Over the past few days I’ve been having a look at some of the SoFoBoMo books and some of them are quite good. Also, more interesting is what some of the photographers are saying about SoFoBoMo. The newbies are enjoying it. Some of last year’s participants don’t seem to be enjoying it so much, but just want to get it done and over with. As for last year’s participants, there have been fewer blog posts about SoFoBoMo. I, especially, have been very silent about it.
This year, for me, is different. I don’t have the desire to do it. In the past month or so, I’ve read 3 books and am about half finished with a 4th. All photography related:
The completed books:
- Within The Frame : David duChemin
- The Landscape Within: David Ward
- The Landscape Beyond: David Ward
Black & W Printing – Creating The Digital Master Print : George DeWolfe- about half way through this one. All of them, in their own way, speak of mastery. David Ward shoots everything with a view camera, so naturally, his approach to photography is slow, methodical, and very patient. David duChemin shoots digital, but his approach is very vision oriented. He really tries, and succeeds, to convey his vision of the world through his lens. George DeWolfe’s book is about understanding the difference about how we see vs. how the camera’s sees and making glorious B&W prints that just jump off of the paper.
After having consumed all of this mastery and vision stuff, it’s hard for me to “just finish it!”. 
This year, I might not finish it, or who knows I may get inspired and finish it in the remaining 2 days that I have. But, right now, I’m just not feeling it.
Anyone else out there having a sophomore slump?
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14 Responses to “SoFoBoMo: Sophomore Slump”
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I can imagine there is not that much easier as you might think, doing it the second time compared with doing it the first time. The rules are the same, and if you have not pretty much thought up what you want to visualize, you have to cut on ambition. But you seems not to have this problem, rather the opposite. You need an overdose of inspiration. I hope you get it! If not, let it go. If you don’t feel for it, you don’t. It’s not as your life depends upon it. When you want, make your own book with your own criteria, instead. Or just write here on the blog. You have at least one reader in me.
very much so. I _loved_ doing the photography for mine this time around – had a great time. Almost no enthusiasm for constructing the electronic book. (Did it in 3 hours – basically the last possible 3 hours)
I probably made a mistake of showing the images before putting it together too, less incentive to ‘get it out there’ as a result.
I think also to maybe do something better than I did last time, might take more than a month. Not sure yet. But I certainly experienced that second time around ennui. I’ve been really enjoying seeing the results of the other books – I’m always surprised by the ideas and how things turn out.
Hi Paul,
Glad you enjoyed Within The Frame!
I thought you and your readers would like to know that David duChemin has a special podcast series in the works where he gives his own personal feedback on YOUR photos. You can submit them through flickr and, if chosen, he’ll let you know what he thinks! More info can be found here: http://tr.im/m85w
The episodes are now available on Peachpit TV and you can view them here:
http://tr.im/nbJp
Paul, well, for me, since I didn’t do it last year, and my fuzzy month began June 1, I still have time. My subject has 100% changed to something I CAN get done by the end of the month, but I think I’ll be able to do it. BTW, what do you use for layout? Or, rather, what did you use for layout last time?
Does owning the 645e have anything to do with your delay? Grin
@Chris: I am using Scribus. Actually, I started the layout and have about 10 photos in place, an introduction written, and the beginnings of the first chapter, but have just run out steam/interest. I don’t think that the 645e had anything to do with it; as a matter of fact, it was somewhat inspiratational in that those first 10 photos mostly came from that camera. We’ll see. There are still 2 days left.
Paul, making assumptions from the books you’re reading perhaps at this moment you’re in the process of searching for a deeper purpose in your photography. I could even make an argument the purchase of the 645e was part of that inner search.
So, not feeling invested in SoFoBoMo could be a matter of unfortunate timing.
Of course bear in mind I haven’t received my mail-order psychology degree yet, even though I sent my $5 in weeks ago!
@Earl: I think that you are right on all points. I’m sure that your mail order degree should be there shortly. You’ve earned it!
Paul
I kinda know how you feel, I thought about the SoFoBoMo thing but didn’t really get it. I think it was the idea of finishing a personal project in a month, the other two I am working on have taken on a life of their own and may be a year in the making. Somehow a short deadline on a personal project is limiting as it doesn’t allow for the time to really work on the discoveries that develop along the way. Finish when you are done, not before.
I agree that Earl has earned that diploma. His analysis sounds right on to me. It has appeared for some time that you were in the process of making this major shift, and I think it’s quite consuming.
The challenge is a quite different experience for me this year, but I still have plans to complete by the deadline. I started only a couple of days ahead of Chris, so I still have time.
I enjoyed it this time as well as last year, but that may be because this time I made it all different. Last year I “took” all images (Hear, Paul Butzi!) in an afternoon and spent two weeks processing them to a common style, this year I took images all through the month. And of course I was among the first to do it, thus there was more contact with other bloggers.
Hmm … at least at the moment I have even the resolution to continue all the way to a printed book. Currently I am waiting for the first sample from Blurb.
I think it is understandable to not be quite as enthusiastic the second time around. I didn’t even do it the first time around but I have the attention span of a gnat and I knew it was not for me. Perhaps you did get sidetracked but you may have gotten sidetracked anyway since it was not new and exciting as it was the first time around?
I vote for, wait for the feeling. This ain’t supposed to be work.
Not to change the subject but… It’s interesting to ready your posts Paul. You bring an enthusiasm and love to photography that eclipses most of what I see from full-time photographers.
Strange isn’t it? Regardless keep up the good work and the sharing.
I hear ya. But I attributed this year’s difficulty to 2 things:
1) Wanting to raise the bar from last year and putting extra pressure on to make something better this time around
2) Working on a couple of paid projects within the timeframe that had to be given priority, and also kind of sucked up all my enthusiasm. I was still shooting enough and really enjoying it as Gordon said, but ran out of steam when it came to putting the book together – on top of my decision to do something that was more difficult to achieve, technically.
Who knows what we’ll do to ourselves next year, or whether we’ll just leave it to those new to the scene and more full of fresh enthusiasm…