Let's See What We Can Be In 23

Coming out of that Winter photo funk.

Well, we are into 2023 and we've had some interesting photo opportunities with the frosty mornings and the snow this year, but I've hit a bit of a funk in photography. 

I sometimes get these in winter and most of the time it just takes me getting out and shooting to get through it.  I still bring my camera with me most everywhere I go and I just did an event photo shoot for a friend, the other night.  It went really well and I was able to come up with a new mounting system for one of my flashes so I bought some new gear to use, which is another way that I sometimes get out of a funk. 

It usually doesn't take a large purchase, just something that streamlines my routine or adds a creative element to my photo work.  I probably have enough gear, and my wife would say I definitely do, but perhaps if I just organize it once a year in the winter and find some of the stuff I haven't used in a while it would be better. 

The other way I can get out of a funk is spend some time on YouTube looking for new ideas of things to photograph or new techniques. 

I did get a new lens in the fall.  A Viltrox 13mm F1.4 that I can't wait to use for Aurora, or Milky Way photography, but every time the Aurora has been pretty good this fall and winter, it's been cloudy or raining or snowing, or foggy.  And, the Galactic Core of the Milky Way won't come above the horizon for a few months so... Waaa Waaa Waaa. 

I can hear my Army Sargent Father saying, "Suck it up already and go photograph something":  Skaters at the Ice Rink in downtown Fargo.  A vintage Snowmobile event.  Some Airplanes at the Airport, or Birds.  I've seen some great Owl photos by some friends on Facebook and could take a weekend trip to the Sax Zim Bog if I didn't have the dogs... And it wasn't so cold... Excuses, Excuses...

I was able to remove a screen from an upstairs room window, with a tree outside the window where the birds like to congregate and get some pretty good shots there.  I set up with my long lens(100-400 Sony GMaster) and they sit about 10 to 15 feet away, but their seems to be the same birds day after day so that was fun for a few days.  I keep hoping I will get a shot of one of the birds I haven't seen before. 

I also have been playing with Photo Shop some and came up with a Pencil Sketch action that works pretty well.  Let me know what you think. 

I could go downtown and do some street photography, but I don't have a bunch of time during the day with my new job.  I also am on the road some and did get some cool sunrise photos this fall, but that was a few months ago....

I also could set up some lighting and do some creative stuff in the house.  Maybe this weekend when my wife is gone to Arizona to help her mother for 10 days.  I won't have to clean it all up right away, and lug it up and down the stairs in the same day.  That sounds like a pretty good idea.  Maybe some water drop photos or some bubbles etc.  I might look those up on YouTube and see if there are any new ideas there.  I could also do frozen soap bubbles outside if the wind dies down for a day or two and we get the right temps. 

Sometimes I have too many ideas and then I get in the funk again.  Just looking for something different to try.  Shoot me some ideas and you might see them here in the future.

Oh and... Suck it up and go photograph something. 

Talk soon.