What works in the doldrums for one doesn’t always work for others. But I wonder if your practice of making images has become complacent. You make good images but maybe do not challenge yourself to do more.
Doing more can mean alternative cropping or other post-production treatment. Or it might mean trying to better understand why you respond to a scene before framing it; “seeing” the final image in your mind’s eye so framing and exposure take on more importance (pre-visualization). For example, to my eye, both images of the orange algae are not fully resolved. The eye’s movement through the frame on both is not clearly established. There are large areas on both which might be contrapuntal but for various reasons are not. Cropping the first might be a good challenge. Revisiting the second and working through framing, focus, and depth-of-field with a clearer sense of what the image you want to take away might be useful as well.
My opinions are just that, opinions that might nudge one off a sandbar, and are not at all intended to offend.
You entitle the post ironically since orange ties all the images together in some way!
These are very beautiful images. I particularly like the two in the woods.
As you write: it will pass.
Sometimes, it's about small concrete steps, as my godmother taught me ages ago. And sometimes a book helps, so just in case i'll mention Sophie Howarth' Mindful Photographer. All the best.
I get inspired when I see work in an art gallery that speaks to me. A book of good photographs or paintings can also get my blood circulating. But maybe we have to be in the right frame of mind to be receptive to inspiration. I’m not sure. But it compounds. The more receptive we are, the more affected and inspired we are by work that excited us.
But sometimes, the battery goes flat and we need a jumpstart. If we could figure out how to do that, if we could find the cables and work out where to attach them, we would be on to something. I would buy that self-help book. But I’m not sure we can do these things by ourselves. That’s something I’m trying to work out with my own photography. No answers yet. Still trying to find the right questions.
Beautiful photos. The forest and lichen covered rocks remind me of Arthur’s Pass here in the South Island of New Zealand. The dryer landscape in the first couple of images reminds me of Central Otago, which is inland from where I live. We like to see the familiar in the unfamiliar; we like to take things home.
I’ve experienced the same thing. You think that the main barrier to doing creative work is time, but when you have the time, you lack motivation. I’m not sure what the answer is. The urge to be creative comes from a place that’s hard to identify. It’s where your energy goes when you wake up tired. I suspect it’s also the place where missing socks go.
As I am commenting much later I hope that perhaps you don't find yourself in quite a rut or hopefully potentially coming out of it. It's all part of the process. I feel like especially when one gets discouraged from doing creative things, particularly ones that you are good at or enjoy in the past, it can be a bit disorientating because there is so much of a narrative that if you have the time and the ability to make what you enjoy your job, you will never work a day in your life or however that phrase goes. I think it's illuminating that Tom Scott (prolific YouTuber) that mentioned about stepping back from Youtube, "A dream job is still a job." sure we are doing something we like but there is still work and effort involved.
Woah not sure how I got here, hopefully this all makes sense. Just saying sometimes the lack of desire to do something creative feels like its telling you something bigger like "is this what I'm supposed to be doing with my life or creative energy" and sometimes its worth paying attention to that lethargic feeling, but other times its not.
Really nice collection of images, Emily. I have those phases as well with my own photography. Mine is mostly focused on birds and wildlife. For me, I began writing short poetry with a photo or photos as a means of inspiration. I found that helped me merge a few of my hobbies: photography, hikes in Nature, and writing into a new macro hobby of sorts.
What works in the doldrums for one doesn’t always work for others. But I wonder if your practice of making images has become complacent. You make good images but maybe do not challenge yourself to do more.
Doing more can mean alternative cropping or other post-production treatment. Or it might mean trying to better understand why you respond to a scene before framing it; “seeing” the final image in your mind’s eye so framing and exposure take on more importance (pre-visualization). For example, to my eye, both images of the orange algae are not fully resolved. The eye’s movement through the frame on both is not clearly established. There are large areas on both which might be contrapuntal but for various reasons are not. Cropping the first might be a good challenge. Revisiting the second and working through framing, focus, and depth-of-field with a clearer sense of what the image you want to take away might be useful as well.
My opinions are just that, opinions that might nudge one off a sandbar, and are not at all intended to offend.
You entitle the post ironically since orange ties all the images together in some way!
These are very beautiful images. I particularly like the two in the woods.
As you write: it will pass.
Sometimes, it's about small concrete steps, as my godmother taught me ages ago. And sometimes a book helps, so just in case i'll mention Sophie Howarth' Mindful Photographer. All the best.
I get inspired when I see work in an art gallery that speaks to me. A book of good photographs or paintings can also get my blood circulating. But maybe we have to be in the right frame of mind to be receptive to inspiration. I’m not sure. But it compounds. The more receptive we are, the more affected and inspired we are by work that excited us.
But sometimes, the battery goes flat and we need a jumpstart. If we could figure out how to do that, if we could find the cables and work out where to attach them, we would be on to something. I would buy that self-help book. But I’m not sure we can do these things by ourselves. That’s something I’m trying to work out with my own photography. No answers yet. Still trying to find the right questions.
Beautiful photos. The forest and lichen covered rocks remind me of Arthur’s Pass here in the South Island of New Zealand. The dryer landscape in the first couple of images reminds me of Central Otago, which is inland from where I live. We like to see the familiar in the unfamiliar; we like to take things home.
I’ve experienced the same thing. You think that the main barrier to doing creative work is time, but when you have the time, you lack motivation. I’m not sure what the answer is. The urge to be creative comes from a place that’s hard to identify. It’s where your energy goes when you wake up tired. I suspect it’s also the place where missing socks go.
Beautiful photos!
As I am commenting much later I hope that perhaps you don't find yourself in quite a rut or hopefully potentially coming out of it. It's all part of the process. I feel like especially when one gets discouraged from doing creative things, particularly ones that you are good at or enjoy in the past, it can be a bit disorientating because there is so much of a narrative that if you have the time and the ability to make what you enjoy your job, you will never work a day in your life or however that phrase goes. I think it's illuminating that Tom Scott (prolific YouTuber) that mentioned about stepping back from Youtube, "A dream job is still a job." sure we are doing something we like but there is still work and effort involved.
Woah not sure how I got here, hopefully this all makes sense. Just saying sometimes the lack of desire to do something creative feels like its telling you something bigger like "is this what I'm supposed to be doing with my life or creative energy" and sometimes its worth paying attention to that lethargic feeling, but other times its not.
Sometimes life is like that ….. wonderful images Emily
Really nice collection of images, Emily. I have those phases as well with my own photography. Mine is mostly focused on birds and wildlife. For me, I began writing short poetry with a photo or photos as a means of inspiration. I found that helped me merge a few of my hobbies: photography, hikes in Nature, and writing into a new macro hobby of sorts.