f8 and be there

http://www.keithskelton.com/album/mexico214

We all get into ruts now and then and photographers are no different. We get used to photographing the same old thing over and over and wonder if our photographic vision has come to a standstill. The more one shoots, the more likely we will fall into the rut.

I've been in this mindset numerous times. Sometimes it helps just to have a new shooting environment or wonderful travel location to excite the senses. Sometimes a new or different piece of equipment does the trick.

A few years ago I decided I needed both a trip to a new location and a different camera than I was used to. Mexico was the location and the camera was a Rolleicord Vb twin lens reflex camera that shoots 120mm film (2.25 X 2.25in).

I also decided that there would be no digital, no 70-200 zoom, no memory cards, no batteries, no light meter, etc. It would be the one camera and about 80 rolls of B&W film. (The Rollei shoots 12 exposures per roll).

The idea of only bringing a medium format film camera was actually quite frightening. A camera with a "normal" lens as my only choice!

Yikes!

But it turned out to be the best move I could make to shoot some fresh pictures for myself. It was literally f 8 and be there.

Never be afraid to try new subject matter, new cameras and new locations. It will almost always get your creative juices flowing.

Take a look at the photos: (I scanned the BW negs and processed in Lightroom) http://www.keithskelton.com/album/mexico214

Keith Skelton Photo