How often do you pick up your camera and take pictures?

[Alison]

I mean, I am starting to get a little worried about my lack of motivation recently.
Is my love for photography slowly starting to fade?
5 days ago was the last time I picked up my camera and took pictures. That's a longggg time for me.

[Tyson L. Sparks]

Twice a week.

[Xia_Ke]

I find myself only really shooting 1 day a week now. I'm really liking that though. I spend the week thinking of where I want to go shoot and then on the day I go out, I focus completely on shooting. I keep my Holga and Canonet loaded with film and nearby at all times in case something strikes my eye in the meantime but, when I was shooting all the time I found I was feeling rushed or like I had to shoot. Now I try and concentrate much more when I shoot and immerse myself in it. Plus I end up appreciating my shooting time much more.

Aaron

[mn shutterbug]

Considering the fact that I only take outdoor photos, the weather plays a big part. I haven't touched my camera in over a week and have an idea it might be a couple more weeks. We're looking at below 0 fahrenheit temps for at least the next week. No way will I be out in that cold with my camera.

[adina]

When someone pays me. So I'll have it out Thursday.


Honestly, I've gotten to the point where I want to participate instead of document. Yeah, this is a great moment and it'd be great to have pictures, but if that means not participating...I'd rather have my kids have the memory of "we did this together" than a photo of them doing something.

Actually, I'm going to take them to the coffee shop Monday and photograph them. So I'll have it out Monday and Thursday.

[freygr]

For me I have to get a pocket camera, but I do take the camera with me each weekend trip to the stable. I never know if I'll even brake out the camera on the weekend but it's there if I feel like taking a photo.

[Loupey]

Definitely been slow for me too lately. Like mn shutterbug, it doesn't help that most of my shots come from shooting outdoors and this time of year is pretty ugly in my part of the country (unless you think gray, slushie, half-melted snow pretty).

If winter would actually just make up its mind and actually come, I might be able to get some "winter" shots.

Alison, your question would definitely have different answers from me depending on the season

[WCpilot]

Alison, I just started shooting film this semester. So I've been through a roll and a half in the last 3 days. And that's forcing myself not to shoot. But before that, it was pretty much just the same as Adina, just when people were paying me (and that's not too often). I would also grab some random shots here and there just to play around with settings a bit.

And I also keep a pretty strong divider up between memories and photos. My family pretty much expects me to document holidays. But there are times I just refuse to have the camera around. It's much more important for me to be an uncle sometimes. The kids aren't going to chase themselves. Well... they chase each other, and almost seem to be chasing themselves at times, but that's not the same, haha.

[Alison]

Maybe it's the weather for me too. I mean, by the time the kids get home from school there's not alot of window light left.

I know what you mean adi, about participating rather than documenting. I don't do as much with my kids as I used to, although alot of that has to do with the fact that we don't have a dining room or table. We all used to sit around making papier mache models, painting and making posters.
Having yet another 2 kids under 5 could also be draining my energy and motivation.

I was just a bit worried that my love for photography was disappearing.

[EOSThree]

About once a week.

[jorgemonkey]

It depends for me. I except for the past few weeks I work about 6 days a week, so I don't have much time on my own to shoot. my mon-fri job involves product photography, and the weekend gig is sports photography. I do try to get out on my own whenever I can though.

[Frog]

Varies by what's going on and of course the weather. Lack of light, especially in the evening affects, too.
I go on binges for a day or two.
One thing I've found is that I see photo ops more often when I have my camera in my hand or at least with me.

[Old Timer]

Tough question. I think most of us go in waves. Sometimes it is every day, but since the holidays it has been much more infrequently. Part of it is motivation and then there is the opportunity factor. I shoot 85% of my images in the late afternoon after work. It's dark when I get home from work now. I have learned to except these down times because I have learned over time that the next photo explotion is just a matter of time.

[Ukcatman0412]

At least once a day for pets if nothing else, But I also just got the D40X for Christmas. Newness has not worn off yet and I am only familiar with about 5 of the settings. Once I get them all mastered I will probably shoot 3 to 4 times a week plus family stuff.

[SmartWombat]

Me? nothing for the last week.
I recognise signs of depression, which is a whole lot worse than not picking up the camera.
I'm not even excited about Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, shopping ...
So no, I'm not shooting anything either.

[readingr]

Not worried about it, I made a concsiouce decision some time ago that I wouldn't put myself under pressure to take photos so now I get the camera out when the mood takes me and if it doesn't so be it.

However, Landscapes depend a lot on the weather and at the moment in the UK we get too much weather :lol:

Last time the camera was out was last week and I will probably get the urge again this week. I keep a camera with me at all times because when travelling you never know what you might want to photograph. So on average the camera is out once a week.

So the camera spends a lot of the time in the boot of the car.

Work isn't helping at the moment far too much of it, and trying to decorate the house and maintain the boats so its a load of work leaving little time for photography or monitoring this site.

Roger

[opus]

I feel the same as Adina. When I'm shooting, I'm sorta transported out of the whole experience, like "floating above" it, I'm so focused through the viewfinder that I miss the feeling of actually being there. It's a really hard decision for me, whether I bring the camera or leave it home. Most of the time, I ask myself what kinds of pictures I would hope to bring home. If the answer is, "cool pictures to frame or put in an album", then I'll take the camera. If the answer is, "huh, I dunno, just wanna shoot, I guess, maybe document pictures of friends or something," then I leave it home (or take the P&S along).

I spent the weekend going through all my old prints and putting them in albums. The valuable ones are of my kid or my immediate family. The ones I don't know what to do with are of friends I've lost touch with long ago. And the most useless ones are of scenery. So now I don't even try to take scenery pictures unless I have the chance to capture something frameable.

And those times when I don't have my camera along and wish I could take a pic? My famous quote along those lines is, "Oh well, I guess I'll just have to use my memory."

The pix of the kid, though, have been valuable. I just (finally!!!) got them all into two albums, and showed them to my seventeen year old. He exclaimed, "I thought you never took pictures of me when I was young! I was thinking I was the photographically neglected kid. But here you have all these pictures!"

So really, what's most important, I think, is getting them into albums for people to enjoy!