While I’ve been shooting film the past few weeks, I can’t help but notice the signs that I’m teetering toward a creative slump. How do I know? 1. I’m spending more time camera shopping online (i.e. putting dream cameras and film in shopping carts then exiting empty handed) for gear online than I am shooting; 2. I’m waiting for a photograph to happen instead of making one happen. This isn’t to say my time is wasted or that I’m being completely unproductive.
In one sense, I’m brainstorming new ideas as I obsessively think about the possibility of new cameras and projects. I’ve waded in and out of eBay auctions in search of a Polaroid SLR 680 and a Polaroid 250 Automatic Land Camera. There was the Contax T2 and then the Nikon F2 that I lost to a higher bidder. Gear, new or old, amounts to little when it sits in a camera bag or on a bookshelf. In another sense, I need to pick up my trusty Pentax K1000 and find a new spot to wander with my camera and see what I see. No lists or intentions, just some natural light and a sense of adventure.
When it works into my schedule, a day trip or driving a different route to a familiar destination always revives me. My sights are set on New York’s Hudson Valley for the next photo adventure. Fingers crossed it does the trick. Plus I’ve worked handpicked apricots and cherries into the trip, so it’s a win all around.
Until then, I’ll leave you with a few of my favorite sites that never fail to inspire.
Photo Links From Around The Web
Feel free to chime in with your favorites in the comments. After I check out your links, I’m going out to shoot. Hope a few of you are inspired to do the same…
Nikki | Art & Lemons
Love your photos, as always, Nikki! And I understand about that creative slump. It’s necessary, but can be frustrating. You just need to keep your eyes open, and let things ferment a bit. Ideas will come. Thank you for that inspirational list of links, too. That’ll help me overcome my own slump 🙂
Thanks, Rebecca! You always know how to make me smile…and yes, I like the idea of a fermentation phase and think I should rename my slump. Here’s to us both enjoying the process and moving through!
Ah! It’s just rubbish when the creative juices stop flowing; I spend most of my winter in a creative rut. I love all your link love! Having just been given an iPad mini, I am thoroughly loving browsing blogs using the bloglovin’ app. Favourite blogs at the moment are http://cynthiahenebry.tumblr.com/, http://youaremywild.wordpress.com/, http://cindyloughridge.tumblr.com/, http://www.abeautifullifephoto.com/blog/ and http://azzarijarrett.com/.
Kirstin,
Love your list as well! Thanks for sharing these inspiring links. I recently switched to feedly and am currently updating my feed. Adding these in.
Well you may feel that your photography is in a slump, but your information gathering is still tops. If it is hot where you are, life is in a slump. It is called waiting.
that is always how i know i’m in a slump as well. i never really need a new camera, i just need to shoot! the feeling always goes away when i get to shoot something satisfying again!