My motivation was low this week. Much of my energy was spent trying to work out the details of my 2016 business plan, which left me with little energy to do much else. In the end, I'm no further along with my work plan and my photo mojo seems to be on vacation. Come on spring, I need a change of scenery!
As January comes to a close, my cabin fever is in full swing. This time of year is emotionally draining. You can dress it up with all the herbal tea and Vitamin D you want, but nothing takes the place of feeling the warm sun on my face.
My motivation was low this week. Much of my energy was spent trying to work out the details of my 2016 business plan, which left me with little energy to do much else. In the end, I'm no further along with my work plan and my photo mojo seems to be on vacation. Come on spring, I need a change of scenery!
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Who doesn't love a good challenge? I certainly do, especially when it comes to learning something new and developing my skills. As a graphic designer, I'm always looking for trends and inspiration and the same applies to my photography. I thought that I had been training my eye to seek out beautiful light, but as it turns out, my eye has been training me. Our eyes interpret light differently than our cameras, so naturally, we get frustrated when we're not able to capture in camera what we see before us. Digital photography and post-production software has made it a lot easier to shoot what we see, but there are tricks and techniques that can be applied in-camera to save time and improve your end result. As a lover of light, I'm challenging myself to seek out difficult lighting situations. My biggest struggle will be shooting in low light when I don't have access to a tripod. Nothing is more frustrating to me than having to trash a blurry photo due to camera shake.
Will I have to bring my old 35mm film camera out of retirement for a little back-to-basics training? Perhaps. But really what I have to do is just keep practicing and stop avoiding situations that require a little more thought and time. I completed my 2015 Photo of the Day project without the help of daily prompts to give me inspiration for what to shoot. This year I decided to follow @My_365 on Instagram for daily prompts. I realize I'm only 2 weeks into this, but I think I'm having a tougher time following prompts than I was just coming up with my own ideas. The daily themes are not difficult, but being in the right place at the right time is difficult. I always seem to find the perfect scene for the next or previous day's prompt! This will definitely test my ability to think outside the box.
We rang in the New Year at our "home away from home" in Door County. The kids love the pool and I love putting my feet up and relaxing for a few days. Everyone gets what they want...It's a win-win. With the first week of project 366 in the books, we're now entering my least favorite time of the year, the dead of winter. All the Christmas decorations have been packed away and the excitement of the holidays has faded. The house seems quiet and empty without the 24/7 Christmas music and all the sparkly lights. Now comes the anticipation for Spring Break, which is still 3 long months away and doesn't necessarily promise warmer weather and sunny days. Yet as I write this, I'm reminded of the sermon we had at church this morning, convicting me of having a critical heart and that I should instead, "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world..." Philippians 2:12-15 I couldn't help but think of myself as the pastor told us about how he had once longed to serve God in a warm climate and yet somehow ended up here in Wisconsin. I don't think a day of winter goes by that I don't ask myself why I still live here. I had to laugh. My constant grumbling about cold toes and numb fingertips must drive my family crazy. Forget the fact that I was born here and that my entire family lives here, that our friends are here or that we live in a top-rated school district - wouldn't I rather have warm feet and a few less quilts on my bed? Of course not! Oh when did I get so selfish? I couldn't have asked for a more timely reminder. Here's to my 2016 New Year's Revelations! |
Dream Into Design
Everybody needs a creative outlet to work the kinks out of everyday life. For me, Dream Into Design is a project that has been waiting in the wings for many years. Follow along as I search for beauty in the mundane. Archives
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