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Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: oxman on January 06, 2013, 11:18

Title: Stress and productivity
Post by: oxman on January 06, 2013, 11:18
I broke up with my girlfriend last summer. Even though it was my doing and necessary it hit me really hard and I have not felt like shooting much. The stress had left me kinda hollow.  Feeling much better now and starting to shoot again. Even have awesome (and much better) girlfriend.

The projects I HAVE shot have felt forced and somewhat on auto-pilot. And not from the zen-zone or heart.

How do you deal with staying motivated to shoot when there is stress in your life?

OX
...zen shooter
Title: Re: Stress and productivity
Post by: luissantos84 on January 06, 2013, 11:31
40% as a happy iStock exclusive should help you :D

seriously why don't you take some vacations?
Title: Re: Stress and productivity
Post by: Neo_ on January 06, 2013, 11:34
I'd also like a good answer to this one, I shift through little motivation moments and huge drained ones where I just feel like quitting photography and all the rest of it.
Keeping your mental sanity sometimes is hard, we grasp to keep faith in better times, if we lose hope we've lost everything, maybe it's just our survival instinct
Title: Re: Stress and productivity
Post by: oxman on January 06, 2013, 11:42
40% as a happy iStock exclusive should help you :D

seriously why don't you take some vacations?

LOL... yeah i hear ya.  8)

I have taken time off  from shooting and that helped. and I am not THAT happy with IS... who is?
Title: Re: Stress and productivity
Post by: JPSDK on January 06, 2013, 11:46
Every photographer should consider and calculate the expenses by shifting his GF to a more photogenic one.
Emotional stress in the transition can be photographed in self portraits and sold as well.
The photographer can emphasize by selecting a black or a white background.
Title: Re: Stress and productivity
Post by: luissantos84 on January 06, 2013, 11:53
Every photographer should consider and calculate the expenses by shifting his GF to a more photogenic one.
Emotional stress in the transition can be photographed in self portraits and sold as well.
The photographer can emphasize by selecting a black or a white background.

don't forget you are talking about women, they have put us in this world :)
Title: Re: Stress and productivity
Post by: Poncke on January 06, 2013, 12:11
Every photographer should consider and calculate the expenses by shifting his GF to a more photogenic one.
Emotional stress in the transition can be photographed in self portraits and sold as well.
The photographer can emphasize by selecting a black or a white background.

don't forget you are talking about women, they have put us in this world :)
Well there is a man involved in that, in fact, one cant reproduce wihtout the other
Title: Re: Stress and productivity
Post by: luissantos84 on January 06, 2013, 12:47
Every photographer should consider and calculate the expenses by shifting his GF to a more photogenic one.
Emotional stress in the transition can be photographed in self portraits and sold as well.
The photographer can emphasize by selecting a black or a white background.

don't forget you are talking about women, they have put us in this world :)
Well there is a man involved in that, in fact, one cant reproduce wihtout the other

ahah yep I know, too bad some only do that, sure there are women that don't care too, anyway back on topic :D
Title: Re: Stress and productivity
Post by: gillian vann on January 06, 2013, 16:05
Every photographer should consider and calculate the expenses by shifting his GF to a more photogenic one.
Emotional stress in the transition can be photographed in self portraits and sold as well.
The photographer can emphasize by selecting a black or a white background.

don't forget you are talking about women, they have put us in this world :)
Well there is a man involved in that, in fact, one cant reproduce wihtout the other
although it's not particularly hard to get the man to do his part :D
Title: Re: Stress and productivity
Post by: gillian vann on January 06, 2013, 16:10
back on topic....

some options I'd try:
1) you either need a break, although it sounds like you got that when you went through your mourning period.
2) buy a new lens. nothing gets me more keen to shoot than trying out a new lens. not that I'm an equipment junkie, I haven't bought a new lens in nearly 2 years. If not a new lens then some new gadget.
3) go somewhere ... either take a mini break or just get in your car at 5am and drive for 3 hours and see where it takes you. most of us can't resist that. stop somewhere for a lovely lunch and stay out all day and shoot in the afternoon too. take the new gf and shoot her on location too.

Title: Re: Stress and productivity
Post by: oxman on January 06, 2013, 18:16
back on topic....

some options I'd try:
1) you either need a break, although it sounds like you got that when you went through your mourning period.
2) buy a new lens. nothing gets me more keen to shoot than trying out a new lens. not that I'm an equipment junkie, I haven't bought a new lens in nearly 2 years. If not a new lens then some new gadget.
3) go somewhere ... either take a mini break or just get in your car at 5am and drive for 3 hours and see where it takes you. most of us can't resist that. stop somewhere for a lovely lunch and stay out all day and shoot in the afternoon too. take the new gf and shoot her on location too.

All great ideas. Thanks tons. I will try some.
 :)
Title: Re: Stress and productivity
Post by: lisafx on January 06, 2013, 18:17
I feel like I live in a constant state of stress lately.  And I haven't been shooting much.  Fortunately I have a large backlog of unprocessed images to keep me busy uploading for awhile. 

But in the past, when I have gone through dry spells, it helped to try shooting something completely outside of my usual subject matter.  Normally I shoot people, so at times when I have been creatively stuck, I have tried shooting food instead.  It really was fun, and did get me back in the swing of photography again. 

Funny thing is I used to think shooting inanimate objects was easier than people because they always do what you want, but I discovered that isn't necessarily so.  While you can direct people to move themselves into the positions you want, you have to constantly move the food or objects around, so unless you have an assistant who's going to move things around for you, people are easier :). 

Of course food works for free, so that's a plus there ;D
Title: Re: Stress and productivity
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on January 06, 2013, 18:25
I do something different - something I need to learn or brush up on - or shoot something because I want to, not because I think it'll be good stock. If I'm focusing energy on learning something, I forget how stuck I am/was. And even if I'm still stuck afterwards, I've learned something potentially useful.

Failing all those things related to creating images, I go and make something new to eat - learning you can consume :)
Title: Re: Stress and productivity
Post by: gbalex on January 08, 2013, 16:10
Every photographer should consider and calculate the expenses by shifting his GF to a more photogenic one.
Emotional stress in the transition can be photographed in self portraits and sold as well.
The photographer can emphasize by selecting a black or a white background.

don't forget you are talking about women, they have put us in this world :)

Are you not the bloke who defiled his model by Photoshopping a cockroach to her face.  Seems to me I saw a few girlies on facebook chiding your lack of empathy for your unlucky model. Sic, bet you have them lining up at your door after that brilliant move.