The B&B we stay at in Belhaven is on Water Street, right across the street from the Pantego Creek, and I often walk over to the waterfront around sunset time to see what kind of interesting sunset there might be.  It’s easy to get to, has a good year-around view of the western horizon, and has some interesting trees and grasses for foreground interest.  One of the things that calls me back time and time again are these three old posts, remnants of a long-gone dock or pier, that stick up out of the water just off the shoreline.

There’s nothing really special about these posts, but there’s something about them that keeps me photographing them over and over.  I think mostly it’s just a great way to practice composition, placement and shutter speed, but it gets me out the door, and most of the time that’s the battle.  I can sit in the living room and watch the sky, and if something interesting happens I can grab my gear and be set up in two minutes.  But actually getting up and going there compels me to get the camera out and do something with it.

Sometimes I get an interesting shot, sometimes I just play around, but I always enjoy myself.  Sometimes I have to remember to actually look at the sunset, I get so caught up with these posts!  Sometimes the sky just fizzles out at sunset, but these posts are always there, and I’m always able to figure out something to do with them.  Most of the photos never make it to paper but some of them do.

I and several of my blogging buddies have been having a discussion about motivation, and often we find that it takes a project, a convenient subject, or sometimes just a few old posts to get us out of our chairs and make us head out the door to make some photographs.  Whatever gets you going, take advantage of it and get out there and shoot.  All this fancy equipment doesn’t make photographs by itself!