I have published a new post every day since March. Perhaps its the change in season. Cold, wet days with grey skies usually leave me in a funk. The last several days have been challenging. I have not felt any motivation to write or make a photograph. I have several 35mm film projects on hold, and a few draft posts waiting for when I can organise my thoughts.
I mentioned it to Bhavna, and she suggested I step back and take a break. For now, I'm following her advice.
While I wait for inspiration to return, I am publishing my pithy thoughts and iPhone 11 Pro snapshots on my microblog. Of course, my engagement with readers on the microblog has increased while engagement on the main blog is falling off. Or maybe I must heed sage advice from David duChemin.
Many, if not most, of the best street photographers (as only one example), find an interesting place and wait, making frame after frame as interesting moments happen. Wildlife photographers do this, too. They shoot and shoot and shoot. And then they agonize over choices of moments in the edit. And you think it’s magic because you see that one polished, carefully chosen shot that represents only 1⁄250 of a second from a scene that was explored for 10, 20, or 30 minutes or more. And while the photographer was waiting, they were anticipating different moments, tweaking their compositions, changing their minds about what they were going to do with the light, and sometimes, finally seeing the scene in a whole new way before finally getting that “magic” moment. It might be a decisive moment, but it only happened after many indecisive ones.
At first, I thought the rabbit was trying to hide from me. But continued observation revealed that it was injured and not able to move. It would most likely die in this spot. I was saddened. Sad that there was nothing I could do in that moment to ease its pain. Sad that I didn’t have the mental energy to wait with the rabbit until it died.
Submitted for the 100DaysToOffload project.
Khürt, I give you permission to rest. Too much of a good thing is bad. Too much can cause burnout. Rest and refresh.
Wise words.