was developed and sorted for competition. Out of sequence, off subject, bad exposure would knock you out for that letter. Club handled it and you bought the roll and processing thru them. All the photographer did was shoot the assignment. "Spin the wheel" randomness or externally imposed assignments tend to take you where you would not otherwise go on your own, stretching you.
When I was starting and my uncle was teaching me (he was a photoreporter) he was giving me something similar to nr 1, but choosing subjects was a matter of luck. I had to take a picture book, open it blindly and then shot 24 images of something related to what was on a page I opened the book at. I could shoot at home, go out (with some adult) - do whatever I wanted just to get those 24 shots. That was really forcing ones creativity to work, especially when some weird stuff appeared on page. I liked those when I was a kid. Maybe I repeat it from time to time now? Its been years since I last done it. From those 4 you said I think nr 3 is really interesting. I do not think I will go to famous places, not many of those in my home city, but if I am on a photo walk and find something interesting I turn around 180 and shot it too. May be fun, especially in garden when shooting flowers as stuff "behind" is often some dirt and old hoe if you are lucky :D
For me, this can help, but I don't like part of the year from november to march (everything dead, usually heavy overcast) or from now to mid september (heat, dead grass) * small fixed lens camera with focal length from 35 to 50mm * visit in botanical garden, which is hopefully nearby and opened after 8 months * walk around and take photos of rather common things ... old brick walls with ivy and greater celandine, old cast iron fences or other stuff such as decorated door (hopefully surrounding city is largely build from 1890 to 1935 partly in secession style) and there sometimes quite nice compositions in larger city parks. But in general parts of the city within 2km radius that I know well work best for me - and taking photos of something that is very common to me that I pass every day is not a bad thing, it's just hard to get a mindset that it's somehow interesting and stop ignoring it.
My personal favourite... Ignore lockdown rules and go somewhere beautiful that rehydrates your soul. Especially at dawn or dusk. SARS transmission outdoors is a myth!
Hi Peter, I call this probably "hortoilu kameran kanssa", but good idea to do it more like with this Minkkinen "systematic sampling system" of potential pics, thanks for the tip.
"hortoilu kameran kanssa" is a good way, but sometimes it is not so focused and it is quite easy just not take the shot. With a bit more systematic, as you said, might be a better way.
Thanks for this video. Referring back to a video you did about a year ago, call Olympus Em5mark3- Best Settings, at about 11:00 you spoke of the unique ability with Olympus in setting the proper white points, and you said it was similar to zone exposure, which enabled perfect exposure (sorry, I realize I have misquoted you a bit). I would love to see a more detailed explanation and demonstration of this technique with the Olympus camera.
Hey Peter, I have a weird question that I cannot seem to find the answer online. I have a few M.Zuiko Pro lenses, can I use them with the old Olympus SLRs? Everything online is about the oposite, I just want to get an old film camera and don't want to have to buy lenses, since I find these absolutely fantastic.
In essence, those exercises are variations on; "set yourself some limitations and start photographing". They can certainly help to remove a block. But do they improve your photography? Without a clear vision of what you want to achieve with a photo, it remains a snapshot. Another type of exercise can be; "envision an end result and try to create it". This would involve the whole photographic process, not just finding a subject.
Depends on what you are shooting. Not everyone is into fine art or even artistic photography. I like to shoot flowers lately due to covid restrictions, but my primary subjects are machines shot in real life (trains, planes, sometimes trucks) and a documentary photography, showing life around me as is. How the heck do I envision an end result of a document? Or a plane taking off? In most cases I am lucky if I can choose a time of day and position.
You have a good point Ruud. These exercises are meant for getting you started if you have a creative block and cannot find anything. It is a practise for your mind.
Peter, Thank you for this very informative ways to remove the dreaded Creative Block that I often experience. I can’t help but to see just how useful they are and will be for me. Great job. RustyIronMike
Pick an object. I used the app Gurushots before, because there is a lot of special object ideas/challenges 😊 sadly they ruined the app more and more over the time. Now it can't even upload jpgs directly out of lightroom 😕 But, it's a good app to get object ideas 😊 You mentioned colors. Have you tried the art filter a bit more? 😊 Btw, how can you be dressed that much? 🥵 We are struggling with 30+ degrees these days. I've never been so happy for my own pool as lately 😅
I am skeptical about photo assignments. Homework can help reinforce a lesson, but it's natural to have creative blocks. These assignments are just busy work. And since you're grading your own work, you likely won't learn much. Why not take out your least favorite gear, and try out features you've never used? Or try to solve a problem and duplicate photographs you like? Now that will help you learn! The problem with photography is that everyone thinks they are good. The world really doesn't need more photographs or photographers. If you have a creative block that's fine. Do something else until you're motivated by something. Perhaps a check from a client will motivate you.
These exercises will get you going. I know it is not the final solution. Of course, there is much more to it. Yes, copying other's work is a good practice. That is something that students do a lot. You are also right that sometimes it is ok to do something else if there is a creative block. We have different approaches to things. The point in this video was to help jump-starting when there is a block.
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Hi Peter - it's good to see people encouraging photographers to practice their craft. I feel that's an often overlooked aspect of photography, - people generally tend to simply copy an approach and leave it at that. Not really exploring the real 'soul' of a photograph.
Something that might be worth mentioning, is that inspiration/improvement call it what you will, is a delicate thing. Grasp for it too hard, or go purposefully looking to be inspired, and it will slip through your fingers.
The greatest photograph IMHO I ever took, was something I happened to glance out of the corner of my eye whilst wandering around a museum with no thought given to taking photographs.
Thanks. I totally agree that we should concentrate more towards photography. After that is why we cameras. Good point about the inspiration/improvement. Trying too hard can be a block in a way. letting your mind "loose" might be a better way. By saying I letting your mind loose I mean allowing your self to make bad photographs. If are too afraid that we are making bad photographs we wont any good ones.
Peter, this is probably the best video you’ve made this year. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it and thank you.
10 seconds in the video and you've got a new subscriber already!
Thanks.
I had the privilege or visiting Helsinki in the late 70's. I remember the beautiful harbor there. My friend and I met a woman there who. upon seeing our uniforms, began to speak to us in the local language. We didn't understand her words, but her meaning was clear that she was very glad we were there as allies and protectors. I was humbled to see her appreciation of us. May Finland always be blessed.
Thanks Peter. This is the reality for photographers everyhere. Thanks again for the pragmatism.
This is my favorite video as a beginner on how to get started.
Thank you.
such a great idea, so simple yet honest in its approach to opening up the world, the 180 is what i will do first!
But it’s so much easier to just buy another couple of hyped-up vintage lenses and another tripod head! 😁 Thanks so much for the great motivation 🙏
Thanks Peter! The word 'location' introduced in photography by corporations producing heavy bulk photography equipment (everyone can name them). They suggest workflow as follows: arrive at the "location" which is well known place where tens of thousands photographs already had been taken, unpack your photo backpack pull out the camera and walk around one hour or more. And the dull and boring shots are guaranteed. As a consolation one may expect the shots have many many pixels and low noise because a photographer did right choice and bought Full Frame camera. My approach for tens of years I practice amateur and reportage photography is to walk a lot lot distances and places around, look at every corner and photograph when I have feeling and impression I can put in a shot and convey that precise feeling and impression to the others. And nothing else matters. Only feeling at the moment of taking photograph and ability to fix it in photograph, creating momentary composition by choosing right point of view and frame. Taking shot is very simple technically and exactly this make photography as an Art very difficult.
Thanks for sharing.
Minkinen! Thank you, great video alltogether, Peter.
Glad you enjoyed it
Bonjour la Finlande ! Merci pour les idées d'exercices; ce sont d'excellentes pistes !
Sur les 4 sujets (Choix d'un sujet -- Forme ou Couleur ; Dérivation sur une des images précédentes ; 180° (se retourner) ; Aléa de place [Direction, distance d'un point d'origine] ), on peut varier en forçant par exemple les moyens à employer: Ouverture ; Focale ; Iso.
Merci.
We did in school one assignment which was 200 steps.
5 photo set, prime lens and 200 steps from outdoor any direction you wanna go. 😊
Thanks for sharing. Very good assignment.
Thanks for the creativity encouragement Peter!
I've done the photo self-assignment three times. My first was in 1985, where I photographed emblems of fancy automobiles for photography class. My second was in 1991 where I photographed the doors in Brooklyn Heights and Greenwich Village in New York City for a commercial art class. My last was back in the winter where I shot up a roll of 110 film in Downtown Newark (New Jersey) for my own personal project.
I'll definitely keep your tips in mind! All the best!
Thanks. It seems that you have had some interesting projects. Photographing doors is a good one!
A perfect video to enhance Photography. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Came across your channel and was so amazed at the advice you give in photography.
I am at the place not knowing what to do.
The way you view photography is inspiring thanks for the advice
Great to hear and welcome onboard.
Peter, One exercise I often set myself is to go to one road, street or lane and set a distance to walk and a number of images to take while completing that walk. For example on a 100 yard/meter walk I must take 10 images. On a walk in a country side lane the distances maybe the number of telephone/electric poles and subjects could be nature, manmade, ground level, head height, shapes etc. It works for me,. Regards
Thank you for sharing. This is also a very good assignment. It will force you to make those images and gets you going.
Hello Peter, it has been a long time I do not watch your videos. The pandemic did its work making it difficult going out and taking photos. Probably an excuse, because you can olso take pictures at home. Today I first watched your video "7 bad tips". Excelent video and its contents. Now I am watching this one that is at least as important as the first one. By the way, my OLY OMD 10 Mark 2 is very good. I will keep it for a long time. Thank you and hello from Barcelona, Spain.
Welcome back!
Excellent ideas and exercises! Thank you.
You're so welcome!
This content is gold!
Thank you.
Love these exercises
Thanks. Glad you like them!
Thanks Peter for this tips ✅ you’re the best!
Thank you very much!
Thanks for all your efforts we appreciate everything you do for photography
My pleasure!
thank you very much, Peter, for this vid! i will apply these exercises in my photography. I, too, own an Olympus camera-- an e-m10 mark 3. And you are one of my go-to resource persons when i want to learn more about photography using an Olympus MFT camera. thanks!
Thank you. Glad it was helpful!
Very stimulating Peter! I have done a lot of “lockdown” walking over last 18 months because of UK restrictions which became boring, so I decide the “devil can be in the detail” i strated looking at everything more closely, I looked up a lot and decide a single picture of a specific ordinary object or feature is pretty boring….but when you create a set of say 9 images of a similar thing the contrasts and difference suddenly become more interesting. I started by photographing interesting front doorways and soon realised how amazingly different they can be, I then went into different details , door knockers, , letter boxes, chimneys, dates carved into stone buildings, face masks dropped in the street,etc. etc. I have been doing it for some months and my goal is to produce a one copy photo book just for myself, with my different subjects on each page and feature my 9 most interesting shots. I have found it remarkably fun to do and now find wherever I go see more details than before. Many thanks for your regular help and advice 👌
You are totally right. When you have a set of images of the same subject, like you said, it becomes interesting. Collecting them in a small book is a great idea.
I keep a notebook for photography where I write down plans for future shoots. This includes studio work, landscapes, cityscapes, macro, wildlife. Sometimes, I have lots of ideas - totally different ones - but no time to implement them. - When I am stuck, I look into my notebook with those many ideas and will pick the one that speaks to me most at that time.
Very good method.
Thanks a lot for this video and the exercises. I have already done something similar with a random generator that I built in a spreadsheet. For example, I was able to randomly link certain lenses to certain towns with certain tasks. Sunny greetings JL
Sounds great!
Peter - very thought provoking video to try to stretch the mind !!
Thanks.
I very much enjoyed your instructive video.I'm going to view your video daily for the next 10 days so I can get the info into my head. I need to get better and not continue to take the same shots. Thank you so much for your instruction and experience. Regards Mike
Glad it was helpful!
Hello Peter, what an incredible tool you are giving us new people getting into photography. Thank you for helping us grow into this beautiful art
My pleasure!
Peter, you were so, SO right on the money with pick a subject....your ideas are great. Good motivation!!! Pushing creativity is so, so hard.... but it's like one of the old hand water pumps... once you get it going, it can get a life of it's own and take you to another level..... sometimes just looking at someone else's photos you really like online can get you going.... Flickr is a great example of that... when I go to that website I constantly find new people to get me going again. In photography, as a wise man once said.... be not afraid to fail..............be afraid not to try.
Thank you. Good point about failing. We need not to be too scared about failing. If we are, we cannot succeed.
thank you super tips - just what i need.
Happy to help!
Thanks for these good tips!
The first piece of advice: "Pick a subject", I like it the most. I will implement it as soon as possible.
Great to hear.
Thanks Peter. Very useful exercises. I like how clear you explain and teach.
My pleasure and Thank you.
Just started taking photography in uni with an Olympus e-m10 mark iii. You stirred up more inspiration to get out there and learn than my class and I love how easy going your videos are! You're definitely my go to now 😭✨💯
That is awesome! Thank you for this comment!
Excellent, thoughtful exercises to help focus "seeing." Thank you so much.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks Peter... 👍👌👍🙏 good video and tips... 👍👌
"SALUDOS... 👋🙋😃 "
Thanks! 😃
Good in creativity.
Thanks.
Fantastic presentation Peter.
Thank you for bringing this to us.
Many thanks!
Great ideas Peter. This is what my goals for this year are all about! Will be using these suggestions for sure!
Great to hear!
Thanxx 👍🏻👍🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
I'm going to be honest, this is the video I have been hoping you would make.
Thank you!
Brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing. One exercise I do from time to time is to challenge myself to photograph a single subject in as many points of view I can think of.
That is also a good one. Not easy!
Hey Peter, you are a wonderful photographer and a great inspiration, hey I dig your stuff Mate!!
Thanks a ton!
Great video and great ideas. When stuck in a rut or just not inspired to practice photography, maybe because you're temporarily unable to travel beyond the locations you've been to repeatedly, these suggestions can get the passion going and move the ball forward again.
I hope these ideas can give some a little boost!
Definitely going to be trying out the Minkkinen Method! I belonged to a photowalk Meetup group years ago and one of the fun assignments was limiting yourself to 12 or 36 photos at a location even thought we were shooting digital. It was a great exercise!
Limiting yourself is a very good way to learn. It forced you to see a bit different. Limiting the amount of photos you make will force you to be more patient.
Excellent video with great ideas.
Sometimes I’ll challenge myself by only taking the lens I use the least. To shake things up a little.
Using just one lens is a good way to restrict yourself. Restricting is a good way to learn. It will force you to think differently.
Thanks for the exercises! I will be doing all of them. I take underwater photos in a very amateur way, and struggle to find my own style 🤔.
I think the first exercise will force me to take time and find my way ☺️
Sounds like a fun assignment
I was stuck
Then i boght a 100-400mm, now I can't wait to get out
I've been focusing on have a pleasing back ground
I had a great shot of pelican, but there was a huge chunk of cement in the back ground
If i would have zoom in a little I would not have had to crop the cement block out.
@@des4719 Sounds like a fun assignment shooting your subject then turn 180° for a different perspective.
I was stuck, Then i bought a 100-400mm, now I can't wait to get out
I've been focusing on have a pleasing back ground
I had a great shot of pelican, but there was a huge chunk of cement in the back ground
If i would have zoom in a little I would not have had to crop the cement block out.
I suggest also to change at all focal of lens.
You get different prospectivei
Good point.
Thx Peter - These exercises are really helpful. Most of all - getting me out the door every day to practise my photography :-)
Great to hear!
Thanks Mr Peter!
Hi Peter, a very good video, nothing about gears but emphasizing creativity. I sometimes use the 180 degrees method, e.g. photographing people that are looking at sculptures, paintings in museums. People's emotions watching e.g. "Mona Lisa" in Louvre or making selfies in front of "The Kiss" in Vienna are worth such attention. There is also one more way to get inspired. Currently, I had a problem with my leg and had to slow down, making frequent rests. Unexpectedly (!) this slowing down has opened completely new opportunities, thus substantially increasing a number of details that could be seen. Now, I apply this approach, even as a tourist. Anyway, many thanks for inspiring us.
Thanks.
Another Great video. This is something which I try to practice with my own reviews. Great advice.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video! 👍 Thank you Peter. (You make me miss the calming spacious character of the streets of Helsinki.)
And to answer your question: I already gave the first exercise to my students, but your video made me want to do this one with certain textures, shiny things, fluffy things, soft things, slippery, ribbed, stinging,… I would just pick one. Thank you again for your very interesting and inspiring video. I just loved it!
Thank you so much. I am very glad that it was an inspirational video.
Thanks for put my photo in your instagram. Big hug from Portugal
Ou really, which image is that?
@@ForsgardPeter the red rose.
I hope you see. Thanks
Hello Peter,
I'd love to see a video about two following subjects: exposure vs brightness and saturation vs vibrance.
Good ideas. I might make those.
Way back in ancient times, camera clubs would have A to Z competitions. Slide film of 20 exposures, 20 of the 26 letters, club or officers would pick a word for each letter, and the members would shoot one image in sequence for each. Film was turned in to the club where it was developed and sorted for competition. Out of sequence, off subject, bad exposure would knock you out for that letter. Club handled it and you bought the roll and processing thru them. All the photographer did was shoot the assignment.
"Spin the wheel" randomness or externally imposed assignments tend to take you where you would not otherwise go on your own, stretching you.
When I was starting and my uncle was teaching me (he was a photoreporter) he was giving me something similar to nr 1, but choosing subjects was a matter of luck. I had to take a picture book, open it blindly and then shot 24 images of something related to what was on a page I opened the book at. I could shoot at home, go out (with some adult) - do whatever I wanted just to get those 24 shots. That was really forcing ones creativity to work, especially when some weird stuff appeared on page. I liked those when I was a kid. Maybe I repeat it from time to time now? Its been years since I last done it.
From those 4 you said I think nr 3 is really interesting. I do not think I will go to famous places, not many of those in my home city, but if I am on a photo walk and find something interesting I turn around 180 and shot it too. May be fun, especially in garden when shooting flowers as stuff "behind" is often some dirt and old hoe if you are lucky :D
You have had good practise. Picking a random subject is a good idea. It will push your creativity.
I'm getting lazy, I haven't touched my DSLR for two months. It's lockdown on and off here. Thanks for the four tips, I'm going to be on it, now.
Glad I could help!
Your video gave me an idea...thanks for the suggestions.
Glad to hear!
For me, this can help, but I don't like part of the year from november to march (everything dead, usually heavy overcast) or from now to mid september (heat, dead grass)
* small fixed lens camera with focal length from 35 to 50mm
* visit in botanical garden, which is hopefully nearby and opened after 8 months
* walk around and take photos of rather common things ... old brick walls with ivy and greater celandine, old cast iron fences or other stuff such as decorated door (hopefully surrounding city is largely build from 1890 to 1935 partly in secession style) and there sometimes quite nice compositions in larger city parks. But in general parts of the city within 2km radius that I know well work best for me - and taking photos of something that is very common to me that I pass every day is not a bad thing, it's just hard to get a mindset that it's somehow interesting and stop ignoring it.
Very helpful thank you!
My personal favourite... Ignore lockdown rules and go somewhere beautiful that rehydrates your soul. Especially at dawn or dusk.
SARS transmission outdoors is a myth!
Hi Peter, I call this probably "hortoilu kameran kanssa", but good idea to do it more like with this Minkkinen "systematic sampling system" of potential pics, thanks for the tip.
"hortoilu kameran kanssa" is a good way, but sometimes it is not so focused and it is quite easy just not take the shot. With a bit more systematic, as you said, might be a better way.
Thanks for this video. Referring back to a video you did about a year ago, call Olympus Em5mark3- Best Settings, at about 11:00 you spoke of the unique ability with Olympus in setting the proper white points, and you said it was similar to zone exposure, which enabled perfect exposure (sorry, I realize I have misquoted you a bit). I would love to see a more detailed explanation and demonstration of this technique with the Olympus camera.
I do have videos about exposure. The approach on those are not quite like the zone system. Maybe I will make on.
love your videos. Are you no longer an Olympus visionary?
No, I have no signed contract now. Working closely with OMDS.
Hey Peter, I have a weird question that I cannot seem to find the answer online. I have a few M.Zuiko Pro lenses, can I use them with the old Olympus SLRs? Everything online is about the oposite, I just want to get an old film camera and don't want to have to buy lenses, since I find these absolutely fantastic.
No you cannot. The lenses wont cover the whole area of the film.
In essence, those exercises are variations on; "set yourself some limitations and start photographing". They can certainly help to remove a block. But do they improve your photography? Without a clear vision of what you want to achieve with a photo, it remains a snapshot. Another type of exercise can be; "envision an end result and try to create it". This would involve the whole photographic process, not just finding a subject.
Depends on what you are shooting. Not everyone is into fine art or even artistic photography. I like to shoot flowers lately due to covid restrictions, but my primary subjects are machines shot in real life (trains, planes, sometimes trucks) and a documentary photography, showing life around me as is. How the heck do I envision an end result of a document? Or a plane taking off? In most cases I am lucky if I can choose a time of day and position.
You have a good point Ruud. These exercises are meant for getting you started if you have a creative block and cannot find anything. It is a practise for your mind.
Tip number one, look for a camera that you like and feel good to handle. The rest will come if you like the hobby.
Sir, should we beginners also think about the picture size frame ? is it a 1:1 or 16:9 or 3:4 and so on ? please forgive my english
Yes it might be important if you are planning on publishing your photos.
Peter, Thank you for this very informative ways to remove the dreaded Creative Block that I often experience. I can’t help but to see just how useful they are and will be for me. Great job. RustyIronMike
Glad it was helpful!
Pick an object. I used the app Gurushots before, because there is a lot of special object ideas/challenges 😊 sadly they ruined the app more and more over the time. Now it can't even upload jpgs directly out of lightroom 😕
But, it's a good app to get object ideas 😊
You mentioned colors. Have you tried the art filter a bit more? 😊
Btw, how can you be dressed that much? 🥵 We are struggling with 30+ degrees these days. I've never been so happy for my own pool as lately 😅
I do not I just have the habit to have the hoodie on when I am making these videos.
@@ForsgardPeter we will have 34 degrees today 🥵
I am skeptical about photo assignments.
Homework can help reinforce a lesson, but it's natural to have creative blocks. These assignments are just busy work. And since you're grading your own work, you likely won't learn much.
Why not take out your least favorite gear, and try out features you've never used? Or try to solve a problem and duplicate photographs you like? Now that will help you learn!
The problem with photography is that everyone thinks they are good. The world really doesn't need more photographs or photographers.
If you have a creative block that's fine. Do something else until you're motivated by something. Perhaps a check from a client will motivate you.
These exercises will get you going. I know it is not the final solution. Of course, there is much more to it. Yes, copying other's work is a good practice. That is something that students do a lot. You are also right that sometimes it is ok to do something else if there is a creative block. We have different approaches to things. The point in this video was to help jump-starting when there is a block.
The gear makes the photographer, didn’t you know?😁
Not enough megapixels and you are not better then some guy with his iPhone spraying and praying :D
😀
hello no subtitle impossible to translate thank you
Something wrong again with the subtitles. Not sure how to fix it. Sorry about that.
I gave up photography all together. It was not fun anymore.
That is a pity.
I don't agree with the timing suggestion.
Photos take time, no rush
That is an exercise to see. Too much time will be making the block even worse. In general you are right. Waiting for the moment is good.
What's an Olympus close to x-T4?
Olympus has Better ibis
But less dynamic range than the x-t4
M1 III
My Mark iii just died yesterday, shutter got stuck out of nowhere :(
Sorry to hear that. Have you found a place to fix it?