Wake up. Go to the gym. Go to work. Take pictures. Make dinner/order take out/meet friends for dinner. Work again/read/hang out with Dan. If I didn't take pictures after work, this is usually the time I panic and go outside looking for something to photograph. Go to bed.
Some days I absolutely love it, and some days I want to kill it.
The days I love it are when I actually set aside an hour of my day and go somewhere to take pictures. People say that you should carry your camera everywhere you go (and I do for the most part) but I rarely feel inspired by my daily surroundings since I mainly walk on the same three boring streets over and over, and frankly, the Upper East Side and Midtown are kinda dull. Sometimes when I am without camera, I see photographic moments, but usually when I have it on me, I see nothing interesting. It's the days when I venture outside my neighborhood or set out to photograph a certain thing or destination that I like my pictures best. Or sometimes I walk around and can't find anything and then I turn a corner and something surprises me. Sometimes I am so swept up by the moment that all of a sudden I notice that I have taken over a hundred pictures and didn't even realize it. Those are good days.
The bad days are when I am cranky and tired, when I don't feel like taking pictures, when it's raining and I don't want to go outside. The worst is when it's 8:30 pm and the sun is going down and I am literally walking up and down the streets looking for something to photograph before the light goes away. And then I find something and I let out a huge sigh of relief. Until tomorrow.
If it weren't for the girls who are doing this project with me, I probably would have given up weeks ago. But now I know I won't stop. I can't now. They inspire me to keep going.
Nell, who started this whole project, asked me if I felt proud of myself for all we have accomplished so far. I said no. I don't think that is the right answer. I guess I am really hard on myself but I wish I were improving faster, and I wish I liked my pictures more. But after that conversation, I looked through my pictures (I've got 90+ now) and in three months, I have to admit that I am getting better. Very subtle, but I can see it. I still have a long ways to go. But I am looking on the bright side: I am spending at least 20-60 minutes a day taking pictures. I have made it three months--that's one quarter of the project done. I like being creative every day. I will give myself a pat on the back for that. Thanks Nell, for reminding me to do so.
Today, I went grocery shopping after work and didn't have a lot of time, so I ventured to John Jay Park in my neighborhood. There is a free swimming pool there that I just discovered this summer, and I could see adults swimming laps. I wanted to lie on the concrete and take some action shots of the swimmers but they wouldn't let me in because I wasn't swimming myself. There was also a big sign that said no cell phones or cameras. Boo. Hiss. This picture represents how the New York City Parks system is stifling my creativity.
Because I couldn't go in the pool, this became my photo of the day instead.
3 comments:
I brought my camera on a bike ride this weekend and missed the best photo oportunity. I was riding next to a small airport and there was a plane coming straight at me. It went right over me by what felt like 30 feet. It happened so fast that by the time I thought about the camera, the plane had passed. I only have the memory. Good times.
I love your pics: yoga girl, la cage guy, 2nd Ave delivery guys, and the Morristown one to name a few! You are one big ball of inspiration.
Pete -- that is one crazy story. And Brian, you are always so nice.
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