I used to love photography. Started out with a canon 50d and loved that camera and took it everywhere we went. Got some amazing photos thoughtout my time with it and had a blast. Really got into photography from seeing people on social media and YouTube. Photography was a huge reason for us to go out and explore areas. Found out i was actually pretty good at photography. Switched to a few sony mirrorless cameras and it seemed since the switch I lost my spark with photography. Really hated the sony platform and the camera was really small feeling in my hands (a6000). Recently sold all my sony gear and thinking going back to canon. I even have a samsung s22 ultra phone for the camera ability and only use it here and there for quick shots. I also found my dad’s old sears film camera and started thinking about having it cleaned to start messing with it. Those that fell out of the hobby and got back in, what did you feel helped?
Not to sound flippant, but nude photography.got me back into it. That may not be the thing for you, but the concept might.
Look atound for new ways of expressing yourself. Try looking through the collections of great photographers you like. Finding a new and fascinating subject(s) could do the trick.
Sounds like you probably got hooked into shooting like the folks you followed in social media and YouTube. I‘ve been a professional photographer for a long time now, but in the last few years I’ve fallen more in love with it than ever, simply because I learned to shoot personal work. Shoot photos for you, not for social media. What are you obsessed with? Shoot that. That’s where the magic lies.
I was a mediocre photographer during college and I loved it. I’d spend the weekends wandering around Boston, and I still love flipping through the hard drive of work from those days. Some time around 2011 I stopped and I can’t really tell you why.
A couple months ago I found some old photos with people that meant a lot to me, and realized I don’t have any good ones for more than a decade.
I bought a new body and 24-120 as my D70 was showing it’s age and one of the lenses had met it’s end, but they’re tools.
Mostly I’m enjoying wandering around again, looking up rather than at my phone, bugging my friends and trying to convince their dogs to look my way. I also joined 52Frames, it’s challenging and holds me accountable to doing a little bit every week.
Spark isn’t controlled by gear. However, going back can be great. I mostly shoot film last couple of years and really enjoy the limitations of older prosumer digital cameras. Right now I’m rocking the Fuji S5 pro, Canon 5D classic and Sigma DP2 Merrill as odd-sensored cameras. I left everything at home to shoot a complete vacation on my ancient 5Dc and one lens. Fun!
Try film photography with a prime lens. It forces to you think about each and every photo. Best thing I ever did.
Buy a Nikon, problem solved.
This is the answer. If you want to be WRONG.
The answer is buy Fujifilm.
Eventually all roads lead to Leica
Correct, but at the right time. I was a studio guy with 4x5s (Linhoff, Toyo, ended with Sinar), med format (Mamiyas, Bronica, ended with Hasselblad), and 35 film (Canon, Nikon, ended with Leica). Sold much for child support…
A decade and now digital, I went Canon. A lot of Canons, bought and sold most all L lenses. I additionally bought into Fuji for size and weight, but HATE the xtrans files and/or crop. Moved from 5D4s to R5s with all Zeiss primes, sold all the Fuji, and now have M10r and M10m and way too many lenses.
I wasn’t ready for Leica again, even 3 years ago.
I’ve recently managed to coax out a decent file from my Fuji XT3, but it did take quite some fiddling… playing with the idea of building a collection of Leica M mount Zeiss lenses to see if I can adapt them to the Fuji for the time being while saving up for a Leica M9 body
Fuji glass is generally nice. The 16mm is amazing— I just hated the crop files and xtrans rendering. Didn’t match with my workflow.
With crop files you mean the aspect ratio or the fact that it’s APSC and not full frame?
Crop sensor.
Stick with Leica glass for Leicas. I’ve had 2 Voightlanders and a Zeiss for m mount and they went back or sold immediately. I’ve got 9 Zeiss ZE primes for Canon, so I love the rendering. Now also 9 Leica lenses that I also adapt to the R5s. I’m about to try the Zeiss on a X1D2.