(At) the heart of my photography is the practice of my mobile 365. This is a slow, heavy rhythm with a daily beat – shooting, editing and uploading to Instagram one image per day. A few moments from my 365 the last couple of weeks.
The heartbeat of a 365 is keeping my photography alive, because I have been shooting very little outside of my mobile practice. I don’t quite know why, can’t quite identify any roadblocks to shooting, other than to blame winter again. I feel sluggish and slow, photographically speaking.
I shoot the occasional Polaroid, in the same way that I shoot with my phone, with no plan or purpose other than to pull out my camera when something catches my eye. This certainly caught my eye.
I shoot some 35mm film in the same manner, but with two different cameras in use – a borrowed Voigtlander as well as my beloved Minolta – and a 36-image roll in each camera, it takes me a long time to finish a roll.
So how do I get the beat going a little faster again? For one thing, I will finally start on – and finish! – some of the projects I have been thinking about. At this point I need a purpose to my shooting other than shooting for its own sake. And come summer, I will go travelling with my dSLR. No slight to my film cameras, but I miss the quick, light beat of my dSLR as I walk wide-eyed around taking in each new sight.
How are you getting on with your photographic practice these days? Tell us in the comments!
~ All the best, Jenny.
I hear you. I love film but we have nowhere than processed locally anymore. I have to send my films away and this in itself is a pain. It shouldn’t be but it is. I absolutely love the shots from your Minolta. Gorgeous. It is hard to keep motivated that is for sure.
Oh yes, I hate that waiting period too! Maybe our next project should be to learn to develop film ourself at home? 🙂
I have definitely had this issue over the winter, inspiration seems long gone. I have begun telling myself I have to take some photographs. That works, sometimes. I think I need a project.
I’ve found that a project can be very useful for imposing structure on my creativity – and I need that structure now and then.
I totally get this. And I have to say I’ve been taking my digital camera out more often recently. But don’t tell the film cameras, or they will get jealous!
I know! Those capricious film cameras – but I guess that’s why we love them 🙂
Jenny, I’m with you. Photo projects are key for me as well. I need structure in order to flush out ideas creatively. Cheers to finishing and starting new projects.
Isn’t it interesting, and rather a paradox, that something so unpredictable as creativity needs structuring? But that’s the way of it for me at least 🙂 Cheers!