<img class="size-medium wp-image-1415 lazyload" alt="Instagram reawakened my interest in photography." src="https://ericswyatt.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/img_1568.jpg?w=300" width="300" height="300" /> Instagram reawakened my interest in photography.
I often talk to other writers about having other artistic outlets. For some of us it may be painting, or dance, or theater, or music. Maybe it is wood working, landscape or garden design, or perhaps cooking. For some of us, we have a whole host of creative things we enjoy, even if we aren’t particularly good at them. These other areas of creativity feed into our writing rhythm and help propel our subconscious mind forward with our writing work, even if we don’t quite realize that is what’s happening.
Photography is one of the things I’ve always enjoyed. In recent years, I’ve allowed that interest to wane. It wasn’t that I was no longer interested in photography, but I did allow myself to drift away from it.
That changed last year, when I began posting photos to Instagram. I had been taking photos with my iPhone to document the little moments of beauty and grace that happen in my day-to-day life, but most of those photos were never shared, and rarely seen anywhere besides the small screen of my smart phone. Instagram gave me a way to manipulate the pictures (through filters) and present them to a wider audience. If you are interested in seeing some of my Instagram photos, you can click here.
Now, I share photos quite often via Instagram, and that act of sharing photos and receiving some little positive reinforcement has reawakened my photographic tendencies, even though the photos I share there are taken almost exclusively with my iPhone. Taking those photos started the ball rolling.
I’ve taken my “real” camera (a Nikon 3100 DSLR) out and about more often recently, and not just for snapshot photos. I’ve returned to a place where I can really consider the composition and content of the photos I’m taking. This “slowing down” and drinking in the details is something that serves me well as a fiction writer, and I’m glad I’ve been able to return to my photographic roots.
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<img class="size-medium wp-image-1416 lazyload" alt="The pursuit of other creative activities can give the writing life a boost." src="https://ericswyatt.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/img_1576.jpg?w=300" width="300" height="300" /> The pursuit of other creative activities can give the writing life a boost.
I know a few of my regular readers are also interested in photography, so I’m going to post some links below to SnapKnot and a contest they are having to give away either a Cannon 5D Mark III or a Nikon D800. (If I win, I’m picking the Nikon…) SnapKnot is a wedding photographer directory where soon-to-be-wed couples can search for the perfect photographer for their big day. They are taking entries online and will give away the camera later in the year. Whether you are a Cannon fan or a Nikon fan, this would be a great camera to own. Big thanks to the SnapKnot wedding photography directory for offering this great camera giveaway!