p.1 #5 · What Are You Doing to Get Yourself Out of Your Photographic Comfort Zone?
chez wrote:
Why do you want to get out of your comfort zone? Have you mastered it and want something else? Are you bored with your existing comfort zone.
Personally I like staying in my comfort zone and trying to improve on my techniques.
Just a different approach to learning something new.
p.1 #6 · What Are You Doing to Get Yourself Out of Your Photographic Comfort Zone?
Comfort zones of what and why? It seems like more a psychological question than film vs. digital debate.
Did you use film for a long period of time in the 20th century and it made you uncomfortable, like
Silence of the Kodachrome?
p.1 #7 · What Are You Doing to Get Yourself Out of Your Photographic Comfort Zone?
I think it's good to keep experimenting and trying new things, examining your habits and ruts and seeing if it's worth trying to get out of them. But on the other hand, your comfort zone probably represents your personal style.
The portrait photographer Gregory Heisler once showed his portfolio to a photographer he respected, who looked it over and observed that Heisler's photos were good but they were all over the map, there was no unifying force, no common style. He dabbled in everything and sometimes copied other photographers' approaches. The photographer's advice to Heisler was "take the photographs you can't help taking." Meaning, if you feel the urge to take a photo of something, do it. That might be your comfort zone, but it represents who you are and is your authentic voice.
p.1 #10 · What Are You Doing to Get Yourself Out of Your Photographic Comfort Zone?
chez wrote:
Sort of like jack of all trades…master of none.
Sure. But it doesn't have to end there. Perhaps the jack of all trades who explores something new eventually becomes the master of that newfound thing.
p.1 #11 · What Are You Doing to Get Yourself Out of Your Photographic Comfort Zone?
theHUN wrote:
Sure. But it doesn't have to end there. Perhaps the jack of all trades who explores something new eventually becomes the master of that newfound thing.
Maybe…but from my experience no matter what one is doing, constantly searching for something new never allows one to master anything as they are onto other things before putting in the time to master what they are currently doing.
p.1 #12 · What Are You Doing to Get Yourself Out of Your Photographic Comfort Zone?
chez wrote:
Maybe…but from my experience no matter what one is doing, constantly searching for something new never allows one to master anything as they are onto other things before putting in the time to master what they are currently doing.
Are we allowed to define the concept of “master” on an individual basis? Doesn’t mastering have everything to do with what you value as an individual and what goals you have set for yourself?
p.1 #14 · What Are You Doing to Get Yourself Out of Your Photographic Comfort Zone?
I think getting outside your comfort zone is key to learning and growth in whatever endeavor you're engaged in. I tend to separate the mastery of diverse equipment from the mastery of photography in general, but I find value and enjoyment in both.
I've been exploring a couple of new to me aspects of photography lately, pinhole photography and using longer focal lengths and wider apertures than my usual favorites.
Pinhole photography has been a fun challenge mostly because of the requirement to abandon long held ideas/standards of technical quality, sharpness, etc. Also, the whole pace of shooting is different, which is nice too.
I've always gravitated towards 20-28mm focal lengths, mostly shot at f/8 or smaller apertures. I've been trying out some longer lenses as well as wider apertures in an effort to broaden the way I see images and try something new.
I've also gotten into M42 gear lately, which raises a whole other host of technical mastery challenges with things like stop down or pre-set aperture lenses.
p.1 #17 · What Are You Doing to Get Yourself Out of Your Photographic Comfort Zone?
johnvanr wrote:
I don’t have a comfort zone. Never expect to have one either. That would assume a perfection that I don’t think exists.
I also struggle with the term "comfort zone" when applied to photography. And I also find the concept of "mastery" quite useless when applied to photography, esp. when it's a hobby and we're not talking some technical genre like "how to get perfectly panned images of MotoGP bikes at 250km/h". My aim with photography is having fun taking pictures and ideally being happy with the results.
If I re-interpret the question as "how do you avoid getting bored with your photography?" then I can more easily answer it:
Film can be part of it. Sometimes its the unique shooting experience with cameras that don't exist in that form digitally that can be inspiring (e.g. TLR and other MF cameras with big ground glass viewfinders, build quality and tactility of some manual SLRs like the Nikon F2). And some of the inherent challenges of having to get it right in-camera can also be an interesting challenge.
The 2nd part is not limited to film though, but also applies to older digital gear. E.g. my Hasselblad H3Dii should really be used at ISO 50 only and even at that ISO the dynamic range isn't as good as modern sensors. So it's definitely more challenging to use compared to my Z7 or Zf, but it's also a super well designed camera and fun to use and the results are often rewarding.
Another thing that works for me is going out with just one lens, maybe one that I typically don't use a lot e.g. just a telephoto or ultra wide. And/or just a manual focus lens.
p.1 #18 · What Are You Doing to Get Yourself Out of Your Photographic Comfort Zone?
I do a lot of different things, but I’m currently not happy with most of what I do.
Scary thing is that I’m most “in the zone” when I photograph crazy, busy and crowded events that most people would stay away from. I photographed Fallas in Valencia for a week, with lots of crowds, fireworks and fire until deep in the night. Had a lot of fun. And just photographed a fascist and anti-fascist protest and counter-protest in Vienna with tons of riot police. And I don’t shoot just from the sidelines. Had a good time doing that as well. I’m weird, no doubt.
p.1 #20 · What Are You Doing to Get Yourself Out of Your Photographic Comfort Zone?
chez wrote:
So you’d rather be mediocre at a bunch of things than master one thing?
Personally I'd rather visit lots of places, including ones I don't like than visit the same 3 square blocks down the road to find every single thing in them. Just like I'd like to try all sorts of foods, including ones I don't like, so that I can experience them, vs ording a burger in every place I go to find the perfect burger.
Same with photos, I'd rather try lots of different things than keep trying to do one thing. I don't need money from my photography, just like most in here.
I'm pretty sure you still aren't using the first camera you picked up trying to master it. So..what are we talking about here.
But...to be fair to you my friend, you have clearly spent so much time in your contrarian comfort zone you are now a master of it! Someone for all of us to learn from! I'm sure you know I mean this in jest.
Someone for all of us to learn from! I'm sure you know I mean this in jest.