HELP! I've Got Photographer's Block

[nakia_benford]

<p>Hey All,<br>

It's me again - Nakia..... Boy have I been through the ringer in my BW Photo 1 class! Now we have an abstract assignment to shoot. </p>

<p>I am stumped!!!!! Our instructor suggests getting close to objects, or shooting something from the perspective that keeps the veiwer from recognizing what has been photographed.</p>

<p>We are supposed to use our 50mm lens. .....so no zoom or macro lenses. Each time I try to frame a shot - Everything JUST LOOKS NORMAL :-( Not abstact at all (can you hear the sadness in my voice ???? LOL)</p>

<p>It has been raining the past two days, and I need to get this roll of film complete today...any suggestions on what to shoot or how to approach the assignment?</p>

<p> </p>

[andy_burkholder]

<p>Find something very large and only photograph a part of it. How about brickwork on old buildings, tree bark, fences, etc.?</p>

[tkphotog]

<p>You mentioned rain. How about an imperfect reflection of something in a puddle? <a href="

<p>I saw the face of a stylized bulldog in this section of ornate, wrought-iron fencing: <a href="

<p>Puddles reflect. Find other reflective things and go for it: <a href=" </p>

<p>Admittedly, the last one is lame, but perhaps one of these will spark an idea in your mind. Good luck!</p>

[red_robin]

<p>Hey Nakia, Try this: Find a large box.. ... and shoot the interior! That's right, think inside the box. Try something really different! Turn it around, look inside-out, upside down. .. ... not normal, run of the mill won't do. Good luck (Post your solution)</p>

[peter_simpson1]

<p>Get close. My 50 will focus below a foot, and that's macro enough for me:<br>

Raindrops on a railing<br>

Leaf floating in a puddle (OK to find a dry one and move it :-)<br>

Reflections in a puddle<br>

Soggy leaves in a gutter<br>

Water flowing in a gutter<br>

Raindrops on a window</p>

 

[nakia_benford]

<p>Wow, thanks guys!<br>

I don't think it is raining now so I am going to head out during lunch and look for reflections. AND I do have a large moving box that I was going to throw out. <br>

I've seen some of my classmates stuff and they have really come up with some good stuff. The instructor told us to steer away from tree bark. I guess he has been tree barked out :o)<br>

Travis those pictures have given me some inspiration. <br>

I'll keep you posted.....</p>

[tom_cheshire]

<p>Put a vase on a glass table. Shoot up from underneath.</p>

[newmanuk]

Hi Nakia .Welcome to photonet..Be nice to see your final shots posted. Have you got an old cheap uv fillter? Try a smear of Vaseline, baby oil ,olive oil or etc..on it. try a very low angle and isolate a subject, Understand you have an assignment it should work with your input and creativity Regards miken

[steven_endo]

<p>You're taking a B&W photo class right? Which I assume means you are printing your own photos? If so, you can make those normal looking scenes abstract by blowing up and cropping just part of the frame to make the shot abstract. You don't really need a macro lens since you are not trying to get every little itty-bitty detail of a butterfly's wing or something. Just get as close as you can and blow it up! Or take a photo from a different view point and blow it up!</p>

[nakia_benford]

<p>Ok, so it was still raining when I went out for lunch break yesterday, so I didn't finish shooting my roll of film before class last night. </p>

<p>Steve, yes we are developing and enlarging our own photos. At first I didn't think that we could crop any of our photos, but I found out last night that we can. As far as posting my photos - What's the best way of getting my print into an electronic/digital format? We have scanners at school....</p>

<p>Mike - what do I clean the vaseline off of my uv filter with after I've finished?</p>

<p>With everyone's suggestions and this pretty partly cloudy day, I am armed and dangerous. I may even pull out my red filter and try to shoot some clouds from the top level of our parking garage. (Red Filter is the correct one to use right???)</p>

<p>(Tom - I gave away my glass tables bc we have a toddler running around now.... darn, but the wheels in my head are spinning) </p>

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[newmanuk]

Nakia I did suggest an old cheap uv for that .I would leave it with the vaseline or et al on the filter and store it in the filter container or in a sealable bag hope that helps MIken

[tony_lockerbie]

<p>Often very modern buildings are great for abstracts, where you can just use parts of the building to create designs. Good luck with the assignment.</p>

[nakia_benford]

<p>Hey Everyone,<br>

We had the critique for this assignment and everyone including the instructor liked my work. The weather was not very cooperative leading up to the due date, so I took several pictures inside of the parking garage at my job. </p>

<p>The instructor did have some suggestions on things I could do differently for the prints that I submit for my final portfolio, but overall he liked my work. I'll find out what grade I recieved tonight when I get to class. (Keeping my fingers crossed for an "A")</p>

<p>Once I get the prints back I plan to scan them and post them for you all to see. Thank you so much for your advise and suggestions.</p>

<p>(till the next post)<br>

Nakia</p>