Your thoughts on the "Why aren't you out shooting?" post

[Old-N-Feeble]

Off topic, but this reminded me of something I read recently about a heart surgeon who took his Mercedes to his mechanic for a bit of maintenance work. Later in the day he went to pick up his car, and the mechanic started telling him about his point of view. "You know, doc, it occurs to me that you and I both do the same kinda work - open her up, work on the valves and stuff - yet you make a LOT more than I do. Why is that?" The doctor thought a bit and quietly said "Next time try it with the engine running."

But heart surgeons stop the heart and use machines to oxidize the blood to keep the brain and other organs alive. The heart is stopped during cardio surgery.

[Tin Can]

But heart surgeons stop the heart and use machines to oxidize the blood to keep the brain and other organs alive. The heart is stopped during cardio surgery.

As a dyno engine tester, I did adjust and make changes while engines were both idling and at racing condition.

We tested many parameters while running. When distributors were still externally adjustable, well into the 90's, it was required by Ford to loosen the distributor while running wide open, full load and adjust the timing for audible detonation. I was never a fan of this, but I could do it without destroying the engine while my coworkers could not. Hot, noisy, dangerous work that paid well. The point was to create the toughest test of pistons AND our head gasket. Those detonations are destructive to both. We blew up engines by the 6 pack. They were shipped 6 at a time on factory pallet. The test was continuous 100 hours of wide open throttle, full load.

Human doctors may catch up...before I need the same thing.

Our picture of Ford 5.0L doing the test. 35mm

[Jac@stafford.net]

Speaking out here for some who might not want to reveal: I'm no good at all unless I awake at 3:00AM to medicate for essential tremor and arthritis. Then it is difficult to sleep again which creates persistent fatigue. I'm only 70 years-old, and many of our members consider me a youngster. I admire them, but we all are not the same.
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[invisibleflash]

I only shoot about 12 to 20 projects a year. Still I am backed years with photos I have not looked at. I can't work all the time. I got ADD and like forums to vegetate and relax.

[Corran]

Thing is, things used to be better. In my father's time the distribution of wealth was much different. A house cost $6,000. There have been plenty of times when the arts flourished. They aren't now, and what you say is correct, no amount of stamping one's feet is going to change that.

Well I suppose this is where politics would rear its head so I guess I can't really discuss further.

I had a good buddy who went to the Berklee College of Music (in Boston) in the 70's. He studied Jazz Fusion, did his 30 years of playing scales for 6 hours a day and became masterful at the music he loved. Of course, now no one wants to listen to "easy listening jazz" except for a very small group. Market went away.

Tastes and markets always change. I think we all (artists, musicians) have to keep that in mind. Learning new skills and styles is a good hedge for the future. Of course we as LF users are already stuck in the past, but what I think is interesting is the intersection of traditional film, especially LF, and modern techniques, such as scanning and digital printing, even with traditional papers but using digital output.

I don't know the solution. I certainly would love to dedicate myself 100% to shooting traditional landscapes with LF. I also realize though that it won't pay the bills, at least right now. I'm looking for a new job in a new place specifically to be able to pursue a new path, one which may enable me to make photographs while earning a living wage. We'll see. I can only hope, and work hard, and let the chips fall where they may.

[ImSoNegative]

My friend Jim tells the story about the time we met a group of women on a trail... One said "My boyfriend has a Canon"... Jim says "I'm sure he does".

lmao

[John Kasaian]

If I were out shooting right now, I'd be coated with ashes floating down from the Rough fire.

[Doug Howk]

In today's art market, I'd give up if had to correlate sales with taking pictures. I've only briefly made a living as an "artist" [garden designer in Charlottesville, Va area]. When moved to Florida had to change careers in order to survive. Now that I'm retired from computer programming, have the "luxury" of placing NFS stickers on prints in exhibits. This also avoids the embarrassment of nothing selling ;-(
Just waiting for cooler weather to get out with a camera.

[Old_Dick]

I'm in Jack's situation, just a few years younger. Between an immunosuppressant, pain killers, muscle relaxers, NSAID, TNF and the side effects, I'm still in 24/7 pain. Only the severity changes. Hard to feel creative sometimes. I want to shoot more, sometimes I shoot more drugs into my body then I shoot film.

Still Vertical

[Kodachrome25]

I try not to pass judgement on how people spend their time, I just know how it affects me and who I really come to be inspired by.

If I spend more than an hour a week on a forum I tend to get pissy, provocative and to be completely honest....depressed. Because even if I am not making photographs, I have so many other things I can or should be doing that make me feel connected to my life and my real, tactile community.

In short, I do exponentially better when I limit my time on a place like this to practical uses, not topics like this one.

As far as other people I look up to, am genuinely inspired by or mentored by, they are simply not on places like these or at least never post, only use it as a read only as the good resource it is.

Two in particular stand out as of late as I read the reasons given here as physical ones for not shooting:

1. Back in 2006 a friend of mine was diagnosed with advanced lymphoma. He went through hell, the prognosis was not good either. So as he emerged from it's debilitating effects, he started to make photographs of the room he was bedridden in. Then as he gained strength, he ventured physically and photographically further and further outward until by 2010, he came up with a body of work that was made into a book. He is doing great, takes on assignments, teaches at the ICP in New York. He made zero excuses for not shooting.

2. Another friend of mine who is currently battling cancer is looking at it being terminal. He married his male partner when it became legal to do so and every bit of energy he has is spent making photographs. A couple months ago he went to Iceland as a dying wish to photograph it's land and people...it was a toll on his body and risk to his chemo treatment, but he more than fights his affliction, he pushes it aside and makes photography a priority.

These people inspire me to keep moving forward, to avoid the idle banter of living life in front of a glowing screen of wishful thinking and to truly *live* in the moment and in the real world. The world that allows the best photographs to reel by, the real relationships to be fostered and all the senses to be used.

So in 100% of the cases in which I leave forums behind, I find my self 100% better off. My wife can tell when I have been on them too much too....I get really bummed out and I lose my sense of presence and sense of self.