Today I was minding my own business then stumbled across this blog post. I loved the article, but I realized something.
I realized that I have been slacking lately. I haven’t even been shooting every day. I have to work harder on establishing a better routine. I’ve essentially finished de-cluttering my house, so I have less on my mind now. It’s the perfect time for me to get back on the Project365 horse.
Changes to my current routine
Start taking different ways to and from work. I’m bored with what I see daily. I walk a total of a two miles on the way to and from work. But those two miles are old hat to me now. I’ve been walking those same bits of street for coming up on three years now. I know I need to force myself to find beauty in everyday items, but I also need to jumpstart my return to my project365. Making my commute a little different won’t hurt at all. At some point I’d like to get a flash, which will also help spice things up. I also want to travel a bit more, even if it’s just weekend trips in the car out into the western parts of Massachusetts. I forget where I read it, but the quote goes something like this: “Want to take more interesting photographs? Put yourself in front of more interesting things.” There is definite truth to that.
You should shoot what you are passionate about, and I’m passionate about Italy. My goal is to get there in the spring, and spend at least 3 weeks there. I am going to aim for the end of May, because the weather will be awesome, and the flights won’t be so bad at that point. Maybe the beginning of May. Sadly I can’t afford to be there 24/7/365. That being said, I could make better use of the car that I now own and head out to more rural and beautiful parts of Massachusetts and up to New Hampshire and Maine. In fact, this weekend I’m heading up to Acadia Nationa Park in Maine for a week of vacation. I hope to have some good photographs to show off from the trip!
Other ways to stay motivated
Since reading the article by Alexandre Buisse I have been brainstorming ways to stay motivated for my Project365. I’ve come up with a couple of ideas, but I need more! (any suggestions are welcome!)
- Seek out new locations – On my way to and from work I can take different streets, and different ways home. There is nothing stopping me from this small change
- Spend some time trying out different equipment and techniques – I could give myself a “theme” for the week. Say “night photography” or “tripod based photography” or “only shoot with a flash” or “only shoot with your 55-200mm lens”. By giving myself 7 day themes, I might be less bored.
- Emulate the photographers I admire – I can take the time one day a week to attempt some photography in the style of photographers I admire. David DuChemin, Ansel Adams, and more!
- Read/review and try the techniques in various ebooks – There are many ebooks out there containing many techniques for photography that I don’t know. I want to spend some time reading various ebooks, reviewing them on this site, and trying out the techniques. This could become a weekly post.
If anyone has any suggestions of other methods to keep motivated, I would LOVE to hear them. I need all the help I can get!
Todays photo was shot in the morning on my way to work: 36mm, f/5, 1/640 second, ISO 200
