how much time do you spend on photography?

[Felipe Rodríguez]

Maybe it's just been a bad week, but I feel like I'm not improving
on my pictures very much. Watching the progress of many on the
forum and see constant improvement. Mine seems to be hit and miss.

How long have you all been doing photography and how much time do
you devote to it?

Thanks.
Phyllis
--
http://www.pbase.com/pbnoj

--
http://www.beatusille.net
'Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?'
Groucho Marx

(Gear list in profile)

 

[Phyllis Blume]

I did have abad weekend. Tried shooting go karts. Only couple of
keepers. May panning skills need lots of work.

You're not the only one... Don't get down on yourself for not
knowing and perfectly executing every type of photography there is.
There's simply too much to know.

Panning with moving subjects is complex, requiring practice. The
same applies to all the other types. I got my d70 on March 18th
but didn't take more than a hundred photos until the weekend of
April 7th. Since then, I've shot over 12,000. Most of those were
just practice shots, to see how the camera/lens reacted in a
certain situation. I have over a thousand images in my galleries.
Most of them are impromptu shots, learning as I go.

My suggestion would be for you to do likewise. Keep the camera
with you when you can. Play with it when you have 10 or 15 minutes
to spare. Shoot everything that comes in front of your lens, in all
lighting conditions. Shoot candid portraits, bugs, chairs,
everything, with and without flash. The subject really doesn't
matter. You'll learn the limitations inherent in you, the camera
and lenses you use.

You want to learn how to pan? Shoot kids playing in the yard,
people walking/running, and cars driving past your house.

After each session, download the images and see how you did, what
you do and don't like. Then figure out how to fix it. Don't be
afraid to post a problem here and ask for help. We all learn from
that.

Last suggestion. Don't set yourself up for failure. If you know
you want to shoot an event and the pics are important, practice the
shots somewhere. Do the research to figure out how to apply the
equipment you own to the situation so that you're comfortable, not
fumbling at the special event.

--
my gallery of so-so photos
http://www.pbase.com/kerrypierce/root
or mostly Nikon d-70 shots
http://www.pbase.com/kerrypierce/d70

--
http://www.pbase.com/pbnoj

 

[Phyllis Blume]

It's hard to just go out and shoot in hopes to get something good,
but if you have something in mind that you are after it's alot
easier. Think about the shot before you go out and get it. Thats
what I have learned.

Jon

--
http://www.pbase.com/pbnoj

 

[Phyllis Blume]

I think I'm beginning to see I'm too hard on myself. I know learning takes time and patience. Working on a plan to take things one step at a time. Some of us progress faster than others and I need to learn not to compare myself to everyone else as much.

Thanks again,
Phyllis

--
http://www.pbase.com/pbnoj