A struggle.

[DickyOZ]

For the past couple of months I have struggled to take decent photos. I seem to have either had the wrong settings, been in the wrong place or had bad light and uncooperative subjects.
#1 I couldn't get close to this plant (whose name I have forgotten) so I had to use a long lens.

#2 same here on a cliff face. Fringed lily.

#3 Things not as they seem. Odd looking wasp

#3 It's really two wasps mating - the smaller male either has no wings or has had them ripped off by the female.

#4 Not enough dynamic range to cope with an almost jet black bird and a bright background. Not often I see a Red-backed Fairywren singing its heart out and in full view and sitting in one place for more than half a second.

#5 Why have you got that saucepan?

[JBW]

#5 is so full of character. There is one of two things going on with your shots. (1) you have plateaued and eventually you will break out or (2) you have unrealistic expectations. Or it could be both.

One thing I do notice is that there is a blandness in these 5 shots. Could you boost up the contrast between fore and background?

[JohnRostron]

One thing I do notice is that there is a blandness in these 5 shots. Could you boost up the contrast between fore and background?

They do not look bland at all to me, especially #4. I like them all, including #5.

John

[DanK]

I sympathize. I think many of us go through periods where we think we are in a slump. In fact, that's why I haven't been posting photos recently; I haven't had any that I am really satisfied with.

That said, I can offer you a few thoughts that might be helpful. First, compare #5 with the ones above it. I think #5 is a very good and attractive image. The images above it look drab by comparison. A quick look at the histograms shows why: a narrow tonal range toward the lower end of the distribution. Brighten them a bit, move the white and black points in, and add contrast, and voila: they look much livelier. (I tried it on two of them.) A second thought is that some of the images could do with a good bit of cropping; the main subject is a fairly small part of the whole, and the background isn't contributing (#1 and #3 in particular)

I hope this helps.

[Merlin52]

Yes, I also think they are "flat". If you recorded them as RAW files that may explain it, certainly the contrast needs raising, #4 seems overexposed, camera probably metered off the (central ) black feathers and the others seem a little underexposed.
As for inspiration.....Stop taking photographs with your camera !
Read or watch other photographers whose area you like but limit yourself to not taking any pictures for say, a fortnight.
If you see a picture, mentally go through what you would do to capture it and how you would like it to turn out.
Eventually your hunger for getting back behind the camera will return.
An alternative is to limit yourself to eg a Smartphone so you forget about the technical side and just concentrate on composition using a point and shoot.
Also, try shooting only in Mono to concentrate on tones, shadows, form and line etc.

In other words, take a break to refocus, it can only benefit you in the long run.
John

[Geoff F]

I suspect a very slight boost to the highlights in the first four images would be all that is needed to give them a little bit more zip. Focus and general composition are good.

[tbob]

This may only work for me. When I am in a bit of a dry spell I plunk myself down in a random spot and challenge myself to find an image. No moving allowed, except for my head, for ten minutes; even if I see something I force myself to stay put. It never ceases to amaze me, once I begin to "see" I suddenly cannot stop.

I have done this in forest, farmland and desert environments. I have never done it, for obvious reasons, in the middle of a highway or at minus 30C

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[DickyOZ]

Many thanks for the helpful comments and ideas. Yes I think I have become a bit 'stale' and have lacked concentration on what I'm doing. A break or complete change of subject matter might well get me back on track. The stress of moving to a new home and a few other distractions have taken their toll over the last three months. We still have to wait until almost the end of December to get broadband again; running everything of a mobile phone hotspot is quite a challenge.
Dicky.

[JBW]

good luck

[Stagecoach]

Richard, I suspect most of us go through this stage but what strikes me here with your examples is that some have potential to turn what came out of the camera into a more pleasing 'picture'.

Four minutes very basic work on No 1

[billtils]

+1 to Dan's comments/

[Wavelength]

Excellent images