This summer was a particularly difficult time for my photography. Having completed a photography book project in spring, I needed a break. Arid and stable weather conditions from May through September, with what felt like eternal blue skies, didn't help my motivation, and I was starting to lose inspiration. I didn't take any pictures in this period.
Usually, when the first fall colours start to appear on the trees, I get excited like a little child before a birthday party. This year, I continued to struggle. Then, by complete coincidence, I stumbled upon an older scouting list on my computer where I had listed various subjects and the best conditions to shoot them in, including phone snapshots of those subjects. When I saw the dead tree in this picture, read my own description – "autumn, foggy" – and remembered the weather forecast I had just seen on TV, I had a plan for the weekend.
I have read many times that one of the best strategies to find motivation after a creative rut is to get out and shoot without any expectations. I had never really been in such a situation before, but I can now confirm that the strategy works. It was a great and liberating feeling to just walk along the lake near my house and through the forest. While looking for the subject on that snapshot, I found plenty of other compositions along the way.
The final picture was just the icing on the cake; much more importantly, I found the energy and motivation I had started to lose. I can't wait for next weekend; there is much to see and shoot.
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Dimitri Vasileiou • Editor