The Flickering Flame

Most of the time, I'm quite happy with the state of my professional life: I get to take pictures, and I have a lot of flexibility in what I can do. I get the chance to be a little silly sometimes, which is always nice. So between the library and the Journal, I really can't complain.

But every once in awhile, the thought of yet another author to shoot, or a fairly dull Journal assignment can get to me, and I have to wonder where the excitement is. I need a spark or something to keep myself into what I'm doing, or the pictures are going to turn out looking like I don't care.

Such was the case yesterday. I had just left BJ's, after getting some shots for a story the Journal is running. And I was a little disappointed, because I didn't feel like the pictures I had were all that good. But I wasn't....feeling it, I guess, when I was shooting. And if I can't get into a shoot, nothing is going to work. I can't force myself to take great pictures. And what made it more annoying is that I had really pushed to get this story through. So I felt as though I hadn't held up my end of the deal.

Then I remembered a couple things: one was an idea for a photo story I had (the ferrier who comes to Diane's every so often to change the horse shoes). The other was that I had, somehow or other, just received 4 free rolls of film from Kodak. So why not use the film for this shoot? Which is what I'm gonna do, once it gets warm enough for the horses to need new shoes. I'll follow the ferrier around for a day and see what I get. Don't know what I'll do with the pictures yet, maybe look into a show somewhere, but it should be a good way to keep the flame going.

Or at least go visit Diane.


Dave