I think it’s been amazing that you have posted every Monday, Gill, for as long as you have, in addition to the subscriber posts. Absolutely understand your decision to move to fortnightly on Mondays.
Thank you so much Sian, and thank you for reading and commenting so regularly, it means a lot. Hopefully the new schedule will be better for everyone. 🙂
Glad to read that your time up here in Scotland refreshed your creativity. As they say, a change is as good as a rest. It has been terribly dry, as you noticed, with wildfires in a few places. We get them here on the Peninsula pretty much every year at this time, with a big one near Acharacle about 4 weeks ago. It burned for 3 days and did blacken the hills. However, I was up there yesterday and it was amazing how green everything was. Such a recovery. Nature sure is resilient.
Thank you very much Steven. A trip to Scotland is always restorative for me.
I had heard about the fire in Acharacle and had seen some images of blackened landscapes so it is good to hear that the green is returning and nature is recovering already. We just need a bit more rain now - it is so dry down here and there is no rain the the forecast until almost the end of May.
I love Assynt and glad it proved reenergising for you Gill. Great photos, as always. Sad to hear about the fires and impact the weather is having on the environment 😕
Thank you Giles, I am glad you enjoyed the images. Assynt is such a beautiful place, it is hard not to be inspired. The fires and lack of water everywhere was quite shocking but hopefully things will improve and the burned areas will soon recover.
Pressure, whether self-imposed or to maintain a business, is the enemy of creativity so reducing your posting frequency makes a lot of sense. I know others who maintain a photography business who have faced the same challenge. I don’t have that problem, but have been feeling a little burnt out this year anyway. My therapy recently has been the opposite of yours: to start photographing in a tiny urban woodland a few minutes walk from home. My creativity seems to be making a comeback. I find that local photography is what allows me to relax into photographic play, whereas I tend to pressurise myself more when travelling.
I can understand how exploring your local area is good for your creativity. As you say it is somewhere that you can relax and experiment and I think that is so important. I often find setting myself a project in my local area is good for inspiring me. However this time I felt I needed to get away from my local patch as it had all become too familiar I had stopped seeing.
I'm glad to say I am back and brimming with ideas and can't wait to get exploring again locally. 🙂
I am so pleased you had a productive and restorative trip Gill. I always find exploring a different landscape to be motivating and inspire some different ideas. Beautiful images - I look forward to seeing more.
I post fortnightly and, for me, this creates just the right amount of stress to progress the next blog while leaving time for actual photography (and a full time job).
Thank you very much for your comments James and I am glad you enjoyed the images.
I think fortnightly posts will definitely help ease the pressure I have been feeling. I admire your commitment while working a full time job - it must be difficult to fit it all in sometimes. 🙂
Beautiful images Gill - I love the tones in those ones taken on the one day of rain.
I always find that losing inspiration and my photo mojo is usually remedied by a change of scene and letting go of any expectations or pressures to produce when making photos. In fact there have been times when I've just left the camera at home and gone somewhere to just enjoy the spirit of a place and connect. Doing these things gives me the space to recharge and come back inspired to new projects or complete an ongoing one.
I was always amazed at how you could produce a new post every week - they're always so full of images and thoughts so it makes total sense to just do one every two weeks to ease the pressure on your creativity. I'll look forward to seeing more of your new work from this trip in the future.
Thank you very much Lin, I am glad you enjoyed the rainy day images, they are some of my favourites.
It's good to know that I am not the only one to lose their photographic mojo, and I agree a change of scene is always good for reigniting the imagination.
Such beautiful light and scenes in those first beach shots — magical indeed. And the images following are powerfully beautiful. I’m sad to read of the “already drought” in the area you were visiting. I feel like where I am we are behind as well (and was so glad to finally get a bit of rain here and there). Enjoy revisiting and editing all of your shots from the trip. Looking forward to what you will share and happy to receive them on whatever timeline works best for you.
Glad you had such an enjoyable and rewarding trip Gill. Switching to fortnightly blogs is a good idea for the reasons you mention. As a hobbyist I can only imagine the difficulties of balancing time for creativity with business pressures. I find the switch between using modern and vintage gear (including film) helps me keep things fresh, but there are times when I’m just not motivated to get out with a camera. Visiting somewhere new or focusing on taking something specific helps me though. Your images are lovely and I especially like the rainy day shots.
Thank you very much David, it was lovely and I really enjoyed the photography despite the challenging blue skies! It is good to hear you enjoyed the rainy day shots. They are some of my favourites but perhaps don't have the impact of the more moody shots.
It is really good to hear that you are enjoying your film and vintage lenses so much. They really allow you to do something different and I can understand how that keeps you motivated.
I’m glad you had a good time up there. The images are lovely, and memorable.
I think it must be hard both running a business around photography and also being personally creative. I obviously don’t run a business, but I find I have to deliberately set aside time to take pictures otherwise there is always something else that seems more pressing. What happens is that I get sucked into other things for a week or two and then suddenly say “Right, I’m going out with my camera.” It’s become an itch that needs scratching!
But I think you need an idea; just taking your camera with you on a familiar walk might not spark anything. A plan, idea, or concept before I start seems to be what I need. Even if I end up doing something quite different when I actually get out!
Thank you very much Mark, I am glad you enjoyed the images.
I think it is easy to assume that when you do something you love for a living that it is easy, but it is hard to consistently put out work I am happy with and when I struggle with my creativity that process gets much harder. Creativity is often elusive when I feel under pressure. Having some time away was definitely good and the change of scene really helped spark some ideas which I can take forward.
I think deliberately setting time aside for photography is a good way to work and having a plan or concept before going out is great. I often work like that because it focuses the mind and provides an aim for the session. 🙂
I think it has been heroic for you to have continued your weekly posts as long as you have Gill and a move to fortnightly is just fine. Thanks for your Scottish inspiration. I’m off to Orkney for a week tomorrow for the first time. It looks very different to the west coast but will doubtless have treasures too. I cope with lack of inspiration by waiting and walking but I appreciate that that is a privilege of the amateur hobbyist and less available to the professional person!
Thank you very much for your comments Steve, I am glad the post provided you with some inspiration. I hope you have a great tike in Orkney. It is somewhere I have never been but I am sure you will find it interesting and inspiring.
Lovely images and story Gill. It really has been a dry April up here - it's lovely to get some sunshine if course but you are completely right about the challenges that poses for nature. I love your photographs but the one of the birds on the beach in particular is very beautiful.
I think it’s been amazing that you have posted every Monday, Gill, for as long as you have, in addition to the subscriber posts. Absolutely understand your decision to move to fortnightly on Mondays.
Thank you so much Sian, and thank you for reading and commenting so regularly, it means a lot. Hopefully the new schedule will be better for everyone. 🙂
Glad to read that your time up here in Scotland refreshed your creativity. As they say, a change is as good as a rest. It has been terribly dry, as you noticed, with wildfires in a few places. We get them here on the Peninsula pretty much every year at this time, with a big one near Acharacle about 4 weeks ago. It burned for 3 days and did blacken the hills. However, I was up there yesterday and it was amazing how green everything was. Such a recovery. Nature sure is resilient.
Thank you very much Steven. A trip to Scotland is always restorative for me.
I had heard about the fire in Acharacle and had seen some images of blackened landscapes so it is good to hear that the green is returning and nature is recovering already. We just need a bit more rain now - it is so dry down here and there is no rain the the forecast until almost the end of May.
Beautiful writeup and images
Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Lovely images Gill. Absolutely love Assynt but haven’t been up there for a while. Let’s hope the fires are a rare event.
Thank you very much Rick. It is an amazing place and hopefully the effects of the fires won't be obvious for too long.
I love Assynt and glad it proved reenergising for you Gill. Great photos, as always. Sad to hear about the fires and impact the weather is having on the environment 😕
Thank you Giles, I am glad you enjoyed the images. Assynt is such a beautiful place, it is hard not to be inspired. The fires and lack of water everywhere was quite shocking but hopefully things will improve and the burned areas will soon recover.
Gorgeous images!! I would love to visit. Welcome back :).
Thank you very much Juliette, I am glad you enjoyed the images. 🙂
Pressure, whether self-imposed or to maintain a business, is the enemy of creativity so reducing your posting frequency makes a lot of sense. I know others who maintain a photography business who have faced the same challenge. I don’t have that problem, but have been feeling a little burnt out this year anyway. My therapy recently has been the opposite of yours: to start photographing in a tiny urban woodland a few minutes walk from home. My creativity seems to be making a comeback. I find that local photography is what allows me to relax into photographic play, whereas I tend to pressurise myself more when travelling.
Thank you very much for your comments David.
I can understand how exploring your local area is good for your creativity. As you say it is somewhere that you can relax and experiment and I think that is so important. I often find setting myself a project in my local area is good for inspiring me. However this time I felt I needed to get away from my local patch as it had all become too familiar I had stopped seeing.
I'm glad to say I am back and brimming with ideas and can't wait to get exploring again locally. 🙂
I am so pleased you had a productive and restorative trip Gill. I always find exploring a different landscape to be motivating and inspire some different ideas. Beautiful images - I look forward to seeing more.
I post fortnightly and, for me, this creates just the right amount of stress to progress the next blog while leaving time for actual photography (and a full time job).
Thank you very much for your comments James and I am glad you enjoyed the images.
I think fortnightly posts will definitely help ease the pressure I have been feeling. I admire your commitment while working a full time job - it must be difficult to fit it all in sometimes. 🙂
Glad you had a lovely time up there Gill.
Thank you Jon. It was lovely and definitely good for my creativity. It is hard not to be inspired in such a beautiful place.
Yes. It is truly stunning. I always leave a little bit of my heart up there after every visit!!
Beautiful images Gill - I love the tones in those ones taken on the one day of rain.
I always find that losing inspiration and my photo mojo is usually remedied by a change of scene and letting go of any expectations or pressures to produce when making photos. In fact there have been times when I've just left the camera at home and gone somewhere to just enjoy the spirit of a place and connect. Doing these things gives me the space to recharge and come back inspired to new projects or complete an ongoing one.
I was always amazed at how you could produce a new post every week - they're always so full of images and thoughts so it makes total sense to just do one every two weeks to ease the pressure on your creativity. I'll look forward to seeing more of your new work from this trip in the future.
Thank you very much Lin, I am glad you enjoyed the rainy day images, they are some of my favourites.
It's good to know that I am not the only one to lose their photographic mojo, and I agree a change of scene is always good for reigniting the imagination.
Such beautiful light and scenes in those first beach shots — magical indeed. And the images following are powerfully beautiful. I’m sad to read of the “already drought” in the area you were visiting. I feel like where I am we are behind as well (and was so glad to finally get a bit of rain here and there). Enjoy revisiting and editing all of your shots from the trip. Looking forward to what you will share and happy to receive them on whatever timeline works best for you.
Thank you so much and I am glad you enjoyed the images. I am looking forward to processing the rest and sharing some more stories from my trip. 🙂
Glad you had such an enjoyable and rewarding trip Gill. Switching to fortnightly blogs is a good idea for the reasons you mention. As a hobbyist I can only imagine the difficulties of balancing time for creativity with business pressures. I find the switch between using modern and vintage gear (including film) helps me keep things fresh, but there are times when I’m just not motivated to get out with a camera. Visiting somewhere new or focusing on taking something specific helps me though. Your images are lovely and I especially like the rainy day shots.
Thank you very much David, it was lovely and I really enjoyed the photography despite the challenging blue skies! It is good to hear you enjoyed the rainy day shots. They are some of my favourites but perhaps don't have the impact of the more moody shots.
It is really good to hear that you are enjoying your film and vintage lenses so much. They really allow you to do something different and I can understand how that keeps you motivated.
I’m glad you had a good time up there. The images are lovely, and memorable.
I think it must be hard both running a business around photography and also being personally creative. I obviously don’t run a business, but I find I have to deliberately set aside time to take pictures otherwise there is always something else that seems more pressing. What happens is that I get sucked into other things for a week or two and then suddenly say “Right, I’m going out with my camera.” It’s become an itch that needs scratching!
But I think you need an idea; just taking your camera with you on a familiar walk might not spark anything. A plan, idea, or concept before I start seems to be what I need. Even if I end up doing something quite different when I actually get out!
Thank you very much Mark, I am glad you enjoyed the images.
I think it is easy to assume that when you do something you love for a living that it is easy, but it is hard to consistently put out work I am happy with and when I struggle with my creativity that process gets much harder. Creativity is often elusive when I feel under pressure. Having some time away was definitely good and the change of scene really helped spark some ideas which I can take forward.
I think deliberately setting time aside for photography is a good way to work and having a plan or concept before going out is great. I often work like that because it focuses the mind and provides an aim for the session. 🙂
I think it has been heroic for you to have continued your weekly posts as long as you have Gill and a move to fortnightly is just fine. Thanks for your Scottish inspiration. I’m off to Orkney for a week tomorrow for the first time. It looks very different to the west coast but will doubtless have treasures too. I cope with lack of inspiration by waiting and walking but I appreciate that that is a privilege of the amateur hobbyist and less available to the professional person!
Thank you very much for your comments Steve, I am glad the post provided you with some inspiration. I hope you have a great tike in Orkney. It is somewhere I have never been but I am sure you will find it interesting and inspiring.
Lovely images and story Gill. It really has been a dry April up here - it's lovely to get some sunshine if course but you are completely right about the challenges that poses for nature. I love your photographs but the one of the birds on the beach in particular is very beautiful.
Thank you very much Trevor, I am glad you enjoyed it and the images. The shot with the birds is one of my favourites.
Ah, the Highlands worked their magic on you 🙂 We still haven't had much rain!