As I mentioned in my previous post, I was wandering around Maggie Daley and Millennium Parks over the weekend for some much needed photography time. However, I was having a hard time seeing anything in a very interesting way and was just not feeling inspired, which was very frustrating. Especially since I haven’t had much time lately to get out to shoot. Maybe that’s why I was struggling to begin with, I’m definitely feeling out of practice.
Just like with anything in life, the more time you spend doing something the more easily it comes to you. I keep telling my 7 year old daughter this related to reading….I guess I need a little reminder too.
We all, obviously, have those times when “life” gets in the way…all those responsibilities and struggles related to work, kids, spouses, health, the list could go on and on…we’re all busy. But, like anything else, scheduling time for those things you love and forcing yourself to go out when you’re not feeling motivated or the weather sucks or whatever excuse you want to convince yourself of is just that, an excuse. I do it all the time (especially related to working out…ahhh, clearly I have more than one thing to work on), and lately, something “more important” is always taking over my photography time. But, you know what? I used to have a good schedule, I used to force myself to go out once a week, regardless of weather and all those other responsibilities, and just shoot. And, you know what else? I almost always came home with at least one decent, good shot. Maybe not the best thing I ever created, but it kept me seeing, it kept me in that photographic mindset, of looking for something interesting in the everyday, ordinary world. And simply put, it makes me happy…so why the constant sabotage?
I don’t really know…I’ll chalk it up to a chaotic last few months and hope this weekend was the eye opener I needed to get back out there more regularly. We all need a good wake up call once in awhile.
Of course I still made images, because there honestly isn’t anything magical to get you out of whatever funk you’re in than just doing the work. Just push through. Eventually the spark ignites.

“I always say that inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work.” Chuck Close

This last image is the BP Bridge, and since I’m always noticing ways to pair up those bare winter trees with architecture, I created this one to add to my Nature & Man series. It’s titled Slipping Away.