Direction

My photography, when I have managed to do any this year, has been pretty unfocussed so to speak. Not only have I lost direction and motivation creatively but I have become more and more bored with the press and squirt approach engendered by the ever 'smarter' digital tech out there. I have given this much thought and thus decided to reset my photographic goals for the upcoming new year.

The mental process I went through required me to consider three main things

1. The primary focus of my photography for next year around which my protects would be based
2. The medium on which my photographs would be recorded
3. The equipment I would need to undertake these projects accordingly

with the objective to take less photographs but of a more considered nature using my own photographic skills, with a medium that provides a more haptic experience, to bring back the fun and the creative stimulus into my work.

So you can probably see where at least some of this is going.

1. It did not take me long to arrive at the conclusion that I wanted to return to some unfinished business in terms focussing down on capturing the genius loci of a few of my favourite places and indeed many new unexplored ones too. I have been meaning to do this for some time now and the time is now right to do so.
2. The medium on which to do this is, at least to me, is obvious; film. I have waxed lyrical about this before too many times to repeat myself here, so I won't.
3. The choice of equipment is more moot. Out of the gear I already own what immediately springs to mind is my Contax G2 electronic rangefinder outfit with its five Zeiss prime lenses and indeed that is where I will start. However, already in my mind is the possibility of the need for a 35mm AF SLR, something like a nice used Nikon F80 maybe with a couple of fast primes? This equipment thing all needs thinking out further much more carefully before chucking away any money on it unnecessarily methinks (beware GAS).

Having set a direction and some goals to go with it, I found myself in a much happier place and have started to map out some projects for next year to achieve my 'vision' of where I would like to be photographically speaking a year hence. I have to say it all feels right.