Do I Need a Photography Makeover?

We did a mini makeover of our pantry this weekend.

Well, I say “mini,” but it’s pretty tiny in itself. We moved into our house in 2010, and although the previous owners covered the insides with new cheap carpet, thin paint, and basic countertops, that didn’t cover how beat up it was underneath. 

Slowly, we brought the house to life and made it our own, but the pantry stayed the same. With 5 little kids in 2010, I needed it to work as hard as it could for me: provide the Goldfish, stock the dinner ingredients, come through with the soccer snack, and quench a toddler’s thirst with a juice box!

Well, this weekend it was finally the pantry’s turn to be served. We tore out the old, paint chipped shelves, gave her a new coat of crisp white paint, installed new shelves, and loaded her with clean containers and food. She even got a much-needed light, motion-sensored and everything. 

But as you know, when you are cleaning things up, sometimes you make a mess first. I piled everything from the pantry onto the dining room table and assessed each item. Was it needed? Did it need to be replaced? Was it expired? Was it stale?

Some things surprised me. Things I thought were fairly new were outdated or expired. I could have sworn I just bought that Tumeric: expired in 2023. The immersion blender? Had it since forever ago. The spice rub I thought I would definitely use? Still unopened. 

So that made me think: what am I looking at everyday that I’m not noticing. What is time blurring for me?

How is my photography standing still or staying stagnant? What needs to be thrown out? What needs to be examined? What ideas have expired? What techniques have I put on my proverbial to-do list and still haven’t tried?

It seems we all need a mini remodel from time to time. 

So what could I do this week or this month to freshen my photography? To cull out things that have gotten stale? 

Here are some things on my list: 

• Take a walk in the woods with my camera. I haven’t done that locally much this summer.

• Straighten up my photography gear and my office. Organize what I use; get rid of what I don’t.

• Browse through some of my photography books I’ve collected. Write down what stands out. Stare out the window and think. 

• Reflect on my recent Alaska trip. I don’t mean scroll through my photos on Instagram. I want to actually reflect: what went right? What could I change? What images did I love? What could I have done differently? What image do I still want to make? How could I push myself next year?

• Try something new. A year or two ago, I rented a macro lens and just played. I need to do something like that again to challenge myself and push my own creativity. 

• Lastly, I just need to sit and think about how much I love this craft. If I’m honest, I’m tired. I go through cycles of this, and I know it’s okay. I mean, now I know it’s okay. I used to really think I would never take a good photo again. But what is the tired teaching me? What is it pointing to? 

So how about you? Do you have a “pantry” that needs a mini-remodel? What expired items can you throw out? A negative thought? An unrealistic expectation? What can you try? How can you help your creativity bubble up? Make a list and see what happens. 

We’ve all been there. We will be there again. And thankfully, this beautiful craft waits for us and even changes us. How amazing is that?