I was thinking of you when I saw this topic and was concerned when you hadn't been much on the forum since the time you were discussing your loss of interest in photography.I'm sorry to hear not much has changed with photography for you.
I agree, in an ideal world I'd like to use something like the RX100-III (or above) or Canon G7X-II for travel, but I find them fiddly to use and IQ isn't quite there for me. I've considered something like the Fuji X100 (the one with the bayer sensor) but I find primes too restrictive. Therefore after starting with m4/3 then going Sony RX100-III > Canon G7x > Fuji XT1 I settled on the fact that M4/3 is the best system for me for travel so now have the EM1. However, because I'm me I have to have the 12-40mm f2.8 rather than the kit lens and so even m4/3 is bulkier than I would ideally like for travel data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7 data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
In an ideal world again I'd use m4/3 for everything but AF isn't there just yet, I love the shallow DOF of FF and there are times when FF just provides better IQ.
Proper 1st world problems these aren't they data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Thank you, John.
I think I became a victim of my own perfectionism. I was getting more and more frustrated with being unable to produce the kind of quality I wanted. The more time I put into each shoot, the more frustrated I was. At the end each shoot was taking so much time, the setting it up was a challenge and I simply couldn't be bothered any more and stopped.
It is not all lost though. I have moved into post production. Mastered Photoshop more and now do post production professionally, which I think suits my personality more. It's strange how things go in circles sometimes. My first encounter with Photoshop was around 20 years ago. I had no idea what I was doing, but I quickly became fascinated with the possibilities (quite limited back then). When I picked up the first dSLR 10 years ago, it was partially caused by frustration with not being able to get my hands on RAW files to play around in Photoshop. Even in post production my understanding of light and photography helps me massively, so I'm grateful I took that path. These days I simply don't have time for phtography. I work full time and then freelance after. Typically I work around 16 hours per day, 7 days per week. I have not sold my gear yet (apart from a couple of lenses), so if I ever find the mojo and time again, I am pretty much good to go data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
I think you and I are very similar in this regard tbh, although you might be a little more extreme than me data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
That's cool data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Yes, I'm a bit extreme. It's the same in my retouching. I can't just be a retoucher, I must be a bloody good retoucher... or go home. I've been working very hard to be able to produce good quality, but I still know I can do better. Just me data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Being involved in the process from the post production side, I now know how big of a part it plays in photography. It is also nothing to do with what people think "retouching" is. I am yet to get a request to slim someone or "make her pretty". Retouching is about that final polish to the images. Exactly the part I was lacking in my photography.
I know what you mean, and why I keep thinking of learning photoshop to get that polished finish.
You never guess what I did yesterday? I only went and took some photos //static.avforums.com/styles/avf/smilies/clap.gif I'm not happy with a single one though data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Normal service has resumed then data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
I've had my mojo basically thrown at me! I've got a friend who's getting more into photography and they've lined up models and a location for a couple of shoots, as well as wanting to model herself too, along with several other varied ideas as well. Apparently no isn't an option for me! I just needed a designated butt kicker
Out of practice? Don't be too hard on yourself data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Sometimes we need those kind of "kick in the butt" moments. And also it is a good practice to surround ourselves with people who motivate us and push our limits. Well done and I'm crossing my fingers that this is a beginning of something good for you data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
I get newsletters from ephotozine and a few days ago they sent one about 10 ways photography is good for you.
Here is a link to the article:
10 Ways Photography Can Improve Your Life
Photography can be frustrating but it is rewarding and beneficial in many ways.