Everywhere I went in my 20s, my beloved manual film camera came along. Everything I saw was filtered through a photographer’s eye, with attention to small details, to light, to how a sweeping real-life scene might translate in the tiny rectangle of a viewfinder. Travel helped, but it wasn’t required — my camera also accompanied walks around the neighborhood or visits with friends and family. I read photography books and magazines. I even collected vintage cameras and experimented with developing, handcoloring, and altered Polaroids.
And then … I lost my mojo. On travel, at home, even faced with our adorable and ever-changing baby … nothing brings back the old joy.
(Baby-with-a-pickle. Just because.)
Two weekends ago, I spent 4 days in the most visually vibrant city in America. During that time, I took the Times Square photo from my last post, two photos of some mini-cupcakes, and four photos of the baby with a pickle. That is my complete visual record of my first time at BlogHer and baby’s first trip to NYC.
I looooooove our current camera (an Olympus EP-1), so that’s not the problem. I’ve wondered whether it could be the age of digital (too immediate? too easy to snap-and-delete?), the pressure from constant exposure to pro-level photographers on the Web, maybe just the constant fatigue of being chronically ill…. But whatever it is, I want my mojo back!
Have you ever lost your photo mojo? What did you do to get it back? Any advice??!?
I have completely lost my mojo.. it's like fallen of the face of the earth. I want it back desperately and hopefully with my new camera coming it will spark me to try to get back in the game.
YES! I am still so sad about this. I've tried everything- get new cameras (a Leica, one of my 'dream cameras' last year even!), making little challenges for myself, playing with editing software, to no avail. The best photos I take now are on my iPhone, and that's not the same at all. Any tips on how to get it back, I'd love to know too!
I never had photo mojo, so I admire you for having had it
. Even though you're not feeling it right now, I enjoyed looking through all the photos you took. Keep it up!PS Thanks for stopping by my blog 
I've never had a huge mojo for picture taking or having my picture taken.
Glad I'm not the only one, at least. Maybe we should come up with some sort of not-too-strenuous group attempt? Maybe something once a month? I'll post some ideas in a few days….And Jessica, having a picture TAKEN is a whole 'nother story! I'm one of those women who completely disappeared off of family pictures and things like Facebook after having a baby (and gaining 20 permanent pounds, a double-wide hairline, and a face full of acne) — whenever a camera comes near me, I shove the baby in front of my face as a shield. Blech.