Hmm take pictures of everthing and sort them out later.
I used a canon PowerShot A460 for a few years and resently got a FujiFilm Finpix J250 a pricey camera but a nice one.

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Avatar by me *terren-ART
My galery [link]

I was taking the garbage out and almost stepped on a poor snail.. i ran inside to grab my camera

thats my story & my name is maddie.

Have you ever been out and about and gotten inspired but didn't have your camera? Try to remember what it was and go back to get the shot. I try to always have a hand held with me as carrying my Nikon D60 everywhere is not practical. But my hand held is a Canon and it's has mood swings I think - it just does what it wants, focuses on what it wants, and doesn't work if it doesn't want to. It doesn't have much manual control. I loved my Olympus FE-180 but it died back in May. Have you ever considered going beyond "reality"? try to shoot things that are mystical or dream like? I have beautiful scenery in my dreams and I try to capture the cinematography of my dreams when I shoot sometimes. It's challenging but fun to let your imagination run wild. Go above and beyond taking a photo of just an object. capture emotions and feelings. I love spontaneous portraits. most of my portraiture was spontaneous and candid. Learn how people react to one word and click when you say it to them. Animals are great subjects too. or random items in your house. Lets see a unique view of your fridge, Kel... lol. Antique items make beautiful still life... if all else fails get your friends together for a day of glam... go high fashion in the hair and make up dept and just drape scarves off your selves... or something... hope I could help...

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--Rebecca--

"I see life as a bazillion still shots and to just catch one is amazing, to make it beautiful is brilliant" -me

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Sorry for your camera trouble Cindy but remember you are the one who making a picture the camera only captures it. Some of my shot better with my 'hopeless kodak' then a canon 400.

I hear ya when you say need inspiration. It will pass you see, we all have idle time when we fill stuck. You have to figure it out what subject you are interested to take picture of. No point to chase macro if you not realy into the small world if you know what I mean. Dandy is a nice flower and I am sure other flora blooming around you too. Short walk/drive on the weekend to the park might hold wonders worthy to capture.

I find ideas by browesing others gallery here and some other online galleries. Also I read some photo magazines regularly and if I see something interresting in it I try to capture it myself. New method or different photo prossesing always great to fiddle with.

hope this helped

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When everything fails, read a manual!

Hi Cindy, sorry for your camera. Old cameras can also be fun. My second solution while the big one was out of order, is my old Nikon 450. But old old cameras are sometimes also an inspiration...

I also had 'a big black hole' infront of me a short time ago. So i thought to really lern, what i am doing. Means: not only clicking around. We have in Germany an institution called VHS stands vor (Volkshochschule = peoples-Highscoole) where you can learn whatever you want, from the english language over cooking up to ... fotografie. And thats what i am doing now twice the week. I just want to be more professional and doing it right. maybe that would be a solution for you? (That does not mean, that your pictures are not good enough ... !! ).

Well Cindy, I'm a student biology, I go out in the field, I look around, I hear and I have the camera ready for every new pulse of light that could be marvellous The only thing I can say is : go out ! Out in the fields, town, city, whatever.

With other people it's music that inspires them but that's more for "scene" pictures, with other words : composed and arranged, I'm more a spontaneous kind of photographer.

And too bad for your camera, Nikon, Canon, Sony or Fujifilm are the good "compact" models, although I prefer Canon like the Ixus-series.

The last thing I can say, inspiration can leave for months and months and be back suddenly, so don't worry.

Good luck

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For the persistent, no road is impassable
Member of the #SkyAndNatureClub
My blog : [link]