During the first month of 2017 I haven't taken many images and right now I feel quite unmotivated to pick up my camera. I know that moments like these are very common - not only among creative people. Questions like "what do I want?", "where shall I go?", "why am I doing all this?", "who cares?"... have been circulating in my head for weeks now. These moments are a chance for me to reflect, to overthink, to pause, to redefine my own values in life, to write... and finally to delete Gigabytes on my hard disk.
My recent trip to Cuba has had a strong impact on me. It has definitely changed the way I look at my own photographs. "You must go now, before the big change happens" was a common advice I often heard in advance. After being back home for 2 months now I still do not find the correct words to describe Havana, Trinidad, the people of Cuba, their way of life and much more. Cities like Havana you have to see (with your own eyes), smell and feel! Do I want to go back? Yes and no. Going back to a place always feels different, you go with certain expectations and you lost your so called 'fresh eyes'. I'm convinced that this is also true for the type of photographs you are going to make, without judging. Traveling to different cultures has certainly opened my mind and heart.
Photography is an introspective journey. It shows your vision, how you see the world around you; it matters what is in your frame and what you leave out. This is the main reason for me to pick up my camera and go out, often without a strict plan. I try to be open as much as possible to what is around me. And maybe the time offline in Cuba had another great impact on me. I try to stay away from the internet more often which is giving me more time with my own thoughts and ideas. Creativity certainly needs time offline!
For me, both traveling and photography are a form of self-discovery.
Until next time. Stay open
corinna