Episode 008: Take a Break
We'll be here when you return
Perspective - Take a Break
Photography is a wonderful escape and excuse to get out of the house and get creative. However, sometimes it's everything else that drags down the experiences we have with the medium. Social media, in particular, is most of the time the culprit behind our frustrations. If you read my last article here, you could probably sense my frustrations coming to a head. I had devised this grand scheme in my head that would make posting more enjoyable and exciting, and guess what? It didn't.
I just needed a break and to take my own advice. So that's what I've done for May. Right after writing Episode 007 here, I checked Best Buy, and they had a PS5 in stock. I threw on some pants and ran over there before they could sell out again. Since then, I have taken zero photos and beat seven games like Final Fantasy 7, God of War, Horizon Forbidden West, and more. Playing games gave me something enjoyable (keyword there) to do with my free time and kept me off social media.
I wasn't interested in taking any photos for weeks, but that changed when I decided to bring my camera to my cousin's graduation party (congratulations Dr. Samantha, who is now a pharmacist!). We got to the party early at our grandparents' church. I didn't take my camera out of our car until I saw the light coming through the gym's windows. Instantly I thought, "Well, I can't pass this up." There is something about that little tingle you get when you feel the photos are going to be good. It's something I hadn't felt in a while.
The photos turned out pretty decent, but the most important thing was that my heart was in it when taking them. I wasn't taking these photos because it was nice outside, and I didn't want to waste a good day. I took them because I wanted to and was happy to do it. It was like a little spark because yesterday, I woke up excited to get out and take some photos. It feels so good because I thought to myself yesterday, it's nice to be back out here.
Now, I'm sure if I kept taking photos in May and not taken a little break, I would have taken a photo that got me excited again. However, I would have just delayed what I really needed, a break.
Let me know how you feel in the comments. Do you take breaks? If so, has it helped you fall back in love with photography? This topic has been on my mind for a while because I've seen the signs in some of my friends online.
Artist in Focus - Isai Zepeda
In the last few episodes on here, I got away from the original format of this, so I wanted to bring back Artist in Focus. This episode's artist is non-other than Isai Zepeda. He is a photographer and YouTuber. He produces gorgeous portraits, and I love the colors he gets out of photos. Please enjoy some of his work below. You can find him on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Two Hour Radio - At the Drive-In
At the Drive-In is one of my favorite bands of all time, and Rascuache is one of my favorite songs.
I hope you enjoy it.
Developing News - New Film Lab is Open
If you didn't hear, my friend Christopher Strum has opened a new film lab—The Photo Dept. Lab is a small-batch, high-quality film lab offering a full range of color and B&W services, including ECN-2 Cinema Film processing.
Check out their website for more information.
That's all from me! Thanks again for being here, especially if you made it to the end. Please like, comment, and share because that really does help get this out to other people. I'm stoked to say there are over 1,100 subscribers now, and I appreciate all of you.
Have a great day!
Love - Jason
My biggest piece of advice as an ex Pro Portrait Tog... Take breaks, and take them as often as you can. Take them long before you burn out or worse - injure yourself!
I ended up with a spinal injury and have been forced to take a more permanent kind of break. If I had listened to my body (and my brain) earlier on I may have avoided that.
Social Media and 'hustle culture' definitely makes you feel like you have to be "on" all the time. Even now when I physically can't create art the way I used to I feel the pressure to still show up in a certain way. I definitely feel a pull to step back from social media for a while to see if it helps ease that feeling while I recover.
Definitely feel the pressure to perform and produce content all the time (especially because my account has hit a slump). This only get exacerbated by the fact I work full-time and am spent after almost every shift. This was super encouraging to read. Keep up the good work (or keep resting haha).