Summer slowdown and camera gear

The summer is here. Usually, this is the season when my photography slows down the most. This time is even worse, as I'm back in Indiana and I don't have a car to move around.

It is during these times, when I'm not out taking photos as often as I'd like to, that I start to think about camera gear. Perhaps, hoping for that spark of creativity I'm lacking.

I'm also thinking about my cameras and lenses because I did quite a bit of traveling during the last month, and carrying all of it isn't fun. The picture above shows all the gear I brought with me; it's also all the gear I own, for both stills and video. That's the downside of not having a permanent home, I have to bring everything with me when I move.

Believe it or not, all that gear still meet my requirement, the only rule I can't break when it comes to camera equipment: it all has to fit in my camera bag.

The struggle is real, though. Should I downsize? Which lens should I get rid of? Should I just get rid of everything and go compact? Or should I buy a bigger camera bag?

As the summers unfolds, these questions remain in my head. But there's no right answer to the wrong question. What I'm looking for, what we all are looking for, is out there, somewhere. I can't wait to go get it.

It doesn’t matter which way you go

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?", asked Alice.
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to", said the cat.
"I don't much care where---", said Alice.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go", said the cat.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

I've been in Portland for almost 3 weeks now, but my time here is coming to an end. I was looking forward to being back in this beautiful city where I lived 6 years of my life. There were so many places I wanted to visit and photograph. I did go to some of them, but every day has been a struggle.

Back at the beginning of this trip, when I was in Colorado and Utah, I had fewer options. Not because of a lack of places, but because I did not know about them. The day the snowstorm hit Fort Collins, I just got in the car and drove. Somewhere. Anywhere. Everything was new to me, I had zero expectations. I made some images and it felt good.

Here in Portland, I know where the roads go. I have expectations. Choosing one option is very hard. I feel overwhelmed by the many options and the very little time!

Last night, I spent a good couple of hours thinking about what to do today, where to go, what to photograph. I couldn't make a decision, and the result is that I didn't go anywhere. And here I am, regreting it and writing this post instead of being outside taking photos.

I spent so much time thinking about which road to take, that I forgot that I don't really care where I go as long as I'm going somewhere. I just want to make images. Literally a walk around the neighborhood would've been better. Instead, I got stuck at the intersection, contemplating my options.

Wake up and get out, I wrote 3 years ago. That's still the most important lesson I've learned about photography. The key to make great images is to put yourself out there. It doesn't matter where. As long as you are somewhere.