Winters Handicap

Being a photographer in Michigan puts you at a disadvantage when others have the luxury of shooting year-round. Freezing your ass off while taking pictures, can be insurmountable when temperatures begin their downward descent. Would-be subjects, prone to winter hibernation, are in scarce supply and the mental drain of maintaining your creative drive in the face of sub-zero weather is depressing in the dark of the winter. Every year I find myself in the same situation; fighting off my winter slump.

It's like playing baseball in the dead of winter. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why so many big-league rosters hail from warm-weather states, or even countries, where the luxury of playing year round amounts to a sizable advantage. Photographers are no different. To be prolific, requires a steady diet of taking photographs in order to stay sharp, and stay inspired. It's a handicap I wish I didn't have to deal with.

Last winter I took a westward bound cross-country trip with camera in hand, but this year I've been perpetually stagnant from a creative standpoint. It's spring now, and warm weather is around the corner, but for now I sit and wait, dreaming of photographs yet to be taken.

© tom stoye