A friend recently pointed out to me that I hadn't updated my blog in about a month. After my first thought (which was 'wow people actually read this?') I realized that I hadn't come across anything really blog worthy lately.
Over the past few weeks, I'll be honest, I've started to feel a little burnt out, mechanical even. Hop in the car, speed off to an assignment, take a couple quick shots, jump back in the car, sit in traffic, take some more shots, interview, video, hop back in car, repeat. Looking at my photos, I'm unhappy with the lighting, the settings, the shutter speed, sometimes even the subject. What it ultimately comes down to is my lack of time, which inhibits my ability to get closer to my subjects.
Over the past year or two I have gained an incredible amount of respect for photo journalists. Not to downplay what a wedding or portrait photographer does, but this is seriously tough work. I have found myself in front of burning houses, against caution tape, on top of roofs, under playgrounds, down the shadiest streets. I have stood in pouring rain, snowstorms, and sweltering 105 degree heat.
I want to be able to sit down and write more, edit more, take more time with my work. I don't want to be someone just cranking out work until I'm spent. I want each article, each photo, each video, to be a work of art, with real quality.
The skills I've gained are going to be invaluable, the ability to multi-task, to write on deadline, to quickly and efficiently conduct, process, and transcribe interviews, to play well with others, etc. They are going to take me to the places in this world I want to go..
Anyways, rant over. This photo up above is my boyfriend at Wild-wood Beach last Saturday. Needless to say, it was an amazing feeling to get away from deadlines for a week. On our last night we, along with my sister and her boyfriend, got a little dressed up and walked down to the beach. I set my camera settings, told them where and how I wanted us to pose and my sister's boyfriend clicked.
