It’s the end of a working weekend.
Otherwise known as a contradiction in terms. Aren’t weekends for NOT working? Oh I wish. I was going to post yesterday, but I just wanted to pass out and I did.
At the risk of sounding like I’m complaining, I’m just going to say that I’m having a hard time remembering a time when photography was just a hobby and not something that squeezed blood, sweat, and tears out of me. When was that? And why am I doing this for a living? I think all freelancers have these conversations with ourselves. And other people. And the internet.
Enough of the rhetorical questions, let’s see some pictures. I need to break up the recent spate of mobile phone shots. I also have a big week ahead of me (see latest Turning 40 Series update), and maybe that’s why my brain feels a little barbecued.
All of the photos in this post were taken around Chinatown and College Street towards the end of May, which I realized when viewing my photos around then was a NUTTY, NUTTY time. That explains why these photos only got as far as Flickr and not to the blog, because I’d shot a reception and dance event, drove to New York City for another shoot, flew in a helicopter for David’s birthday, then went to Mexico to shoot a wedding. And that was just in ONE WEEK.
I have to post non-work photos to remind myself why I love to shoot, to remind myself that — when I have complete freedom — holding a camera turns my creative crank. I have to remind myself why, why, why do this at all… and then I think of musicians who slog it out as buskers, in small venues for free, and yes, doing wedding gigs, too. And I think of how much the creative community out there pours their collective heart and soul into making things for other people, often for a pittance, and often for free. I think everyone periodically gets burnt out and disillusioned and ready to walk away from the administrative burden, demanding clients, and frustration of delivering something that isn’t appreciated or understood by everyone.
And that is when, I think, it comes time to remember when it was a hobby, to recall the excitement of when it manifested itself from an idea to something I can say I made.
I always wanted to be more of a creator than a consumer. I admire prolific people, those who have a steady output of content (books, films, articles, shows, whatever) and create a body of work over long periods of time. I’m sure Woody Allen is going to be making films until he’s on his deathbed. Of course, at any rate there will be a range of quality from bad to mediocre to pretty good to stellar, but nonetheless the idea is to just keep going.
Start as you mean to go on, as the Brits say.
And then just keep plugging away…
