Instructed to stop taking safe photos?

[Worker 11811]

I sincerely apologize for the ease of misinterpretation of my last post.
When I stated that my instructor told me to take "photos that talk to me", I meant me as in myself... not the instructor.

Y'see... This is where the Southern expression, "Y'All," would come in handy.
Or, the New York City expression, "Youze." Or, the Pittsburghese espression, "Yinz."
(All roughly equivalent.)

People make fun of regional colloquialisms but, in cases like this, they can simplify conversation.

[RalphLambrecht]

leve your comfort zone. try something more rsdical.

[rudolf]

I don't know what's in your case, because I didn't see any of your photos, mids1999...

But let me tell you my story: in my case, I deal with "safe" and "not-safe" photos by developing an... alter ego!

My first personality makes black and white images, always in square, and quite boring. First "me" doesn't like such places as city streets, and it takes lots of time to take one photo (working with medium format, sometimes a tripod, you know, it have to take time).

My second personality - oh, he's different. He often uses color, doesn't like square format and takes pictures in a way, which couldn't be described as "safe" by first personality, that is: often on the streets, sometimes very close to people (with very wide lens), sometimes quite fast and so on...

Here is first me, and here is second.

So, maybe this will lead you to your answer. Or maybe not.

[johnielvis]

HA HA....talk to YOU not to HIM....

as the "grumpy olde lady" that was played by Gilda Radner says
"oh, that's quite different....never mind"...

I forgot the olde lady characters name....saturday nite live weekend update "editorial" guest...

ok--well good luck finding a picture that talks to you.

I think I had a picutre talk to me once in the darkroom it said "it's late, you're tired, go to bed".

bad ventillation in the darkroom

[DesertNate]

Just whatever you do, don't go with shooting on a 45 degree angle and crouching. That's what damn near every kid does when their college photography teacher gives them that useless comment. Shoot subject matter you don't usually do, or shoot something more interesting, but don't be too tempted to "do it wrong on purpose" unless you have a vision of what you're trying to accomplish.

[CGW]

Get another instructor. This sort of advice encourages what amounts to "mass individualism." He/she plainly doesn't have a clue if they can't specify what they want.

[Bill Burk]

I got it the first time when you said it should talk to you that he meant make it personal.

Like when I took a public speaking course (which is definitely outside my comfort zone) and they said talk about something you know well, then you will be successful.

So I talked about loading a spiral with 35mm film and processing.

It worked. I forgot my fear and got through the three minutes' talk.

[jnanian]

...

[keithwms]

Seem we need to have this instructor come in and face our firing squad....

[lancekingphoto]

Take a picture of a ventriliquist's dummy, with the phrase below: "Hello, Instructor."