As some of you know, I’ve had a wild few months but am excited about what is on my upcoming agenda.  Next Monday I will be starting a Masters program through Full Sail University based out of Winter Park, Florida. I will be studying Education Media Design & Technology through a one year online program. It has been a long time since I have had classes and assignments, but I am excited about getting back into school and all the challenges that go with that.

Also, I have really missed writing for this blog and I have especially missed the interaction and feedback I get through the comments. As spring is slowly arriving here in New York, I am going to be returning to this blog and hopefully generating some good discussion. I hope to spend at least a couple days each week photographing and plan to be posting a lot of images. However, with school starting on Monday, I am not sure what sort of free time I will have. In any case, I have been spending some time with my photo archives this winter and will be pulling images from there if I don’t have anything new to post.

Anyway, I’d like to officially welcome you to the new Wanderer’s Apprentice, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments in upcoming discussions. Stick around and let me know what you think!

Yeah?  Well that was yesterday for me.  A shrink might call it depression.  I call it being in a funk and breaking out of it sometimes is easy, sometimes not.  For me, a total change of pace is often the answer.

Go and Do

This is all about changing the momentum of the situation.  Simply get up, get out, and do something.  As a nature photographer, this means pick up the camera and go outside.  Go do something.  Break the cycle and go explore.

Yesterday was a pretty nasty day with wind, rain, heavy overcast, and even a thunderstorm in the evening.  I just couldn’t get myself to go outside and photograph.  I don’t mind shooting in the rain, but when the whole point of getting up and going is to change the pace, somehow rain just didn’t seem like the answer.

Seek Inspiration

When you can’t get going, try to find some sort of inspiration.  Go look at some images.  For me, that can mean sitting at my computer and watching my screensaver which is a simple slideshow of my best images.  I also often seek inspiration from other people’s works.  Check out other photographer’s websites; pick up a good coffee table book; watch Planet Earth or some other inspiring program.

This can be encouraging and help me to turn things around and get working on something.  However, it can also make me feel a bit nostalgic, remembering how good it was on some trip and wishing I were there instead of sitting on my couch.  Looking at other’s images when you are in a particularly bad funk can lead to self doubt as well, so be careful as this can sometimes be a double-edged sword.

Embrace the Funk

I know this sounds a little counterintuitive, but sometimes I just need a break from everything.  Embrace the funk and lie on the couch, watch TV, read a book.  Do whatever it takes to get your mind away from it all and lets you reset and refocus.   Yesterday, after about 10:00, I made a delivery and then pretty much killed the rest of the day watching TV and wasting time. It wasn’t productive.  I can’t do it every day, but it was good for yesterday.  Instead of producing mediocre work that I’d have to redo anyway, I took some time away yesterday and this morning has been incredibly productive, my to do list is getting shorter, and I am feeling a lot better.  Sometimes all you may need is a break.