I don’t travel that much, so as a result my photography tends to be of local sites. Recently I went through a period of burnout, where it was difficult to get inspired to shoot locally. I would go to a place and tell myself “I’ve shot this already, what’s the point?”. Subsequently I wasn’t doing a whole lot of shooting.
I just returned from a trip to Texas to visit my youngest son, who is in the Army. During the trip I was so focused on getting there I didn’t take time to notice the scenery, but did tell myself I wanted to go back to a couple of areas to shoot. I’m glad I did.
As I drove home through the deserts of New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California, I began to see with a fresh vision. I saw the way the light played on the hills and foliage. It seemed every few miles I was jumping out of the car, camera in hand, grabbing the tripod and setting up for some shots of the landscape. I shot panoramas, HDR, and single shots attempting the proper exposure in that single image. Photography was fun.
The point I’m trying to make is when you feel burned out or uninspired, try something new. A new technique, a specific subject, or a new location. It can breathe life back into art, and put a spark in your creative eye. Have fun!