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
- The primary focus of my photography for next year around which my protects would be based
- The medium on which my photographs would be recorded
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.