 |
| Sax man 2002 (click to enlarge) |
Something about my photography needs to change. I'm feeling stale. I'm feeling unimaginative, uninspired and somewhat burnt out. I've been making the same kinds of images of the same kinds of subjects for decades with very little variation. Something needs to change.
I'm not sure what or how I need to change. I've been thinking about it quite a bit lately. I've felt this coming on for some time and have tried to do some different things but I seem to always revert back to what I've always done. I go back to the safe, familiar and routine.
I could:
alter my use of gear
try one camera/one lens for the next year
use only a point-and-shoot camera and see what I can do with it
photograph using lenses only at their widest apertures
photograph with only a very wide angle or telephoto lens
compose images using only a different format such as square (1:1) or 16:9
photograph only in black and white (Fuji does have that scrumptious Acros simulation!)
use only slow shutter speeds and play with motion blur
only take photographs before sunrise or after sunset
take photographs only at night
pull out an old film camera and only use film
use software to turn my images into painting like creations
go Instax or Poloroid and just produce individual, one-off, images or a small size
change my subject matter from everything I discover in my surroundings to photograph only certain select subjects
give up landscapes, nature and travel subjects and only photography man made subjects
photograph only people in their environment (I will draw the line at photographing weddings, however. That will not happen)
engage in street photography
In any case, I need to make some sort of change to charge my creative batteries. It seems I photograph the same types of subjects in the same style over and over—have been for over 45 years. For my stock photography, that has worked well. But I really don't care that much about stock and would rather put my energies into photography that brings more meaning to me.
Photography has been the one activity that gets me supercharged. Whenever I've felt a bit down, I would grab my camera, go out and wander around looking for interesting subjects. That would immediately lift my spirits. Photography has been my mood changer.
But then again, why change? What I have been doing has been working for decades? Maybe I just should let this pass and keep on keeping on... Maybe this is the summer doldrums. Too much heat, humidity, sweat and harsh sunlight.
Any ideas? What have you done to jump start your creative process? I would like to hear from you.
Thanks for looking. Enjoy!
Dennis A. Mook
All content on this blog is © 2013-2017 Dennis A. Mook. All Rights Reserved. Feel free to point to this blog from your website with full attribution. Permission may be granted for commercial use. Please contact Mr. Mook to discuss permission to reproduce the blog posts and/or images.
Take a trip, Dennis. Maybe Yellowstone? That ought to cause the juices to flow!
ReplyDeleteMike, a trip to Yellowstone is on the agenda for September. Will be traveling to Glacier, the Tetons and points south as well. I know that will perk me up! Thanks.
DeleteDennis, I feel (and often) share your pain. It's easy for us to fall in to - but hard to break out of - the practice of taking a pretty picture. Here's a suggestion for a different approach - Are there types of photos you come across that you find more moving, more powerful, or somehow more significant as artistic efforts? If so, start to look across those and see if you can find things that are common across them. And, when looking for those commonalities, try to consider what emotions they evoke in you maybe more than what their subject matter is. And what messages or observations about the human condition or our natural world are they capturing and conveying. Then think what you might believe or want to say about those matters. Then imagine how you might do that with or through your photographic craft. You live around lots of critical and potentially at risk coastal habitat areas. Are you concerned with protecting those and the animals and fish that rely on them for their existence? Then maybe there's a role you can play in empowering environmental groups with images you can provide them. Or, you have done a good bit of work on the bay fishing ships and communities. Maybe consider an effort to document that livelihood that is quickly being driven out by bigger commercial interests. Or maybe its telling the story of, say, Osprey, and their whole place in the coastal ecosystem, which could, when seen by others, help open the eyes of some to understand that inter-connectedness. Just a thought, We're both getting older and running short on time. Those unease you feel is your creative soul looking for a way to grow. Respect and feed it. Good luck, Craig
ReplyDeleteCraig, thank you for your comment and excellent suggestions. In fact, as I have been working my way through these doldrums, I thought a project might be the answer. Your suggestions are good ones. Again, thank you.
DeleteHey Dennis,
ReplyDeleteWhat a timely post! I've been feeling the same thing...of course, I can't say I've been shooting the same thing for decades...just 5 or 6 years. Nevertheless, I sometimes feel the same thing. And like you, when I need a lift, I take the camera and just go out looking for something to shoot.
I've found that new gear doesn't make for better photographs...oh, for sure, it satisfies for a little while - that is, until I'm fully versed with the new gadget, and then it's busy as usual.
I find that traveling to different places gets my juices flowing. We recently took a trip to Cuba (6 days in Habana) - a trip of a lifetime. Did I get inspired? You betcha! Claro que si! Then we got back and I had 5000+ images to distill - yikes! Then I went to Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh??)...yes, Pittsburgh. Learned a great deal shooting the Carrie Furnace and the streets of downtown Pitt. Again, lotsa images to distill when I got back. This past weekend I was commissioned to do an event for the City of New Brunswick, NJ. Excited? Yes! Hundreds of images! More post-processing work.
I think by now you're getting my point: the bane of photography is post-processing (at least, for me it is). I recently picked up Gordon Laing's new book "In Camera: Perfect Pictures Straight Out Of The Camera" - what a revelation! Just go out and compose, frame and shoot...shouldn't it be like that? I'm going to do more shooting in JPEG, with as little process as possible - i.e. IN CAMERA.
Photography is all about exploration, and capturing the moment - yes, Bresson's Decisive Moment. I'm also planning to do an entire trip with nothing but B&W and my PEN-F. Novel idea? Nah! Just something different to try and shake the "blues" (maybe a few more "blue" hours?). As a jazz musician, when I'm feeling the stale playing the same old things, I listen to other artists arrangements of the same songs and I'm immediately inspired. When I looked at Gordon Laing's book, I was inspired. Maybe we should do more of that - ya think?
Anyway, great post and I know EXACTLY how you feel. Great work, btw. Keep on doing what you're doing...just change it up from time to time.
Frank Villafane
UrbanViewPhoto.com
732-688-1467
Frank, thanks for the comment. All good ideas. One of the things I regularly do is travel. However, my 93 year old mother-in-law has fractured her hip twice since March 1st and my wife and i have been totally focused on helping her. That alone has changed my normal upbeat mood to one of worry as I really want her to fully recover. This situation has also required us to cancel all travel for the past few months. However, I have a Glacier/Yellowstone/Tetons trip on the schedule for September and that should change my outlook.
DeleteHey Dennis,
ReplyDeleteMe again. I'd like to sign up for your blog. Where can I do that? Thanks.
Frank Villafane
UrbanViewPHoto.com
732-688-1467
Dear Dennis,
ReplyDeleteI have had the same problems. I am nearly as old as you, in fact even a bit older. I am photographing since 1968.
When I was tydying up my office lately I found 40-50 years old pictures. Nice flowers, trees, mountains, old romantic villages, close ups, portraits of beautiful people, all that stuff.
What do they mean to me today? Nothing much! What still excites me today are pictures of my family, e. g. my wife when she was 50 years younger, taken with a Hasselblad with a soft focus filter. Pictures of my children. I returned to photographing my family nearly exclusively. Today I photogaph my wife every day in different situations. On visits I take pictures of my children and grand children.
Good healrh to your mother!. Photograph her as long as you have her.
I like your blog very much. I also use Olympus equipment very often. Lots of greetings from Germany.
Wilfried
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteI much agree with Anonymouse's thoughts. But, for years I have been silently cursing one thing. Looking back my family photos from as many years as he did, there are al lot of precious photos with our loved ones, with one person or several doing things. There is though one person missing most of the time, me, the cameraman. All those photographed memories do not show me at all, as if I am not existing!
In my memories (and hopefully in the other's too) I was also there sharing the moments, but looking the photos, this community, family, children, grandchildren, friends, there is one father missing.....
So, put the camera in the other member's hands, too. I have started to give my grandchildren (2 and 6) a camera and tell them to take our photos, too. And that is fun, in many ways!
With my very best regards,
Matti Mäkijärvi
Doing "good" is the best way to reconnect your talents with your heart. I'd suggest finding a small struggling church and offer to take portraits. Have the church collect donations or a very small fee to help fill their coffer. Or visit a nursing home or the Portsmouth VA hospital. There are endless possibilities to help others first and yourself as well.
ReplyDelete