Poll - too serious?

[Damien_Demolder]

Simple one this week - has your photography become a bit too serious?

There is so much to learn in photography that it can become a bit of a study instead of being just about having fun and getting away from everyday life. I know I get over obsessed with the whole thing and forget that the reason I started taking pictures was because I enjoyed it. I stepped back a couple of weeks ago and looked at what I was doing and could see I wasn't having enough fun - so I've been playing with infrared and trying a snappier style of photography in certain situations - and it has worked wonders.

If you did a quick check now would you find you are getting too serious or that you still find the whole hobby a lot of fun. Maybe you find the serious study fun too.

Either way, head to the Home Page to let us all know.

Thanks


Damien

[FujiSigmaNolta]

For me it's always fun, I can't wait for the next opportunity to have my camera in my hands, be it for business or anything else. So, in my case, it's a no.

[Rhys]

I ticked the middle one - yes a little. I find I'm trying too hard now - not seriously so but enough to take a bit of fun out of it. I want to be better than I am and know that I can be, it feels a bit frustrating when stuff doesn't come out as I envisage it. Need to chill a bit more and not think about it too much. Start to have bit more fun..

[Clodhopper]

I still find taking photos fun, but I'm finding the processing is a bit of a drag...

[Steve]

I can go a bit "serious" at times...but I wouldn't say it ever became "too serious".

I think the main thing for me is that since getting my first DSLR, it has opened up many more possibilities as with film I was always worrying about not wasting shots. Now, I feel I can try much more...and if it doesn't work, nevermind... something learnt for next time.

I can be quite critical of my own photographs, but that's only because I want to improve...but it doesn't take the fun out of it for me. The process of taking the photo is fun for me, and if anything, being overly critical makes it all the more satisfying for me when I produce something I am really proud of.

[fabs]

There was a 4th option missing.

"No, I find photography MORE fun than when I started"

My only regret is not taking it up much, much sooner!

[El_Sid]

Going out with the camera and finding pictures is always enjoyable but I do occasionally finding myself getting a bit too serious (or do I mean precious...... ) about the end result.......

From time to time it's worth taking a break I reckon.

[LargeFormat]

I find it more fun than ever after more than half a century. The advent of digital (I started by scanning film until I felt that digital cameras could provide a decent result) created a re-birth. I find the processing so enjoyable that I sometimes work up a file without saving it just for the pleasure.

[Done_rundleCams]

..... crap I shoot you can't be serious

Jack

[Hotblack]

Going out with the camera and finding pictures is always enjoyable but I do occasionally finding myself getting a bit too serious (or do I mean precious...... ) about the end result.......

I know that feeling.

I do get quite serious but I still really enjoy my photography at the same time.

[Benchista]

I take photography too seriously. I don't take my photography seriously enough.

[huwevans]

More serious and more fun - there's not really an option for that. I've gone for the 'No, just as much fun...' one though.

[Terrywoodenpic]

After over 60 years of photography it is still as much fun, perhaps not as exciting as developing the first film.
There are always new things coming along to create that frisson.
Learning new things is an essential part of the fun. However there are so many things and spin off's, that one could become interested in, that one must be selective to some extent, or you could easily develop "butterfly brain" and achieve nothing.
Terry

[alanS]

My shots can't be too serious as most people that see them laugh out loud.

[OneTen]

My photography is loads of fun now and it's important that I keep it that way. Wildlife photography is incredible fun, there's that extra bit of uncertainty that I quite like. I spent days waiting to photograph a Grey Wagtail in our stream without seeing one, then when I finally got a shot the result wasn't that good. I'd still had a great time though.

[daft_biker]

To an extent I think we have to take things seriously to try to progress certain skills - put the hours in, take the duff shots to learn from and go back even more determined. Call me weird if you like but I find that fun. There's no pressure to deliver.

There are plenty shots I don't think I take too seriously....like those smiley face ones....got a bit of a phone cable waiting to have it's photo taken because if you bend it a certain way it looks like a smiley face. The things you see when stuck in teleconfrences

[Ian_A]

I did serious, then obsessed, but now it's 'laid back'.

Maybe it's because I can go from conception to finished result in a few tens of minutes using digital that I no longer have the same commitment?

[Garry McNamara]

Without it I'd have to do some work.

So I take it very seriously indeed.

[Mojo_66]

I went for a little, I've recently been submitting stuff to Alamy and all the time spent in front of the computer is making me irritable, it's not fun anymore! Went out with the Mamiya the other day though which was nice.

[Ian_A]

Without it I'd have to do some work.

So I take it very seriously indeed.

When I'm at work, they keep interrupting me to go do photography for them.


Which is nice ...



Even picking up some video work now since they hived off the communications department. Not sure my feature film of sludge tankers and access roads will do well at Cannes though.