A quote i found in a book I’m currently reading by Catherine Blyth, ‘On Time’
It stopped me in my tracks as I was reading. And had me thinking ever since. Do we have enough time in the day?
Short answer, yes. So far its an interesting read and enlightening. Its already made me look at my time and reevaluate how I am able to waste time doing nothing, and complain I had no time.
I appear to be making a habit of not posting for long periods. There might be a month where I do what I intend to, and post once a week. Then there could be a month gap between. And sometimes longer! Distractions! I have way too many distractions in my life. I call them hobbies, but boy oh boy do they distract me from taking pictures.
I’ve been writing this blog for little over an hour at this point because of Top Gun (original, and the best by the way). Major distraction. Perhaps I need to focus more? Or stop some hobbies? Or just carry on and be happy with the pace in which I post on here? I think it will be the latter.
Another 20 minutes have past and I’ve written a paragraph of sorts…
As much as I love taking pictures, documenting my family (more on this later) and working on projects, when I need to step away and live, I do. Fishing. I’ve fished since I was a young boy when my Grandpa taught me. The first fish I ever caught was a Perch, and 30 years later it is still my favorite fish to catch, albeit different way of fishing now with lures but that 3oz perch I caught 30 years ago really set it off. Before the river season in the UK ended in March I managed to land my new PB at 3lb 12oz!
The latest but not new hobby is shooting. My son showed an interest so I picked up another PCP Air Rifle for him and we’ve going going out most weekends to the range. He loves it and I’m so happy that we are able to spend time together while doing something we both enjoy.
Today he even shot a 20 gauge shotgun for the fist time at some clays! He was absolutely made up and his face! I wish I had my camera because his face was just pure excitement!
As far as distractions go, spending time with family is the best.
With all of that said, I’ve just dumped my SD card to the computer, and there is still quite a few frames taken this month. Anything good? Nah not really but just a lot of memories, that I’m glad to have taken.
I need to get my a**e back in to gear really and get back to a project I really got going earlier in the year. It will take a few years I suspect as the seasons change and events happen but I need to drive up there and get cracking!
Here is a handful of pictures I’ve taken during March
…Again
This isn’t the first time but it certainly is the last.
2019, I decided enough was enough and deleted my Instagram account. Yet somehow, and I still to this day don’t know why, but I created a new account but I don’t recall when I did this, I just know I did. Skip 4 years to present day in the world of me and I’m in the same position feeling the same way about it. So Its gone as of today. Yesterday I made the decision to get rid of it, wrote a page in the journal, and today I did just that.
So why? The addiction that comes with Instagram, the amount of time wasted on it, scrolling through endless streams of rubbish, nothing unique, a lot of people pushing the regurgitating the same rubbish because they saw another photographer doing something. There is no originality… And I could see this happening to me. Not the regurgitation of information, but comparing what I’ve done to someone else and seeing the “metrics”.
I’ve said this before to others but it still gets to you, and its how Instagram and other platforms were designed. They make you care, consciously or subconsciously care about the “likes” which lets be honest mean next to fuck all; My work is worth more to me, than someone making a 1 second judgement and scrolling past.
Some people get on with social media, for whatever their reason, and that is absolutely fine. They do them and I do me.
Short answer. Right now there is no plan, I just know that removing myself from Social Platforms is the best thing to get myself back in to a good mental state, not give f**k about what the next person is doing, weather its good or bad. It doesn’t matter. A good stream of conscious thought is what I need, less noise, more clarity.
My blog is where I’ll be posting, maybe less work and more words. Or maybe more work and less words. YouTube is still there but that’s a here and there kind of deal, I enjoy making video’s but have nothing of value for people to take away but it is what it is right.
I’m just going to do me, spend time with family and take pictures.
Newsletter? I might consider that too.
