What do you photograph and why?

[smylie]

Nice one Alan - love the light

[Irru]

Like most people, situational depending on where I am - for example, in Shanghai I try to get shots of the culture and architecture. And I tend to take macro shots when I'm standing around waiting for my wife, which is often enough that I'm losing the battle within myself about spending money on a decent macro lens that I don't need tubes or whatever for. That (and looking at some of the examples on the forum) has developed into a fascination with macro photography.

I'm also learning, so I see a pic I really like on a site like this forum, and then I'll obsess about taking similar shots until I've achieved something worthwhile with it, and then I move on to the next flavour. I'm sure over time that will develop into likes of particular fields of photography.

I amused myself for 6 months (of mixing bands for work) by doing band photography at the same time, with a camera quite unsuited to low light (the G10). I'm now not mixing bands but that is an area I really want to revisit with the proper gear (another reason to invest in that f2.8/45mm panaleica macro lens, damnit).

I am jealous of street photographers. I feel so guilty about taking shots of people like that, and it is compounded in China where they're obviously so much poorer. I feel like they think I'm taking advantage of them. And yet, it is an essential way to capture the culture of a region - you just have to take close pics of people. I'm trying to make the 100-300mm lens work for that, it gives me distance from the subject (and the guilt) but the perspective is flat and other stuff keeps getting in the way, so it is a little disappointing. I read somewhere about one guy who uses a really wide lens, making it look like he is taking a pic of something next to the person(s) he is really shooting, combined with the fairly cool distortion you get from close shots with wide angles. Someday I will give that a shot, but the 7-14mm is a long way off yet, I suspect.

[ving]

Bugs n birds. Although lately i have a thing for stationary cars too.... basically i shoot anything tho.



Mainly bugs n birds....

Sent from my TR718D

[DAdeGroot]

Like a lot of people I shoot a lot of things. I make money from people and landscape photography but enjoy wildlife and birding.

[JayR]

I like to shoot nudes, mainly non professional models as there's something I like 'bringing out' of people when trying to turn them into an art work.

I like details, particularly abstracted architecture (Im an architect by trade) and general abstraction imagery (also of nudes as landscapes)

Landscapes from time to time as it forces me to take in the place where I am more deeply.




ummm, looking at them all written down, theyre all kind of overlapping huh?

[mrDooba]

ummm, looking at them all written down, theyre all kind of overlapping huh?

Yes, well it would appear that you have a love for the naked body

[bushbikie]

Mainly landscapes, with a preference for waterfalls/moving water - bit cliched but that's what I like. I also shoot downhill Mountain Biking where my son is a competitor - haven't had a chance to do the latter since getting my 5DII - looks like the boy has realised he needs a car to get around, not a bike.

[thomasdaley]

While im just a beginner I love portraits and nice places with people as the subject. I've tried to do photography of places or things but it just doesnt make me feel as proud as when I get a great shot. Only issue is that im missing willing subjects (kids have no choice). I know some beautiful people but it feels creepy asking them.

[neil70]

I like to shoot motor x and aussie rules football (mainly my kids teams). I try every now and again to shoot landscapes but i just don't have the patience to do it. I have also done about 5 weddings for friends and struggle with the pp (I can't sit still for that long so my wife has to do most of it). I post up very occasionally (not enough i know Kiwi)

[piXelatedEmpire]

I think we suffer from the same 'affliction' Chris, as I too am an avid bird photographer. I love nothing more than spending time amongst and photographing birds. Their personalities, brilliant colours and wonderful shapes make for such an interesting photographic subject.

[Lance B]

I'll take photos of anything within reason, jack of all trades, master of none.

However, I do mainly concentrate on birds, animals in general, landscapes, family, pets and portraiture when given the chance.

[baldrick]

Hi as most people have said I shoot just about anything that takes the eye, plus a lot of the grandkids. But mostly I seem to enjoy the challenge of capturing low flying fast aircraft at airshows, why? because it`s difficult also I use Pentax gear which most experts will tell you are fairly useless for this because of their "slow" autofocus and frame rate (experts annoy me).





Plenty of photos of the Catalina because I`m a HARS member and often crew the Cat when she goes to airshows.
Simmo

[rebel18]

Insects insect insect, I live on 25 acres of bush land so I'm photographing every day to see what insects we have on our property especially as we use no poisons.
I also love top photograph Birds and trees and sunrises and sunsets BUT mainly Insects.

[Geoff79]

Pretty much anything except people.

Haha. Not 100% true, but close. I like taking shots of my wife, but as she doesn't, it rarely happens, apart from holidays. But generally, I go out of my way to make sure any photo I take has no trace of a human in it.

I love landscape and seascape shots most, and have taken photos (albiet most are quite average) of most of the NSW coastline over the past few years. The funny this is, as I learn more about photography (with a hell of along way still to go) I figure I'll probably have to re-visit everywhere I've been, to get a good shot of it.

But yeah, I love scenery shots and photos of my pups first and foremost. Other than that, I like to capture ANY animal I ever see in the wild, assuming he/she will stick around for a photo. I like marco shots a lot, but don't take as many as I want to... not sure why - harder to see a great photo in them? I've recently taken a few shots at night too, which I've always been interested in but never really done much of. I'm not picky, though. Any scene that I think looks interesting, without people in it, I'll take a snap if I have my camera on me.

Love getting out for sunrise and sunset too, for my landscape / seascape shots. Sunrise not so much in winter, though. lol.

Oh, and I took some photos at my brother's wedding, and then another wedding on Castaway Island in Fiji, that my wife and I went to this year. Not overly happy with the photos at all and would not like to make a habit of it.

[WhoDo]

Like some here I have yet to find my niche in photography! When you're my size niche's that fit are a distinct rarity!

I like landscape/seascape photography, especially sunrise/sunset when the opportunity presents. Macro and birds also interest me but I'm not really either equipped or experienced enough for either at the moment. I'd like to do more of both for sure.

My passion, though, is people and portraiture in all its forms. The little I've done has been very rewarding and I'd like to do much more but there are so many hurdles ... time, people with the inclination to pose, the "creepy asking" thing, the lack of any studio gear, etc. None of these are insurmountable obstructions of course, and I'll get there one day, but whenever it happens it won't be as soon as I'd have liked!

Interestingly enough I do NOT like shooting sports, or cars/planes/boats, or animals and pets (mine excepted of course), or buildings either for that matter. I'm really not sure why that is, and I certainly admire those who do shoot them and do it well! Who knows?

[mechawombat]

I just take photos, I dont have a genre I like, I thought it was Flowers but now I shoot anything. I want to hone my skills and be well rounded.

I would love to be like a Ken Duncan or Steve Parish and just take remarkable photos of our great country and make money doing it. However I can only dream at this stage

BTW great Thread

[Chilli]

I am still searching for my niche and along the way I have discovered that I love to fill the frame ..

[WhiteFire]

Landscapes and architecture are where I find my joy... however I think its mostly because I shy away from things that move.

My current challenge is water-blurring without over exposing.

[tcdev]

I haven't been in this hobby for long enough to work out exactly what I like most (having not tried certain aspects), but at this point I would say that landscapes, wildlife and travel interest me the most.

The former two have gone hand-in-hand with the latter since I got my D90 and the bug, as I have mostly been to national parks in that time. The idea of capturing a land- (or sea-) scape good enough to hang on the wall is my first holy grail. Right now I've an obsession with panoramic landscapes, ever since I discovered how easy it is to stitch with modern PP software. Unfortunately I only have half a tripod atm, so my opportunities are limited. I'm also keen to try my hand at night/astro, once I get my legs!

Why? I'm not sure. Perhaps because that's what I've been practising the most up until now?!? I enjoy the outdoors, so capturing that scenery in a photo is interesting to me. It's a reminder of what's waiting out there!

But I haven't written off any other genre just yet... although I don't think I'll ever be an avid bird-watcher... sorry...

[jjphoto]

I've started a project recently after thinking about it for way too long. The goal is to shoot triptychs of properties before demolition, once cleared and then after they've been redeveloped. None of the images or triptychs are complete until developments has finished and all 3 images are shot, easier said than done and I haven't finished one yet. It's clearly not a 5 minute job. In fact it's extremely difficult to shoot them at all some times, with parked cars, traffic, signs, people, weather etc. Some of these will take years from go to whoa. But what the hell, it's good to have a hobby!





The web site is goneforeverproject.com

JJ