Adapting

My photographic output for the past year has been been somewhat depressing for me. Life changes have left me unable to pursue photography the way that I used to. Couple that with a state that isn’t as overtly scenic as what I grew accustomed to during my nearly two decades in Colorado and I’ve just been in a funk when it comes to getting out with my cameras. Thankfully, a variety of factors has given me some perspective and I’m at least feeling a little forward momentum building.

The first is that my ever patient and amazing wife talked some sense into me. I had talked with her about how I felt like I wasn’t making the kinds of photos that I used to and that it brought some sadness for me. She acknowledged that I’m not able to pursue the hobby like I used to but questioned why I can’t enjoy the time that I can spend with it. Initially I felt resistant because I’m not likely to make the quality of art that I used to and because of that I questioned the usefulness of pursing anything if I’m not going to be as successful at it as I used to. However, with some conscious effort, I’ve been able to curtail my hard focus on the results and try to acknowledge the fact that the journey can be fun if I allow it to be. I’m glad and lucky to have married such a wonderful and wise partner!

The second is that I found some YouTube sources that have given me some inspiration. The first was a video that Thomas Heaton, one of my favorite YouTube landscape photographers, linked to in which he had kind of been called out for whining (or whinging if you employ the British idiom) about summer photography. The video is by Simon Booth and it’s titled Learn to Love Summer Photography. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I think complaints about summer photography are de rigueur among landscape photographers and Mr. Booth does a most admirable job of quashing those complaints and puts an exclamation point on the idea with two absolutely stunning photos.

I also had a chance to come across Matt Ramsey’s channel. While his newest video that premiers on Saturday discusses him leaving the country (which I’m curious to learn about) his channel was previously devoted to photography in “flyover” states. You know, the ones that everybody just flies over or passes through on their way to Yosemite or Yellowstone or Zion or any of those other showcase destinations. Mr. Ramsey was a resident of Indiana and his photography and his channel do a good job of showcasing the stuff that can be found right in one’s backyard if one lives in Illinois or Indiana or any of the other “flyover” states. While I’d love to be headed to Rocky Mountain National Park for a sunrise shoot at Emerald Lake, not being able to find worthy photos is a deficiency in myself and not in the state I live in. It just requires a bit more creativity and a keener eye to show off the hidden beauty of these states.

With all of that inspiration, I’ve been going on photo walks with my cameras. While I still think I’m a little bit off of my A game, I’m actually pretty pleased with the work that I’ve been producing as a result and it’s made me want to work even harder at it. I’m learning some stuff along the way (for instance that I think it’s time for me to go Marie Kondo on my camera collection and keep only the cameras that bring me joy; that will be a whole other blog post, though). But the spark is back and I’m enjoying the hobby again. Just in time for autumn — the very best time of year for a landscape photographer!