Photographic Blanks
Struggling with photography in Ottawa.
Do you ever get the feeling of low motivation and a seemingly lack of inspiration from your surroundings?
Downtown Ottawa
Landing in Ottawa for a couple of nights I was not expecting to have the mental blank I did. New(ish) location, a couple of days exploring on two feet and the Fuji XT5 in hand.
I had been to Ottawa before, but this was back in February on a work-related visit in -25C conditions. This was my first real opportunity to explore the streets of the nations capital without losing my shutter finger.
Cityscapes
This wasn’t a photography specific trip, but the sling was packed with the hope of finding something worth capturing.
It turned out as per the cliché, it’s the hope that sinks you.
I’ve tried to put my finger on it. Was it me? Was I just in a mind blank? Was it Ottawa? Is it devoid of photographic interest? I could always blame my gear.
After the first day I felt somewhat deflated skimming back across those images I had already captured. The small LCD screen reflecting the outputs of an uninspired wanderer.
Mirrored Glass Everywhere
Evening one gave space for a mini reset. I downed the camera, had a couple of beers and settled in for a good night’s sleep. A new day would surely bring about a refreshed approach to photography.
More Mirrored Glass
First thing is first in the morning: coffee. I hatched plan to escape the Federalised office buildings of downtown Ottawa and strode out towards the less echoey streets lined with independent retailers.
Coffee consumed fighting off the late summer wasp attack, it was time to continue south and then join the Rideau Canal to link back towards the river. Even at this stage, as I was trying to craft a theme or small project, I was genuinely lost for ideas.
Rideau Canal
Walking around with my memory card remaining extremely empty was to continue for the rest of the day. I did take some snaps under the bright blue skies and harsh sunlight, deciding there was to be a small focus on reflections.
To be honest, once I had this nano-idea I think I perked up a little. Some small focus helped direct my pointing and shooting.
But this was not a photography trip, so why was I beating myself up about it?
One Big Reflection
Reflecting on the trip - which was also filled with great food, drink and plenty of interesting sites - I think sometimes my photographic anticipation outweighs reality, at least initially.
Coupled with the long weekend chance to unwind from work and life admin, this perhaps felt like a prime opportunity for photographic release. As a hobby you want it to feel enjoyable, not hard work, but sometimes it is.
This serves as a reminder to me to focus on the process, not the output. I did unwind and I did take some photographs I have since edited. Was it all a loss? I don’t think so - but at the time it felt like I was losing.
Water Patterns
Canal Abstract
Since Ottawa I have been focusing more on the process of photography and not so much the outputs. Little and often. Each click of the shutter is more than an image captured, it’s a release of creativity.