I was wondering what other amateur folks get up to shooting wise in the winter (I guess you pros can shoot during the day when there is a smidgen of light!). I haven't been able to shoot anything I like in ages because working 8-4 with the commute means that when I get up it's dark and when I leave and/or get home it is also dark. My weekends have also been very busy with various traveling and meeting people etc making shooting a rarity. I just haven't had the time to take pictures and when I have it's been pitch black and not worth it.
It's just getting a bit depressing on the photography front. What is there to shoot now and any tips for keeping the interest up, or new subjects to approach?
Your motivation must come from within. You need to want to do it, as without that inner desire, you are only forcing yourself to do something you don't want to.
I can empathize with a long day. I work 8-5, and commute 2 hours each way, so my work day is usually 13-14 hours long, sometimes longer because of train/rail delays, or traffic.
You don't say what you are interested in shooting, so it's hard to suggest a remedy. I myself, am a nature and wildlife shooter in my spare time, so when I look for motivation, I look to what I myself have achieve in the past or what my own peers have.
All the images below have been shot by me in the last year over the winter here in the States, all in sub-freezing weather. I usually begin the day at about 3 or 4AM, grumbling, wondering why I am up at such an ungodly hour, when my warm bed is calling me. A cup of caffiene, and usually a 2-3 hour car ride later, I find something I am after.... Some days I succeed and think "wow, this has been one of the best days of my life" and some days I come home empty. But its usually on the days I stay home I say to myself "I wonder what I might have found today". In any event, I always have my favorite subject at home, my 2 year old daughter, who loves to not only have her picture taken, but also enjoys taking pictures herself.
Well said eeprete. Your second and third images are particularly excellent.
Indoor shots is all I usually work actively on in the winter. I still take my camera with me when I travel, but shooting the occasional event, coupled with shooting for the WA keeps me sane. My biggest trouble is getting out when the snow is fresh, as I usually end up busy on snow days (just seems to happen) and by the time I get out most everything close by is brown and ugly.
I also took up smudge painting in photoshop a while ago, so if I'm stuck I can always find an old image in the archives and mess around with it. (A quick google search reveals multiple smudge painting tutorials)
Indoor shoots, as said.
also, how about some night shoots of the city streets and night sky-lines, etc.
Sounds like you may be suffering from the "winter blues" a form of depression brought on by not seeing enough day-light. It's a very real problem for people living in the more northern climes in winter.
Need to see to it you get some daylight exercise and fun!
firewireguy wrote:
I was wondering what other amateur folks get up to shooting wise in the winter (I guess you pros can shoot during the day when there is a smidgen of light!). I haven't been able to shoot anything I like in ages because working 8-4 with the commute means that when I get up it's dark and when I leave and/or get home it is also dark. My weekends have also been very busy with various traveling and meeting people etc making shooting a rarity. I just haven't had the time to take pictures and when I have it's been pitch black and not worth it.
It's just getting a bit depressing on the photography front. What is there to shoot now and any tips for keeping the interest up, or new subjects to approach?...Show more →
i hear ya... i live in Massachussettes, we've been getting buried with snow. and temperatures are rarely breaking 30 degrees. its hard to conger up the energy to battle the elements to take a few pictures. As most of my work is in abandoned structures that are equally as cold.
winter months are usually pretty slow for me too. try getting into indoor shooting, maybe buy a cheap indoor lighting setup or somthing to mess around with. might be a good time to experiament.
I agree with what others have posted. Taking the time to play with some different types of photography could be fun. Playing with different lighting setups, second curtain flashes, etc.
Or just fill a container with water, and throw stuff in it.
firewireguy wrote:
It's just getting a bit depressing on the photography front. What is there to shoot now and any tips for keeping the interest up, or new subjects to approach?
For those who enjoy taking night pictures, the short days of winter aren't much of a problem. Things often look different with a nice coating of snow - if you don't like taking pictures in the cold, you could always practice post processing and work on other projects (or work indoors as others have suggested).
I hear you, man. For me, I love the winter more than just about any other season, so I just don't need motivation to get out and shoot during the cold months. During the hot months I tend to stay indoors or practice with experimental stuff.
macro is the way i stay sane