If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next

I think Blip has definitely improved my photography since 18th February 2007. I've gone from photographing the carpet and dinner in that first week to achieving, well, maybe not masterpieces, but pictures that (a) I'm pretty happy with, (b) my respected peers comment on and criticise favourably, and (c) on the odd occasion have been worthy of printing in newspapers, magazines, hell, even a record sleeve.

Before that date the camera only came out if I was venturing out to the big scary world, but sticking with the rules and having to both take a picture and post it every day (well, almost every day - I've missed a few) means you have to get the creative juices flowing a bit more. I don't think I've ever used the tripod, different light sources, shutter speeds, lenses, apertures, focal points - to name but a few features - more than I have in the last three years.

For testing me like that blip has been cool. There's been some shockers (hmmmmm), there's been some belters (ooooooh), but I think where possible I've tried to do something different each day. This has been especially challenging at home or work, surrounded by the same objects every day, but so much easier when abroad in exciting places - blipping has been a doddle then (although even in India, after a few months, I couldn't face taking another street scene or portrait and blipped various things in the hotel room...)

So where does this lead me? Well it's difficult to carry on forcing my photography each day, for now. Things have got stale, pictures have got dull. If I'm at a concert, out for a walk, or on holiday then the camera will continue to come out, but at the moment there isn't much enjoyment in reaching for the bag and thinking 'must take a picture'. The passion levels have become diminished, the heart isn't quite in it...


(Oh, from a journal point of view, I went to work today and came home. Thanks.)