Lack of Motivation

In the past, it fills me with excitement and energy when I am about to head out to a shoot. Today, I'm almost dreading it. The amount of preparation, driving, setting up, and then the work involved during and after the shoot to get the images out. It is a series of tasks that just asks alot of me and I find that I'm lacking the motivation to get started on things like that.

Worse yet, that complete drain of motivation and energy shows up in my photographs. The composition, exposure, and even the ratio of good vs bad images reflects the lack of preparation resulting from a loss of motivation.

It's really like a part of me is saying, "Why bother?" and the rest of my brain is answering back, "Dunno... let's just not bother, then."

I can tell you right now, this sucks. It's a real killjoy to the cerative process.

Lack of Spirit

The continous lack of motivation eventually results in  a lack of spirit. Picking up that camera can seem like a real hard thing to do. It gets heavy. Realy heavy. I know, the camera IS heavy, but now, you just don't want to fight the weight. Every little thing you need to do on the camera to take that shot seems like a bother and an annoyance.

And what pictures do come out from that kind of mindset? Bland, poorly composed, and just generally unacceptable images.

That Last Shoot

Recently, I went to the Pigeon Point Lighthouse, over in California, for their lighting ceremony. Never shot lighthouses before. But, a fellow photographer was exciteda about it, and as I hadn't been on an outing in a while, thought it would be fun.

Everything I described above hit me, the day of the shoot:

• Total Lack of preparation
• Lack of energy in trying to get the shots
• Quickly ran out of mental and spirtual juice during the shoot (creativity death spiral)
• Shot an amazingly small number of shots, and the number I liked/came out, I could cound on one hand.

The conditions were only slightly challenging. Nothing that bringing the right tools and mindset couldn't have solved. But, more on that in my next post, when it will be accompanied by pictures.

Looking For Answers... or at least, Motivating Questions

For now, I find myself staring a tad vacantly at my camera, wondering where I can find that spark to reignite my creativity and motivation.

Part of me tells me that if I _only_ went and got that new lens, I would get better photographs. But buying something only provides temporary motivation. The motivation to use that new item. Once it's gone, it would be back to square one.

Lately, I find that what motivates me are two things: Family and Music.

I can always count on my family to say or do something that makes me go, "oh yeah! Hey, I can really take that and run with it!" or be watching my daughter play and come up with some interesting macro shots or cool shooting angles.

Music, on the other hand, gets me fired up, in general.

However, while my creativity gets inspired, I'm still sorely missing the motivation to actually go shoot.

The more practical part of me tells me that, perhaps, I'm just coming down with the flu/cold/whatever, and should get more sleep, eat healthier, and exercise. Sound advice, but then again, that part of me is inspired by and motivated by my better half, my wife.

I've got the holidays coming up and a trip to Florida as well. If getting up close and personal with family and floridian wild life doesn't get me motivated, perhaps its time to check to see if I still have a pulse.

~ Wing

PS. In case anyone is wondering, I'd love to get my paws on: