Street (Water, Water Everywhere but Not a Drop to Drink)
I must say that I have been in a creative rut/funk for quite some time now. Last week I took the train into NYC to have a walk and shoot a roll of 35mm. I figured I could shoot a 24 exposure roll, no problem. Well, I came back having shot only 4 and all of those in the train station. This was just another day of many similar outings void of anything inspiring or creative. I was angry with myself all week and ready to sell all my gear. Photography is after all an expensive activity and it makes no sense for me pursue it if this the best I can do!
Yesterday, I decided to give it another try and went back into the city. I really expected the same... just walk around and not be inspired to shoot anything. So I just started walking fully expecting to never take out my camera, however, after two blocks I found a scene that I stayed at for 45 minutes. And then I came across another... and another... I only quit after the light became too harsh but I could have gone on all day.
It only dawned on me this morning what was different about yesterday. Previously, I had been trying to find and photograph MY aesthetic and vision in NYC. But, yesterday I had no expectations and simply photographed what the city offered - the good, the bad , and the ugly. Interesting how when searching for nothing I then saw everything. Sort of like life: focus on one thing and you are oblivious to everything else.
So, I will never go out to deliberately shoot anything, rather, I will just take the camera along in case I see something interesting.
[It is also interesting that yesterday I was shooting MF on a tripod -- kind of goes against all the conventional wisdom of street photography but I have become more comfortable shooting this way than with handheld 35mm.]
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There's hope in these footsteps of persistence...
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