What stokes your creative fire when your motivation is low or non-existent? When I was new to photography it was looking at the new cameras on the market that were too expensive to buy, film and how to manipulate it, and works by masters like Richard Avedon who was extremely versatile.
One of my favorites of his is In Memory of the Late Mr. and Mrs. Comfort a portfolio of 25 images that he contemplated for two years before shooting it. I love studying this portfolio because it's beautiful to look at, it's interesting storytelling, and it's a bold alternative idea. The images first ran in the New Yorker in 1995. I learned about them years later from an old interview clip on the Charlie Rose show that I stumbled across on YouTube. I immediately tracked down a used copy and bought it from eBay. The internet is so useful.
Now, as a seasoned photographer, I review the images that I've shot and I think about what I want to shoot next and how. When I'm stuck I tune out social media completely because it can sow the seeds of self doubt. I think it's important to hold onto your dreams no matter how fantastical.
The Holga images below are from my last trip to Chicago; a much needed breather. The colors, the light leaks and the dreamy subject are all classic Holga. Blue skies, sail boats, warm weather. Summer. Click to view larger; galleries and slide shows are cropped.
