This shiny plaque on the corner of 5th Avenue and 55th Street belongs to the The Peninsula Hotel. The photo was taken sometime in April when the weather was still a little nippy. That is why you see the people in the reflection wearing their jackets. I haven't been taking any new photos lately because I don't feel inspired. I still carry my little camera around with me but for some reason, I don't "see" anything worth photographing. Normally, I would be shooting at anything that catches my eye. Do I have a photographer's block?
Has this ever happened to you? What did you do to get inspired again?
30 comments:
Try changing your usual area of photographing.
I do like this one! I'm always surprised, in a ggod way, by these reflexion shots on blogs, I never think about them, my head is too often in the clouds...
happened to me actually im still in that phase that's why i dont get to update my blog often
OH NO - DON'T STOP TAKING PHOTOS MING!! I'm relying on you to keep me in touch with New York until my next visit!
But I can understand what you're saying, as I was uninspired about blogging for a while back there. Just felt like I had nothing to say. Not sure how I overcame it, other than I simply started to miss it and chatting to people like you :o)
Maybe anonymous has a point - try visiting different neighbourhoods/places for a fresh perspective.
Yep, has happened to me too. And I thought it had to do with living in a small village -- but, if it's happening to you in NYC, WELL! :-)
I see from your archives list that you've been faithfully blogging for a long time. It's no surprise you have so many extra photos of such wonderful quality. Thank you for bringing them out for all of us to see.
Hmmm. Let's say you've been selected to go on a twenty year space flight to colonize a distant planet, and you will be placed in semi-stasis for a while, with a side effect of robbing you of all except fuzzy memories of your town. You will be given an album of the people close to you, but the re-vital-sensate-mini-holodeck pavilion will only be activated by the places, things, smells, textures, and sounds documented in your blog photos. Anything missing?
that happens to me all the time! go for a holiday, and when you are back, you will be refreshed! :-)
Desire to take new photographs comes with seeing something really new and different. Visiting a different area should do the trick... provided you are so inclined. But is it daily blogging you are tired of, or taking pics ?
Anyway, glad you dug that one out of the closet, it was definitely worth showing ! I just LOVE reflections.
Very cool picture! Love it.
I'm in a photo slump right now. I'm more about reading these days. I'll wait til it changes...
Maybe buying a new camera would do the trick!
I would like to have a stock of photos to show, but no... I have to try to find an inspiration every day. Not easy! But somehow, walking around in Paris, I often find a surprise. If not, I will have to go to some of the landmarks I have not yet showed. Now I have to think seriously about next week!
Yes, it happens. I have about 30,000 photos and sometimes wonder what to use and end up using something I took today or yesterday and the rest are neglected and forgotten.
I have noticed a log of people take time off for two or three or more weeks and come back with a bang as excited as they could ever be about what they are showing and going to show. Maybe you need to take a vacation from photography.
I know I do.
I think I currently have it. But I've been having such high stress, too. But now that should lift and I should get my creative camera brain back :)
Sometimes I only want to photograph what is funny. or what is floral, or water, things like that. Currently I'm inspired by something I've never seen before only.
Oh Ming, your blog is so special to me...Of course, I feel short of ideas for mine, about twice a week ;-). And every time I think I'm going to stop, I visit another blog which gives me another idea...And having comments is an encouragement too, without comments, I think it is not worth it.
I haven't been doing this long enough to get to that point yet; I'm still concentrating on framing and focusing. But I sometimes get that way about my career, and it helps me to pull back a bit and breathe. Then I find inspiration strikes again.
Nothin' wrong with your back catalog of photos, Ming.
Ming that photo is great! Oh I go through patches of not being able to think of anything to write about which is a shame as I love doing my blog!
So HAVE YOU SEEN IT YET??!!!!! The fella and I went to see it yesterday and loved it. We laughed and laughed, and thought Jennifer Hudson was fantastic! Let me know what you think, missy xx
Ming that photo is great! Oh I go through patches of not being able to think of anything to write about which is a shame as I love doing my blog!
So HAVE YOU SEEN IT YET??!!!!! The fella and I went to see it yesterday and loved it. We laughed and laughed, and thought Jennifer Hudson was fantastic! Let me know what you think, missy xx
I know the feeling, but sometimes you have to push yourself a bit, if you WANT to take pictures, but just don't feel inspired... opposite to what many people think, creative people do not necessarily have ideas all the time, but part of creativity is to find a way to come up with ideas...
Maybe you should try theme-days... Decide on a theme before you go out of the door, and look for only that! For instance you could do an orange day, where you have to take pictures of orange things... or square things, or people with hats, or things that begin with the letter H, or.... there are many possibilities, if you start to think like that!
Often the problem (for me) is, that there are too many options, and then it can help me to set up very strict limits for my creativity!
Good luck!
I Know exactly what you mean. Some days I go out and get zip, nothing inspires me, then others just flow.
You need to carry on, I need to virtually escape to big cities. It's another stunner, block or no block
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I'm also experiencing the symptoms of the "no inspiration" syndrome. Not much cooking and no urge to cook something new for photo-taking....
A photographer's block, really? I am newer a this so I haven't experienced yet. But a commentator's block, I have experienced. Big time. ;) I am trying to be better at it though.
I see you started taking photos again above. That's good. ;-)
Paz
Nicely done!
Great photo!
PS: I like that you now don't have anymore "word verification". It's more comfortable to comment!
love the shot.
very interesting question. It happens to me, definitely. Then there are many many days when I'd love to take photos but have no time. It's frustrating.
Then there are other times when I look back on old photos that didn't look so great at one point but suit my mood. It's funny how things happen.
I've been using my iPhone lately when I see something worth shooting. For some strange reason, I stopped carrying my digital camera...the purse got way too heavy.
I have all the time both: commentator's block and inspiring block. So Ming I really well understand you. Then it happens to receive an email where someone tells how he or she loves your job and you run again. Please Ming *do not stop* to publish your ever loved photo then consider that most of us know quite few NYC so a stone may be interesting too ;-) -- Hug
well that's pretty good photo, even if you are going thru a block right now.
Have just read this - having commented on later photographs which are super. Well, Ming, if ever you feel down and uninspired, look back at some of your great photos. And just go and sit somewhere and watch the world go by - you'll have a photograph in no time. I think we all go - creatively - through downtimes. Sometimes you have to go with it, sink, wallow, and then up you come and the world is full of opportunities again. You will find them with your clever, artistic eye.
And I forgot to say I love this photograph.
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