Uninspiring Fall and the Monastery

Some time ago (okay, a long time ago - work has really taken its toll on my time and energy), I mentioned that I had high hopes for fall and fun experiments. Well, I don't know if it was my schedule, or the fact that fall was absolutely blah in this area, but I really didn't take anything at all.

So what is up with me? I haven't taken any pictures since my monastery adventures, and I barely blogged about that.

Is it the weather, or is it me? I think it's both. Fall really was inconsistent. Aside from I-95, I didn't see much in the area that was pretty or different at all. But it's also me - I feel as though the job I took at the beginning of the year drained me of anything creative, and made me feel as though creativity were something frivolous. But, I look at the last set of pictures I took ...







... and realize that I just need to let it happen. I love taking pictures, but I haven't let myself "space out" and really get inspired. I've been so busy trying to work, work out, and do who knows what else that I've lost sight of what inspires me. I need to continue to try new things, even if they don't work, and figure out how to deal with my environment.

That said, I did enjoy taking these pictures. It was a rainy and cold day, so I spent most of the time shielding my macro lens and camera from the elements. That said, cloudy days work here - the colors popped, I didn't need to do much with settings (f-stop in the 4.0 range, ISO of 400), and was able to work on my framing and my details. The last shot is the exception here - I played a bit with my wide-angle lens.

So what's next for me? I don't really know. Thanksgiving is coming up, and while I'd like to think that I'll go out and take lots of pictures, I'm not sure that I will. I think I will relax and see what happens.