What if....

[Frank Fremerey]

If you had all the equipment you might ever need to take any photo you ever dreamed of....
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... where would you find the time or ideas or perception or awareness to shoot anything relevant to YOU?


(irrelevant random shot from my harddrive I obviosly took for a reason:)

[Bjørn Rørslett]

If the thought of gear stops you from making photographs, then you are in trouble. Or need a really long break from picture-taking to recharge your visual batteries.

On a tangential note, the incidence rate of necessary breaks tends to increase with age.

[Frank Fremerey]

Bjørn: I am asking in a more gneral sense.

In my personal case I can argue that I have more equipment than I need to take any shot I currently indend to take.

I can also argue that I do not know what these two women were talking about but took the shot because I was fascinated by their body tension which is very well expressed by their four hands in plain sight.

[Airy]

Interesting. I did not notice the hands at first, but the gaze. They seem to be locked into each other's eyes.

[tommiejeep]

Frank, interesting image.  Makes one really want to know what is going on.  When I used to travel Europe 300 days a year, dining alone, even I great , starred restaurants  could get boring.  I used to see interesting situations at other tables and write up what I imagined could be going on  .  Always carried a small note pad( needed to keep track of the names of really good waiters, owners, chefs etc, for my next visit) .   Just some fun to get my mind involved.

I'm with you one having the gear.  I normally go out in my jeep with a couple of long lens combos and a body with a short lens.  I find myself getting into a mind set of looking long and have to really stop myself and open my mind to everything going on around me.   Not a problem if I have to shoot an event and know what is required of me. My imagination and what 'I see" is something that is getting more limited and tunnelled as I get older.  The very best break for me is to travel to some place I've never been.   
Tom 

[Akira]

Frank, I'm afraid I'm not in a position to answer your question, but I'm sure I love this snapshot!

[elsa hoffmann]

Your question is complex

... where would you find the time or ideas or perception or awareness to shoot anything relevant to YOU?

The problem for me is I have no clue what is relevant to me.

I get "over" my images within a week - so the every lasting ones are still eluding me

[Frank Fremerey]

"No Time" is the excuse I use most of the time. Just because I have two kids and work and household
a woman whom I do not see much because she is at work most of the time.

I see so many pictures, take pictures with my mind. No hands free. Kids. Grocery bags. A car I drive on the motorway.
Pressure to be somewhere soon. Sometimes Lazyness or even no equipment with me at all.

We have some retired people in  our ranks. Or people whose kids have left the house. Or people who do not have
to spend much time working to make ends meet.

Sometimes I am happy to squeezzee in some picture taking into my crammed life at all.

[Andrew]

"No time" - universal excuse.

Very good pic!!

[Airy]

Taking a break may be useful at times. For instance, I have not playing pipe organs for six months now, which helps rediscovering piano. Not sure I'll come back to organ playing. We'll see.

Photographically speaking, routinely taking pics ("book of days" style) does require some stamina. The best alternative would be a new project offering itself. Unfortunately, these do not fall from heaven, and especially not for amateurs. Since you are playing in the pro league, this can be even more nerve-racking I guess.

Just to follow one of your suggestions, let's have that pipe-organ dedicated thread. Maybe it will keep both of us alert, and attract unexpected contributions (there are organs up to the arctic circle, so...).