Transitions, Transformations and a Little Photography
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Heading to Iceland
My first trip to Iceland was in December 2022 and I have posted some of my images in this gallery (Iceland). I had a wonderful time and it was actually my first photography focused (sorry about the pun) trip. This was such a different kind of trip for me as there was a lot of time for photography and the pace was much more relaxed than a sightseeing trip.
I found the quality of light was pretty amazing and very different from what I experience here in Western Canada.
Funks, Negative Thoughts and Some Ways Out
There is a seductive nature to negative thoughts and energy. As humans we are naturally drawn to remember negative stimuli whether that’s events, words or actions. This is called the negativity bias which is our tendency to not only register negative stimuli more readily, but also to dwell on these thoughts. It makes sense when you look at it from an evolutionary perspective when we were motivated by survival to be attuned to negative/dangerous/life threatening things.
Birding
I think that my interest in birds surprises people as I don’t necessarily fit the stereotypical view of a bird photographer and I think it’s likely time to debunk that stereotype. Many different people (young and old) have found pleasure in bird watching and photographing them as it’s an interest that can be practiced on a short neighbourhood walk or a more lengthy birding destination trip. The stereotype of someone wearing a multi pocketed khaki coloured vest bulging with various birding accessories and a pair of
Being present and intentional
I think that one of the most frustrating responses to receive when asking why something is done in a certain way is “because this is how we’ve always done it”. My frustration arises because this response dismisses our ability to be present and innovate as the situation requires. It means that we are doing things out of habit rather than intention.
I found myself falling into this pattern once I retired.
Irritability, Cabin Fever and a Breakthrough
Initially I like these cold snaps that force us to stay indoors as I get to do things that I usually put off - like bulk cooking to stock the freezer with soups and stews (my favourite meal when it’s cold), reading a good book, playing board games or catching up on admin things or photo editing and courses. It is wonderful to have dedicated time to do these things for a few days and then......I find myself looking longingly out the window and starting to feel trapped.
Habits, Spontaneity and the Importance of Play!
This is one of those moments where I am grateful that I made the decision to retire and that I chose to pursue my creative passion rather than trying to continue to work in some fashion. It’s interludes like this where taking the opportunity to be spontaneous and follow a hunch results in fostering that curious playfulness that allows creativity to grow. It’s a habit that I’m building and as a result I believe I am a much more creative photographer than I was a year ago.
Rediscovering my creative mojo
How did that happen? How did I lose my way from being curious, playful and imaginative to becoming successively more restricted in what I would show the world? Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers’ Neighbourhood) is quoted as saying that “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play IS serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” I came to see play as a break from the seriousness of everyday life - now I was having to rethink its role in my life.