Switching Gears - Getting Creative
(click on images to view them full size)
I’ve been having a creative dry spell.
It’s no wonder that I’ve been in a bit of a creative dry spell with the 104 days of renovations occurring this summer. It’s hard to carve out time for self care let alone creative pursuits, however I did a few things to try and make sure that all was not totally lost and I think that it helped me to switch off from the stress of the renovation chaos at times.
I started working with a bird photography coach and this was really helpful for getting me out and about during the early days of the summer and then we switched gears to editing and Isaac showed me some great new work flow ideas that I have yet to fully utilize. I’m afraid that during the final days of renovations and setting the house back up that things got a bit too chaotic for me to continue, so I put things on hold for the month of September and now I need to get back into these sessions.
Abstract multiple exposure composite depicting a construction inspired liminal space. (EXIF data - multiple iPhone images overlayed)
I also started doing 52 Weeks of Creativity through the Journal of Wildlife Photography - this was started back in March of this year and it was great for getting me out on a weekly basis to work on different photography skills. Again things went off the rails during the last part of August/early part of September, so I have a few weeks to catch up on and get back into the swing of things. As there is no time limit to this course I can take my time and not rush through the missed weeks. Being creative is more important than being caught up.
These were great activities to keep my focus on photography, but perhaps the best way that I stayed engaged was through the small group that was formed to explore different photographic concepts - starting with Liminal Spaces. I really enjoyed this idea and it worked well with the spaces I saw during the renovation (so I didn’t even have to leave home).
Challenges of not being able to access my photography studio.
At the peak of renovations I did not have access to my photography studio and all of my gear (except for the few pieces I brought down to the basement) and my editing computer was shut down/off limits - inaccessible due to the concerns of damage from drywall sanding dust. Let me just be clear that out of all renovation trades - I dislike drywalling the most due to the oh so fine particled dust that they create and the challenges with cleaning it up. Last year we had an amazing contractor work on the lower level and he had a fancy drywall sander with a built in vacuum that worked a treat - I wish all drywallers had this type of equipment.
Photography studio shelving organizers. EXIF data iPhone image.
One of the main challenges with not having access to my computer was the many images that I took at Haida Gwaii - I stored them on my laptop and an external hard drive, however I also did some editing and keywording on the laptop which I now have to transfer over to my main computer to merge the two Lightroom Catalogues. I can do this - I know how - however it doesn’t always work smoothly, so fingers crossed as I attempt to get myself back organized.
I have now got my studio organized with some lovely new shelving and pull out drawer additions that make it so much easier to store gear (yes there is now a lovely place for all my backpacks). I’m also ready to start printing some of the photos I took this summer as I’m really proud of some of the Haida Gwaii images and I want to frame them and get them up on the wall (hearing Heather’s admonishment in my head that I need to print more!).
Re-igniting the creative photography spark.
As I work on switching gears from renovation mode to normal living and creative photography mode, I notice that I have a few challenges including just being plain brain and body tired. All that carting of boxes and furniture to their original locations and unpacking and setting up/organizing new kitchen cupboard spaces was exciting, but also very fatiguing. I have had to take a bit of time to regroup and get back into a better energy state as creative activities do seem to require a fresh mind and a lot of brain power. I’m happy to say that I think I’m just about there.
The mornings are getting a bit crisper and I’m looking forward to seeing some morning mist/fog as we move into autumn - this usually precedes the changing colours of the trees which is just starting to occur - I do enjoy this time of year! I’m starting to feel an itch to get up and get out early with my camera - I’m looking forward to our first good frost which should tame the lingering mosquitoes (wow they have been bad this year!).
Creative inspiration seemed to pop up all around me at Kingsbrae Gardens. (EXIF data f4.5, 200mm, 1/100s, ISO400)
In addition to feeling more motivated to get out with my camera and wandering through the paths and trails around our property, I have an exciting trip to look forward to. Last July I met up with some wonderful photographers at the Freeman Patterson photography retreat in New Brunswick (blog post link). We really seemed to gel and share a lot of common goals and challenges - so much so that we kept in touch this past year and we even started talking about meeting up for a follow up retreat in the fall in Quebec. Now for those who aren’t aware, I grew up in Southwestern Ontario and I spent a fair bit of time in Quebec - which truly is “la belle province”. The absolute best time (in my opinion) is the fall with the beautiful colours of autumn leaves, so we decided on a mid October date and Jean-Pierre was kind enough to scout out a suitable location/lodge for our “retreat”.
I’m flying into Montreal a day early in order to make timings work and Valerie has been kind enough to invite me to stay at her home overnight. We’ll then head back to the airport the next morning to pick up Heather who comes in from Nova Scotia - then it’s off to Jouvence for a week. I can’t wait!
Spiritual connections made while visiting Haida Gwaii - intentional camera movement interpretation of the invisible movement of the spirit world. EXIF data f18, 200mm, 2s, ISO100, 3 stop ND filter.
We’ve been talking about what we want to get out of this retreat and one of the many things I enjoy about this group of photographers is the open communication and genuinely constructive critiques of photographs. Having different sets of eyes talk about your work and provide suggestions or ask questions is so helpful as I can often get very narrow focused on my work and miss all sorts of things. It also challenges me to think about my motivations and what I was trying to convey with an image. With this in mind we’ve decided to bring 10 of our best images from the past 12 months to present for critique. That is my pre trip homework and I’m not afraid to say that I’m struggling a bit with this one as it’s been such a creatively dry summer, but it’s a challenge that I’m looking forward to completing.
We will also be doing a presentation of favourite images captured during the retreat towards the end - interspersed with some wonderfully creative discussions if last year is anything to go on. Just writing this blog post has got me all revved up to start working on preparing for the retreat. I can’t wait to get my camera ready and packed for this trip as there will be so much to see and photograph.
“When something catches your attention - follow the energy flow”. Freeman Patterson (Kingsbrae Gardens retreat)
Shifting gears and getting ready
Having something such as this photography retreat or the Liminal Space group to focus on really helps me to keep exercising my creative muscles. I find that the more constraints I have such as a specific photography subject or lens choice, the more productive I am. When I have open choice then I tend to waste a lot of time humming and hawing over what to photograph or what lens to use. For me the hardest part seems to be getting started, so anything that I can do that will kick start the creative process helps immensely.
Do you have a routine or process that you use to get started with a new activity? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below or message me directly by clicking on the Connect With Me button.
Layers upon layers - I’ve been feeling a bit monochromatic lately. (EXIF data f7.1, 1/150s, 200mm, ISO8000)
I hope you’ll come back soon, share a cuppa, relax and enjoy more of my musings.
