When images becoms exhausting
Why distance is sometimes the best thing for new ideas
There are days when I don’t want to touch a camera. No shoots, no retouching, no light on bare skin. Simply nothing. And yes – even if you think from the outside that authentic nude photography is an endless dream job: At some point it becomes too much.
When even your favorite motif is annoying
Deadlines are piling up, emails need to be answered and your head is buzzing. Somewhere between the tenth image processing and the next inquiry, the thing that actually makes the work so special is lost: desire. Curiosity. Those little moments when you see something that blows your mind.
Instead, you struggle through to-do lists, click on presets, delete images that are actually good and don’t even notice how your creativity is going down the drain. This is exactly the moment when you should stop. Not just for a few hours, but until you feel the tingling sensation again.
Reading tip: Why targeted breaks restore creative energy.
For me, it’s usually from the time it starts to get snowy outside. Cold, wet, dark quite early. I don’t know why exactly I am not into sensual photography at that time. But I’ve got other things to do then anyway, so I try to wait until spring to start shooting again. I prefer it anyway – when it gets warm again, you feel much more motivated.
It sounds simple, but it’s harder than any image editing. Because in an industry that is constantly crying out for output, standing still is almost taboo. But breaks are not a sign of weakness – they are an investment in what comes next.
Out of the rut – back to pleasure
When I take the time, it comes back: the desire for photography, for pictures, for this whole game of light, bodies and stories. And then I remember why I’m doing fine art photography again.
