Camera issue?

[CP_alum08]

Ok, this might come off a little pretentious but I swear this is a legitimate question.

About a year or so ago it seemed like my camera could do no wrong, I was getting (what I consider) great results with almost every shot I took. I was really happy with my camera (Nikon D90) and I felt like I was growing as a shooter. Now it seems the opposite. Almost every shot I take, whether at WDW or just at home of the cats, looks flat and bland. For some reason I think I remember reading that you can adjust the contrast in the camera settings but I haven't been able to find it. Is it possible this got adjusted somehow? I'm using the same camera and lenses I have been for about 2 years, shooting the same way as far as I can tell, and the results seem much worse. Could it be an issue with the camera/settings or have I just regressed as a shooter?

Again, legitimate question...not trying to put ALL the blame on the camera

 

[ddbowdoin]

Ok, this might come off a little pretentious but I swear this is a legitimate question.

About a year or so ago it seemed like my camera could do no wrong, I was getting (what I consider) great results with almost every shot I took. I was really happy with my camera (Nikon D90) and I felt like I was growing as a shooter. Now it seems the opposite. Almost every shot I take, whether at WDW or just at home of the cats, looks flat and bland. For some reason I think I remember reading that you can adjust the contrast in the camera settings but I haven't been able to find it. Is it possible this got adjusted somehow? I'm using the same camera and lenses I have been for about 2 years, shooting the same way as far as I can tell, and the results seem much worse. Could it be an issue with the camera/settings or have I just regressed as a shooter?

Again, legitimate question...not trying to put ALL the blame on the camera

"Press MENU.
Select SHOOTING MENU (camera icon on left).
Go right (into the menu selections) and go down to the next page to SET PICTURE CONTROL.
Go right to the four standard options, and click two down to VIVID.
VIVID is a good option. VIVID is similar to the wildest way I could set earlier first-generation Nikons.
Since I want colors loud enough to deafen a heavy-metal drummer, I crank it up from VIVID.
Once at VIVID, click right to the menu with the sub-options of Saturation and Contrast.
Click down to Saturation, and peg it three clicks to the right.
Hit OK, otherwise your modification isn't remembered.
You now have altered the VIVID setting to its maximum. In the menus you'll now see it called VI*, the * signifying that you've messed with Nikon's default for VIVID.
I always set Adaptive Dynamic Range (ADR, mislabeled as Adaptive D-Lighting by Nikon in the menus) to AUTO (or NORMAL in the D3 and D300). This sets the contrast and brightness automatically based on the Zone System, removing those choices from your menu options"