Stepped Back a Bit...

OK. I am definitely in a lull here. I have no desire to go out and take photos at the moment. I've been in this lull for about 2 months. I know we all go through this but I am concerned with the length of time I am taking to take a break from photography.

Part of the reason (probably a really good reason) is I started a new job in July. I'm an electrician and I work 10 hour days 6 days per week. Sunday is my day to recuperate and the last thing I want to do is run out and take photos.

The other day I did a time lapse of clouds which was cool looking but to me it wasn't enough. Setting the camera on a tripod with a timer and letting it go for two and a half hours just wasn't "photography" to me.

I need to break out of this. I've thought about buying a smaller camera like the G15 or the G16 so that I can make it more possible for me to carry a camera around with me when I'm not out taking photos.

I've tried looking at others photos to try and get me motivated but that doesn't seem to be working either. Is there any kind of solution (other than quitting my job) that will get my camera back into my hands?

What do you do whenever you're in a lull like this?

I definitely can feel what you're going thru. I work 12 hour days with no breaks, 2 on, 2 off, 3 on...

The problem is that on my days off, I'm also "on call" and can't be more than 1.5 hours away from work. Here in Atlanta, 1.5 hours can't get you very far to explore new places especially with our amazing traffic. The one weekend per month that I'm off and not on call, I fly to see my daughter in south FL so I do 12 hours of work that Friday, 2hr drive to the airport, 2 hours flight, land, sleep, compact in as much fun as possibly Sat/Sun, fly back out, land sleep, then head right back in for work. I can't seem to find "me time" or time to get out to shoot anything I haven't already shot 10 times.

It'll happen when it needs to, and can't be forced. I had a G10 that I sold and switched over to a Lumix LX7 for my daily carry, just in case. I like it and enjoy having the ability to shoot a decent video as well. It won't help you find the right shot, but at least when you do find it you will be armed and ready to click away. I would definitely say get the smaller camera just because they are fun to use vs opting to use a cell phone. You might capture some great finds before you know it.

Yeah, I think a good small carrying camera would be fun to have around. I have a Powershot SD1200 IS but it just takes snapshots and it's slow and it's... blah, blah, blah. It's a nice camera to have around the house and grab it for the occasional times I have to take a photo right away. I mostly use it when I sell things on Craigslist or eBay. It has virtually no Bokeh which is perfect for "product" type photos for Craigslist. But as a creative tool... Nah.

I went with the LX7 because of the f/1.4 on it, and I cracked the LCD screen on my LX3 and felt like an upgrade was needed. It yields some fun results and is great for on the spot macro stuff.

I recognise this all too well, CameraMan. I've been shooting birds since January 2009 and this past year, I don't know, the drive seemed to suddenly be gone. And like you I was concerned.

I thought that maybe it was simply time for something else, for something new. So what I did was join the World Wide Photo Week challenge here on POTN. I'm trying out new things, experimenting, shooting things I never shot before and learning as I go along. And it's great. I have even dusted off my old Powershot SX100IS as it has a macro mode and I'm shooting cheerfully with it if I need to. And joining the thread has even rekindled my interest in birds again as I just went on a few trips to the countryside again and it felt so good that I plan to go again this week as the forecast is wonderful. Last time I was there was early June, and it is saying something that I didn't go all Summer...

I've read of other people in the same situation, that they started a 365 days or 52 weeks challenge, just to keep them shooting.

I don't know what to say about your long working days. I'm surprised to read that people in the USA have such long working days and work 6 days a week. That could not be possible here, not for an employee that is. A full time job here is anywhere between 32 and 40 hours a week and a working week is 5 days. Are there no laws regulating working hours in the USA? Is there no limit set?

Anyway, I just thought I would share what I did to get the passion going again. Hope it helps.

Levina de Ruijter wrote in post #17153992
I recognise this all too well, CameraMan. I've been shooting birds since January 2009 and this past year, I don't know, the drive seemed to suddenly be gone. And like you I was concerned.

I thought that maybe it was simply time for something else, for something new. So what I did was join the World Wide Photo Week challenge here on POTN. I'm trying out new things, experimenting, shooting things I never shot before and learning as I go along. And it's great. I have even dusted off my old Powershot SX100IS as it has a macro mode and I'm shooting cheerfully with it if I need to. And joining the thread has even rekindled my interest in birds again as I just went on a few trips to the countryside again and it felt so good that I plan to go again this week as the forecast is wonderful. Last time I was there was early June, and it is saying something that I didn't go all Summer...

I've read of other people in the same situation, that they started a 365 days or 52 weeks challenge, just to keep them shooting.

I don't know what to say about your long working days. I'm surprised to read that people in the USA have such long working days and work 6 days a week. That could not be possible here, not for an employee that is. A full time job here is anywhere between 32 and 40 hours a week and a working week is 5 days. Are there no laws regulating working hours in the USA? Is there no limit set?

Anyway, I just thought I would share what I did to get the passion going again. Hope it helps.

All I can say about the labor laws is that they differ here state to state. I work 12hr days and I'm supposed to get a few 15 minute breaks here and there. I get none. I work for local government...so while they make the laws, they break them as well.

Levina de Ruijter wrote in post #17153992
I don't know what to say about your long working days. I'm surprised to read that people in the USA have such long working days and work 6 days a week. That could not be possible here, not for an employee that is. A full time job here is anywhere between 32 and 40 hours a week and a working week is 5 days. Are there no laws regulating working hours in the USA? Is there no limit set?

They aren't making me work 6 days per week. I accept the OT because a) I need the $$$ and b) I'm working through a temp agency and if I turn down OT then they might frown upon that. That being said, I could have worked today but that would have been 13 or 14 days without a day off. The asked me if I could and I said no because I have to get my pool ready for winter.

I'll look into that World Wide Photo Week challenge here. Maybe that will get me motivated. I am in on another challenge at pBase but haven't checked that site in weeks.

10 hours per day, six days per week at work non related to photography.
Nothing wrong with it.
Take pictures on mobile phone if you see something interesting. Or on film.
I have small film camera with me all time.
And I have similar to yours avatar

CameraMan wrote in post #17154063
I'll look into that World Wide Photo Week challenge here. Maybe that will get me motivated. I am in on another challenge at pBase but haven't checked that site in weeks.

I didn't mean necessarily joining the WWPW thread here (although it would be great if you joined of course), but just doing something new, something to get you going again.

I think what I need is a little bit of extra time. Like I said, hopefully things will slow down at work so that I am working 40 hours instead of 60 - 70 hours per week. That's the variable that is throwing things out of whack for me I think.

CameraMan wrote in post #17153870
I'm an electrician and I work 10 hour days 6 days per week. Sunday is my day to recuperate and the last thing I want to do is run out and take photos.



I need to break out of this.

What do you do whenever you're in a lull like this?

that work schedule schedule doesn't leave a lot of "hobby" time !

True. I'm hoping for some ho hour weeks coming in the next couple months. We'll see what happens. We have this HUGE order from Caterpillar and it's got to be done before the end of the year.

I've made it a point to try and get out to do some Milkyway shots.

This was taken last Saturday. too many lights in the area and the cloud coverage was a little discouraging. Plus, no signs of the Milkyway.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/pHUJ​hJ

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/pw7s​wF

If I were working 60 hours a week I wouldn't be going "out" to take pics anywhere. If you want to take photos, say "in" and shoot family, macro, etc,

I work 12 hr nights and weird shift patterns, but i always think 'i'll shoot tomorrow' Thankfully my wife makes me go out and shoot.... i found going back to my roots in street photrography always helps me feel better.