the point is...

The truth is that I had a hard time getting out of the car. Even with the crazy awesome colors of San Francisco's mission neighborhood just outside the door. Even with a light so golden and delicious I could almost taste it. The plain truth is that I was tired. I was tired and I just wasn't feeling it. Which got me to thinking-- when do you decide to just push past it? Assuming you're not on an official job and under any real obligation to shoot, how do you decide when to rally? When to let go? 

Ultimately, I rallied. I gathered my small army of cameras and forced myself out of the car. I wandered a little and I drank in that light. I raised my camera a couple of times. I didn't walk away any less exhausted,  (or with any magic images) but I'm pretty sure that's not the point. The point is that sometimes you just need to get out of the car. Even when you're tired and you think you've had enough. Sometimes you just need to get out of the car. 

Have you pushed past the tired, grabbed your camera and gotten out of the car? Were you glad you did? Please do share your story with us today.  

. . . . . . . .

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Comments

[Marcie]

Sometimes it's a push to get myself out there...to find something extraordinary and different. Yes- I so understand:
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/home/2011/9/28/welcome-mat.html

[Heather]

Your post brought back a memory of my 2010 365 project where metaphorically "I just couldn't get out of the car" - I guess somedays you have it...and some days you don't.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/htekmo/4701195649/in/set-72157622999851083

[JEANNE]

Such a great post, and yes, definitely there are just days when you NEED to just push past that difficulty. Just 2 weeks ago, I had a day like that. I had had a pretty bad biking accident 5 weeks ago resulting in 3 rib fractures , a minor head injury, and a liver contusion. Had some very bad days and could barely make it through my days. Finally felt like I just had to get out of the house with my camera and my husband drove me over to this place fo see a bit of beauty. When we got there it was so dry and brown practically everywhere, and my pain level was definitely up with the rib issue. Felt like just staying in the car, but did get out and took a pretty short tour around taking some photos before going back home and curling up with my pillow and ice bag. Was glad to get out and that I got to see something new and different, but it was a push. Sharing my blog post on this fun but stressful day. Thanks for this thought invoking essay today.
http://thebutterflymetamorphosis.blogspot.com/2011/09/tribute-to-texas-wetlands.html

[marina]

I love the light and colours that you captured once you got out of the car!
I have days like these as well. Few days ago I was hiking, something which generally makes me very happy, but I had gotten up feeling very very thorny and spiky and it was not easy to let go of these feelings and enjoy what I was doing and the beautiful place where I was. My instinct was to leave the camera in the backpack, but luckily I was more sensible than this and pushed myself to take some photos, which helped a lot!!!
I even found something to capture which represented quite well how spiky I was feeling:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mar_s/6194756864/

[Brenda]

As I am working on my second 365 project, I can completely relate to pushing through the tiredness or disinterest that happens over the course of a year and the thought of picking up my camera one more time. Below is a blog post that I wrote earlier this year about what can happen when you push through:

http://www.gottgraphicsdesign.com/2011/05/27/magic-happens/

The thing is - I'm always glad that I did it, regardless of the quality of the results.

[Michelle (Mamadunk)]

While searching for a photo that captures the spirit of this prompt I find myself with a mixture of sadness and gladness. I had my camera in the car one morning when I dropped my daughter off at the preschool where my 4 kids attended back since 2002. The school had a class cat...a sweet girl named Ella who had "appeared" one day right after the preschool teacher had lost a beloved pet...and filled the void of her loss. Ella lived at the school. Almost completely white, Ella was a sweet girl who had the biggest blue eyes and the loudest purr.

I had been wanting to get a picture of Ella for the teacher. Ella was getting older and I just wanted to photograph her. Always in a rush to run errands and accomplish things in my 3 hours while my daughter was in preschool, I jumped out of the car with my camera and coaxed Ella to pose for me.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29333822@N07/6194622933/

Eventually the teacher took Ella to live at her home. She was wandering too much and would be gone for days at a time and the teacher was tired of worrying about her. Our town had a tornado this past June and Ella was safe inside during the tornado. Although a few days later she disappeared from the house...most likely escaped from an opening from the basement hatchway. She never returned.

I'm glad I took the time out of my busy morning to get out of my car and seize the opportunity to photograph Ella. I know the photographs of her are cherished.....

[Nicky Anderson]

Sometimes I have to push - always feel so much better when I do that - but always so much going on.

[autumn sun]

this was taken a few years ago but as i remember it was a day i was trying to push past the tired. As i most often do, I head to the woods when that happens, usually Big Trees Forest. This day, however, i went on a different hike. At the top of this mountain were the most wonderful trees with big huge leaves. Just being up there gave me a new energy.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/autumnsun/4068603480/

[Heather]

Earlier this year, I'd taken a vacation in central Vermont, and I'd left early in the day for what I anticipated to be a long drive home. En route, I saw these beautiful hay bales, and they were a brilliant gold against a sharp blue sky. But I was still worried about the long drive and didn't want to extend the drive any further so I kept going, making excuses in my head.

But I couldn't get them out of my head, and 10 miles later, turned around to come back. After all, what is the point of a vacation if one doesn't use the leisure to explore opportunities?

To my regret, and a lesson I'll remember for awhile, the light had changed in the time it took to recognize my mistake and return, so the photo was ultimately less than I wanted: the gold less brilliant, the sky less blue.

But hopefully it will have taught me to grab opportunities in the future.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41706676@N00/6194877462/

[Corinna]

I just finished writing about shooting past the point of exhaustion... having a new piece of gear to test drive and a photogenic subject help. But mostly last night, as I was exhausted, I noticed that it actually takes a LOT of energy to shoot and that approaching it from that depleted place is not a recipe for the most inspired pictures. It still feeds the soul, though.
http://www.birdwannawhistle.com/blog/2011/9/29/a-day-in-the-life.html

[Puna]

Oh yes, all the time. It is why I always have my camera with me. just in case there is inspiration waiting around the corner - whether I'm ready or not.

This doesn't quite fit the theme but it is me and my dog, wandering around the beach before Hurricane Irene.

http://lifesignatures.org/wordpress/2011/08/august-27-stirring-the-atmospheric-pot/

[beth]

Just last night I was leaving work late, anxious to get home. But instead I stopped the car at the park, the clouds were calling to me. I wasn't even very happy with the shots, I was happier that I had stopped to even try to capture such a dark, moody image. I kept telling myself that it can't be all sunshine and roses, and the only way to be a photographer is to hold the camera and shoot.

Lately this camera has been my lifeline. Thanks for the inspiring words to help me push past it.

[Shawna]

Personally I lose momentum when I'm being tempted to stay in my mom's kitchen by some lovely treat she's baked. I get so little down time it's hard to give it up when I'm being coddled.

But, since she has a great garden and it's one of the few times the kids are fully occupied without me, out I go. Most of the time. Sometimes I just stay there and shoot the food. Right before I eat it.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/81416823/food-photo-pie-and-tea-8x10-kitchen-art

[Cheryl T.]

Great photo! I know what you mean. I carry a point and shoot with me everyday but it hasn't been getting much use lately. I must make a point of taking more photos...of the everyday normal stuff.

[Jakki]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64139800@N06/6185739764/in/photostream

My parents are dealing with a lot with my father's health issues lately so that prompted a Sunday drive to their home. along the way, there's a lot of wide open spaces, fields and farms...things to make you very thoughtful. Scenery to make you appreciate just the sunshine. I've always loved windmills and wanted to photograph them but never had and since this trip passes by several of them...

big ones, small ones...just so many and I felt a little thrill, a jolt about finally getting some shots of them. it cleared my head and helped my heart get a little lighter....

ummm yes...I took them as I was driving.

and no...I didnt get out of the car..

:-)

[Audrey Davis]

Great story. I have a little one who hurt his leg a week ago - so he is now waking up multiple times a night. We are all tired at our house - so we are pushing through fatigue for everything. But I am always glad when I push through and "get out of the car" so to speak. Thanks for the inspiration!

[Maery Rose]

So busy, so tired -- I often have to push past the impulse to just collapse on the couch and watch TV. But I remind myself that I'm not getting any younger and I better get moving if I want to see and do all the things I want to see and do. Plenty of time for rest when I'm 90! =D

Here are photos of one of the events that I pushed myself to go to -- a beer tasting event!
http://cowgirlbyproxy.blogspot.com/2011/09/minnesota-autumn-brew-review.html

[Sandee]

Thanks, Andrea, and everyone else, for sharing your stories and your images. It's inspiring.

[Lindsay]

Yes, I feel like this more than I would like to admit. I think mostly because I'm still new at photography and have lots to learn and my confidence level isn't where I would like it to be. But yes I push through. It's usually when I'm at some sort of social gathering and really want photos to remember it by.

[Red or Gray]

a wonderful . thought provoking post ..

I am struggling through the last few months of a year long project ..week thirty seven and I am tired of it.
Yet I am pushing past.... "getting out of the car" so to speak .. stubborn enough not to give up .. even found a bit of humor in my mistake today .. a metaphor of the week

http://www.redorgray.com/2011/09/thirty-eight-on-thursday.html

[tara on the wander]

we went on a failed picnic last night - it was too cold! i was freezing and huddled in the car until i realized my better bundled kiddo was having a blast exploring ...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/impossibletask/6194230896/in/photostream

[chris]

Yes, just the other day. On the way home from picking up my daughter I had to pull over and stand in the middle of the road to catch this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14777656@N04/6196155110/in/photostream

[Radish]

Sometimes it is really is hard to take pictures, you look and especially if the light is bad , you see nothing. But just like you say, just getting out of the car changes all that. my photo: www.day2dayradishes.squarespace.com

[Jo E]

Oh yes. I know exactly what you mean. But somehow when you push yourself you feel so much better for doing so.

[joey]

Have you ever been letterboxing? You follow online clues to find hand-carved rubber stamps to keep in a journal. More than that, we've found many, many beautiful spots that we wouldn't have been to otherwise. We do this on road trips and often it's hard to wake from a cozy car nap to find the treasure, but it's always been worth getting out of the car.

On this trip we found ourselves in a gorgeous veteran's cemetery. Very humbling.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19379573@N06/6196751620/in/photostream

[Bonnie]

I agree. It is sometimes so hard to push on, because after all what IS the point? But then I tell myself . . . 'the point' doesn't matter. There is no point . . . it is just life and it is beautiful and good:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bjakobsen-martin/5772611814/

[Robin Troxell]

I'm more likely to need to push past mental exhaustion and "I'm no good" fatigue - but its always rewarding!

[isabella rose]

i am battling an end of summer cold this whole vacation week. every day this week, it seems i am having to push!

[bird box cameras]

Many thanks to the idea. This is really very helpful. Just a little push can do.. :)

[JEANNE]

Really enjoyed this post, and so important for all of us to recognize, and share the Untold Moments of Our Lives. My weeks happening that has been so fun and so significant has been my start of Susannah Conway's Unraveling 2 classes. It has been great so far, and tons of fun connecting with 150 women from all over the world. Lots of wonderful blogs available from Connecticut to Tanzania, and so wonderful to see a glimpse of other womens lives like this. Very enlightening. So here is my short story about my "untold weeks story" in my blog post. Have loved the story opportunity, and can't wait to see what is coming next in this wonderful website!!!!! So much fun!!!

http://thebutterflymetamorphosis.blogspot.com/2011/09/unraveling-myself-start-of-process.html

[Kiran]

I just have to say that I just found this website, and am thrilled to see the amazing pictures here. You ladies will keep me inspired to get out of the car on those tiresome days, so thank you :-)

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