Looking for some ideas to get you out of a photographic rut?

[xseption]

I found this list at the Dallas Camera Club Website

Looking for some ideas to get you out of a photographic rut?
Try these photographic spots in and around Dallas:
• The Mustangs of Las Colinas
• White Rock Lake
• Old City Park
• Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
• Pioneer Plaza
• Swiss Avenue Historic District
• Deep Ellum
• The Old Red Courthouse
• Dallas Zoo
• Fair Park
• John F. Kennedy Memorial
• Thanks-giving Square
• Dallas Farmers Market
• The Dallas world Aquarium

Anybody have anything to add to this list? possibly in Fort Worth or Arlington?

I like the Cedar Hill State Park (talking springtime or early summer), especially around the lake. I found an 8 ft diamondback sunning itself near the picnic tables.

I would like to see your suggestions please.

edd

[photosbymorgan2]

In Fort Worth

The Log Cabin Village

The Botanical Gardens

The Japanese Gardens

The Trinity Park Duck Pond

The Fort Worth Stock Yards

The Fort Worth Zoo

Downtown Courthouse

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by xseption

Anybody have anything to add to this list? possibly in Fort Worth or Arlington?

A 4 ft square outside your front door.

Your bathroom.

the inside of a large hoop you throw from a second floor window.

Three objects from inside a friend's bag.


Point being, you don't need to go and find interesting places to shoot, you just need to shoot interesting photos were you are. Then when you go interesting places, you'll be able to make even more interesting pictures.

[xseption]

Originally Posted by GordonMcGregor

A 4 ft square outside your front door.

Your bathroom.

the inside of a large hoop you throw from a second floor window.

Three objects from inside a friend's bag.

Point being, you don't need to go and find interesting places to shoot, you just need to shoot interesting photos were you are. Then when you go interesting places, you'll be able to make even more interesting pictures.

A point well made ... I shoot wildflowers artistically usually by the side of the road, so I understand where you are coming from ... yet I am still interested in other local places people find interesting and I thought the list was interesting and so wanted to expand upon it.

thanks for your input, I really appreciate it

edd

PS I enjoyed your photos at the Wildflower Center. Is that the one in Austin?

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by xseption

yet I am still interested in other local places people find interesting and I thought the list was interesting and so wanted to expand upon it.

Oh - I don't disagree on that either. Sometimes though, I get in a rut and find myself desperate to go 'more interesting places' and when I get there, find I'm still in the rut.
What gets me out of them is to start shooting, find something, and work , work, work
the one subject. I have the worst time when I keep looking, never stopping long enough
to see what was already in front of me.

Yup - the pictures are from the widflower center in Austin. One thing I found going
back to the same place, over and over again (probably 30-40 times in two years)
was that it really forced me to pay more and more attention and get beyond the
first blush obvious shots - least I hope so. I'd go with a particular theme in mind -
lines, circles, 'red', 'green', 'rough' that sort of abstract ideas each time, and shoot
to that theme. I found it really helped to slow me down and stop me trying to find
the next interesting thing. Each time I did this I came away with a really different
set of images - was a fun and occasionally really frustrating experience.

[Jezebel]

A project I was working on a while back called the Ultimate Challenge where everyone was to try and shoot as many pictures from this list of themes as possible. It was really fun to go out and do this... might be a nifty forum activity actually, we could take suggestions for more things to add to the list. The more the merrier I say!

http://div.dyndns.org/EK/challenge.html

[byarger]

Arlington has -

Six Flags
Ballpark at Arlington
River Legacy Park/Nature Center

Fort Worth - other locations
Will Rogers and other Art Deco buildings
Tarantula train - Stockyards Grapevine
FW Nature Center

Dallas - Fair Park (not during fair) - art deco architecture

[xseption]

Originally Posted by Jezebel

A project I was working on a while back called the Ultimate Challenge where everyone was to try and shoot as many pictures from this list of themes as possible. It was really fun to go out and do this... might be a nifty forum activity actually, we could take suggestions for more things to add to the list. The more the merrier I say!

http://div.dyndns.org/EK/challenge.html

sounds like fun! thanks for sharing your idea.

edd

[xseption]

Originally Posted by byarger

Arlington has -

Six Flags
Ballpark at Arlington
River Legacy Park/Nature Center

Fort Worth - other locations
Will Rogers and other Art Deco buildings
Tarantula train - Stockyards Grapevine
FW Nature Center

Dallas - Fair Park (not during fair) - art deco architecture

thanks! I appreciate the input, especially concerning Fair Park. I did not even consider the art deco architecture. Great idea!

edd

[xseption]

Originally Posted by GordonMcGregor

Oh - I don't disagree on that either. Sometimes though, I get in a rut and find myself desperate to go 'more interesting places' and when I get there, find I'm still in the rut.
What gets me out of them is to start shooting, find something, and work , work, work
the one subject. I have the worst time when I keep looking, never stopping long enough
to see what was already in front of me.

Yup - the pictures are from the widflower center in Austin. One thing I found going
back to the same place, over and over again (probably 30-40 times in two years)
was that it really forced me to pay more and more attention and get beyond the
first blush obvious shots - least I hope so. I'd go with a particular theme in mind -
lines, circles, 'red', 'green', 'rough' that sort of abstract ideas each time, and shoot
to that theme. I found it really helped to slow me down and stop me trying to find
the next interesting thing. Each time I did this I came away with a really different
set of images - was a fun and occasionally really frustrating experience.

I rarely get into a rut, since I can usually find wildflowers or their remains throughout most of the year. I did like the idea of going with a theme considered before hand.

thanks!

edd

[Gordon]

Originally Posted by xseption

I rarely get into a rut, since I can usually find wildflowers or their remains throughout most of the year. I did like the idea of going with a theme considered before hand.

thanks!

edd

I find the theme works well for many situations. Doesn't have to be hard and fast, but it really helps me get my head in the game quickly. Otherwise I spend too much time trying to find something to start shooting. Also surprises me how differently I can approach the same
subject matter if I have a very different theme or focus:

Other ideas:

back light
Shadow & light
Sharp
Soft
Renewal
Ssssssss
Angles
T
complimentary colours
quiet


stuff like that ;) I just come up with some abstract concept, then go and try to shoot to that theme for a while.

[xseption]

Originally Posted by GordonMcGregor

I find the theme works well for many situations. Doesn't have to be hard and fast, but it really helps me get my head in the game quickly. Otherwise I spend too much time trying to find something to start shooting. Also surprises me how differently I can approach the same
subject matter if I have a very different theme or focus:

Other ideas:

back light
Shadow & light
Sharp
Soft
Renewal
Ssssssss
Angles
T
complimentary colours
quiet


stuff like that ;) I just come up with some abstract concept, then go and try to shoot to that theme for a while.

thanks again! these are some wonderful ideas!

edd

[brad]

You could also frequent the Creative section on this site.. theme shoots (always open, new one posted every other week or so), creative exercises (fun, fascinating stuff), and photoshop challenges (taking a picture and doing something creative with after effects).

[fatmaxxv]

Originally Posted by Gordon

A 4 ft square outside your front door.

Your bathroom.

the inside of a large hoop you throw from a second floor window.

Three objects from inside a friend's bag.


Point being, you don't need to go and find interesting places to shoot, you just need to shoot interesting photos were you are. Then when you go interesting places, you'll be able to make even more interesting pictures.

I cant agree with you more. It's all in your own opinion of photo ops.... it's everywhere.

[Sunshine]

Some great places on that list! I was just complaining today about how Dallas had nothing "pretty" to shoot. I was so wrong. :)