Finding What You Enjoy

Aaron Quinn

Well-Known Member
I've been thinking a lot over the last week'ish or so about my photography. With living in such a beautiful state as Colorado, landscapes seem to be the default type of photography here. I'm a gear head and really enjoy automotive and motorcycle shows but know little about how to photograph them correctly. Architecture has always fascinated me but again, how to photograph it correctly is lacking on my part.

What is your favorite photography genre and how did you decide on that?

Not that you can't have more than one you enjoy but it seems most have one they focus on.
 
My favorite type of photography is wildlife.
I've had an interest in wildlife all my life, then a few years ago I started to get back into birdwatching and met a wildlife photographer in a hide, so I had a look at his website and thought I'd like to try that. I then bought myself a little Fuji bridge camera to learn the basics. Then I saved some money to upgrade to a DSLR and 400mm lens, then a Macro lens for the smaller stuff.
It was only after joining an old Fuji forum started by Darren Turner and then Real Photographers Forum that I started to try other things.
 
This is an interesting question. I don't really have a favourite. It would be easier to say what I wouldn't photograph and that is posed portraits and any still life. Having said that - although I wouldn't set up the latter, if I found a nice dried flower arrangement out and about and it caught my eye, then it would be fair game. Does that make any sense? I don't try. Oh dear... that sounds either very lazy or big-headed and I don't mean it like that. Years ago I tried too hard and kept failing. I'm a perfectionist at heart and I don't need the added stress at my time of life. I won't challenge myself, which is fairly easy because I only have the one kit zoom. So no interesting angles etc. I suppose you could call it old-fashioned.

My favourite subject is street photography and I actually do very little because I don't go up to London very often. I like it because it's mostly suited to black and white, which I love. Then there is the challenge of recognising a moment and capturing it - all without taking the time to think. For me that's about the hairs on the back of your neck and there is no better feeling :)
 
I really like outdoor nature photography and especially landscape views of wilderness locations. Seems like this specialty came as a result of my love for outdoor oriented activities which include backpacking, mountaineering, cross country skiing and other similar interests.
 
Thanks for the replies. Great info. Seems my interests are so many and so varied I may need to sit down and come up with a little bit of focus...
 
For me the end result is not as important as the doing. Putting yourself in a position to appreciate your surroundings more. Sometimes I can see an image as a camera might, and I don't even take a shot - just the seeing, the being there, aware, is enough. So, I don't at all think about style, and if I tried a style I would doubtless fail miserably. Just feel your way without trying, then people will one day refer to it as your style. Here endeth the homily.
 
I have absolutely no focus at all. That's part of my problem, I just don't really concentrate on much at all.

I don't particularly like landscapes although I love looking at them, I'd love to do more portrait, model type stuff, but just don't have the kit and I really like street type stuff. Again, the problem is I just don't get out enough to do it

Perhaps for the New Year I might set myself the challenge of one genre and stick to it!
 
Mmmmm, back in the day I would have said motorsports, but I don't do much of that these days

Not sure these days - street work is a challenge but very enjoyable, as is shooting the grandkids (with a camera) :D :D
 
Since my children came this this world, I find that portraiture is something that I have definitely picked up in the last few years.
I like Rob advice though, to not necessarily focus on a particular subject but to take your camera with you and shoot what you feel is right, you may find over time what it is too have the knack for, what you enjoy shooting.
I'm very restricted with my expanded family through time (and responsibility) to go out and shoot what I really enjoy doing the most by getting photos that are not as common. There have been millions of photos taken from the top of the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire, all very nice and views appreciated. But only a hand full taken inside the hills.....
A derelict building from outside? Or inside? A picture of a tree, or from the tree? I could go on with a never ending list of ideas. It can be very dangerous and only yourself can be the judge.
For me, it's the desire to achieve a photo from a perspective, or even an area that is uncommon. I wish I had a lot more time to do this. But for now, the main topic are my beautiful kids! :)
 
My walks are important to me so documenting them I suppose but have no real genre and usually end up with nothing or lots of nothing much, also like playing with my mini world sufff and studio stills when I can be a####d
 
In my case I've been involved in photography at various levels since the 1960's, in the 70's I worked for a student newspaper on occasions and was shooting portraits and models portfolios. Then I worked full time for a specialist photographic company and just shots slides while out walking and rock bands for fun.

A complete change in direction work-wise in 1986 freed me up photographically and I began shooting more landscapes concentrating on large format work I realised quite quickly that I was shooting Industrial landscapes (out in the countryside) and settled on a definite project, photographing the abandoned Leominster to Stourport Canal, culminating in an exhibition at the MAC in Birmingham. I was still shooting elsewhere and other projects began to come together. A chance visit to an area in the Black Country one evening with a friend after work made me realise I wanted to work in an urban setting and that night decided to spend 5 years putting together a large project. 5 years later with some funding from West Midlands Arts the work (65 images) was shown at Wednesbury Art Gallery, although some of the work in progress had been shown at the MAC and Bond Gallery in Birmingham, and also on the walls of the West Midlands Arts building.

So this was finding what I enjoyed and a sharing of it through photography, I felt I needed to contextualise my work further and had decided I wanted to do an MA in Photography but first I went and studied Industrial Archaeology at Birmingham University with modules at the Ironbridge Institute, going on to do my MA about 3 years later.

Moving to Turkey in 2006 I began shooting in classical Archaeological landscapes and found a real enjoyment just being at these sites and began working towards another large exhibition, however the first two exhibitions (in Turkey) have had to be postponed as we had to return to the UK for family reasons. After discussions with the first gallery I decided to combine work made around the Aegean contrasting it with work shot in the Tin mining areas of Cornwall, might sound odd but the images work together.

It is about having fun combining interests I still shoot the odd rock bands live, this goes in phases though, I nearly burnt out 2004/6 when I was often shooting 3 or 4 bands 3 nights a week and on odd occasions 2 venues a night, all day at festivals etc.

Ian
 
Very interesting, Ian. I'd love to do similar projects on industrial wastelands in the countryside, or fringes of Edinburgh, and I guess there is nothing to stop me doing that. I like the idea of planning a project - something I've not really done. I'll give some thought to it. But I imagine I would still "do my own thing" in these situations, and not try to fit the mould of, say, an architectural photographer (a disciplined skill set I admire but haven't acquired).

I'd like to see your images of the Aegean and tin mining in Cornwall. Any online?
 
@Ian Grant - Ian, these are superb! You are now my new favourite photographer :) The link took me to page 5, but I went to page 1, and looked through them all. All the images have great compositions, and all have a similar tone and feel, which helps unify the series. I love the industrial shots, the trains, etc, and that has inspired me to do something similar around here. The Turkish shots of course brought to mind similar work by Nihat - a former contributor here - but with quite a different feel. Some of your compositions there are exceptional.

I also like that you subhead the site with "Traditional Photography Portfolio" - I detect a justifiable pride in that statement. I think one of the reasons I do all this daft experimental work (experimental to me, that is - quite tame by some standards) is because I'm no good at the traditional stuff. But you excel in it! I wish I had your eye and feel for the subject. An inspiring site!
 
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i guess the simple answer would be landscape, but, in reality it's not as simple as that. I like to photograph things that interest me and that can be architecture, vintage items and places, woodsman type stuff, tattoos and thats just off the top of my head..... I just don't post them a lot
 
What an interesting thread. I guess my most enduring theme, as it were, is urban decay and living in Potsdam provides quite a few opportunities to pursue this. As I have said elsewhere though, I'm also fascinated with the way that images can evoke certain feelings or trigger memories and also create illusory ones (eg http://www.realphotographersforum.com/forum/threads/the-keeper-of-secrets.11188/) and I have a few projects in progress (albeit very slow progress) around this.
 
Good, Pete. That Keeper series is one of the most memorable threads to appear on this site, for me at least. About time we had another!
 
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