Summer

Here in the UK, we’re in the midst of summer. That season we long for on those dark winter days and nights. Sunshine, warm temperatures, surrounded by greenery and not having to wear endless layers just to go out. We are also British so we do like to complain occasionally. It’s too hot, it’s too bright and all the little things we find to not enjoy the one season we long for. Yes, autumn is beautiful as are spring and winter but summer feels like a respite from constant rain and cooler temperatures. For photographers, it can be a tricky season as the sun doesn’t always help.

My summer has been a series of sporadic moments of activity. Finally nailing my colours to the Nikon mast, I have struggled to fully embrace the season. I don’t know if it’s a loss of motivation, a lack of confidence or an absence of any goals but I wish I was working towards something. I have a project in the pipeline but it’s not seasonally based so I shall embark on it in a couple of months time.

I do know that when I go out with my camera, my love for photography is there. I find joy in most environments and interest even in the most mundane or familiar. This joy lasts for a few days then wanes. I then feel disillusioned and rudderless and that gets me down. I found myself looking up whether you can experience a loss of motivation but not be depressed. Apparently the two aren’t mutually exclusive and given that I’m not depressed but am experiencing a loss of motivation, is a relief. The key to reigniting your motivation is to complete small achievable tasks rather than setting yourself up with a larger project. Sometimes it feels as if photography is something I’m doing in between trips to the shops, the recycling centre or going for lunch somewhere. I always take a camera with me wherever I am going but I have to force myself to go out for a dedicated photo session. This is frustrating as I have to tell myself these sessions matter because they partly define what my creative and professional path is.

I’m not sure if it’s the fault of summer or this is how I am at the moment. I wasn’t un motivated last summer or more creative this last winter but something is holding me back. I’m lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world, with wild open moorland and dense native woodland on my doorstep, with great cities and towns to explore. I know it’s all there, I have the kit and can travel easily to great locations but it’s as if I’m creating reasons why I can’t be bothered.

I know it isn’t camera or lens related. I have two old DSLR bodies and two mirrorless. They all have qualities and all are capable of reproducing the images I want. It’s having the will to actually do it. It tells you something when it takes two days to even write this blog post! The rain came yesterday which in many ways is a relief to endless hot summer days and nights. I guess what I’m saying is, there’s times in one’s creative journey that you feel a bit lost. The solution is to start little and take those short walks. They allow you to rediscover what you love about your art. They are helping me and it’s not a question of ever giving up but more like reminding yourself why you do what you do. The resets, the little things allow you space to remember and create.