Adubin Loc: Indialantic, Florida

Roger, At least in the USA, :) Arnold

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

I spent a year in Argentina, lots of things, people, dogs, variations in homes, flowers, to photograph and the world was photographer friendly. In the USA, wires every place, cars every place, suspicion everyplace!!! So my passion is still there but were do I put it?

Mom, buy a small Table Top studio, use small flash lights taped to #10 bare wire embedded in plaster of Paris contained in a small plastic container to use this assemblly as a spot. I have some photos of a broken wine glass and the flashlight did wonders. Add color.. Also the photo extremist has crazy ideas. So change what and how you photograph things. Document the kids in supreme messiness of youth... grubby kids are real... make it fun... and of the moment. Years from now those Kid photos will be valuable memories and items to blackmail the 20+ year old kids with!!! Mom did I look like that...???

Cappy Loc: Wildwood, NJ

Back in the mid 60's I was a camera "enthusiast" and took a lot of nice pics, did parties, weddings, family, etc. Had a contax camera. Had cases of slides. Then got away from it I think sometime in the 80's. After that just used some p&S cameras.
Got the bug again about 5 years ago. About 3 years ago it became serious again.
LindaMCC, the bug WILL return. Just shoot what you want/like to shoot and the enthusiasm will return. Then you can expand into other areas.

joehel2 Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

Linda, no Mom is "just" a Mom. I'm sure that you are a Mom who, in addition to being the rudder of the family ship, used photography as an outlet for your creativity. If time is the hurdle in taking photos, when you only have a few minutes try analyzing your best photos for areas you can make better. Try reviewing your camera manual to master features you may not be using, this will give you ideas and motivate future projects. Personally, wintertime does not motivate me to take my camera out of it's warm, padded home.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Light painting
Time Lapse
New Gear
Sports
Plan a trip
Infrared
Join a Guild
Stay on these boards and other like them for ideas!

if that doesn't work, sell your gear .....the passion will come back the moment you no longer have a camera!

George H Loc: Brooklyn, New York

Linda,
Almost the same thing as writers block, we all go through it sooner or later. Had a problem right after the World Trade Center attack, I had trained 23 of the FDNY Rescue and Squad personnel that died that day. Some of the finest men I have ever known. It took me a long time to get back any resemblance of a life. Take some time for yourself and relax, it will come back.

George

rickyracer Loc: WV

I'd say anything one looses their passion for...you simply need to do it again. sounds too simple? but...its true. Even in relationships, anything that looses it's passion, just needs chased after hard again. Sometimes when we first get in to something we get in w/ all fours so to speak...and after time, it wanes. You just need to go after it again w/ zeal! Take pics of everything you see! I love just seeing the LIFE in everything I shoot! hope ya pick it up again, I love takin pics and can't seem to ever...get enough...blessings! Lisa

brokeweb Loc: Philadelphia

I'm having a hard time believing that you have lost your passion for photography. You're still posting in this forum. I just think that it's a bad time of year. The weather is cold, days are short, grey, and hardly any snow this year (in Philadelphia). So there is not much to photograph. Spring is just around the corner with new life, flowers, and birds.

profpb Loc: Venice, Florida

I attend weekly meetings of my local camera club. Every week there is something new that excites me.

BryanChristopher Loc: Princeton, NJ

Linda,

We all started somewhere and no matter what type of camera and what the circumstances we have the ability to create. You haven't lost your love for photography and it's easy to see as you want to get it back and reignite that passion.

Having gone through these times of confusion myself I suggest two things: First, let go, don't hold yourself to any expectations of what you have to achieve according to any time line. As with loves and passions of all types it takes time to grow and develop. It will go through stages of extreme fruitfulness and productivity as well as drought. So you're searching to find that passion again.

Second, put yourself in the position where you have the ability to create at any moment. Simply put, carry your camera with you at all times. Be ready for the moment when it happens. Take a lot of photos, practice, succeed, fail, try again, learn and just do. This is a great time to experiment, learn your camera so that when you "see" that moment not only will you have your camera on hand but you will know how to carry it out technically with a second nature. The technical side of photography isn't everything but it absolutely helps to know your camera so well that it's almost an extension of yourself.

Look at art, photography, talk walks with your kids, enjoy life, go see the world and be inspired by it. If you're having a crappy day there's nothing wrong with documenting that through photography. Keep a journal, figure out what inspires you. Use the people, activities and things you enjoy in life as practice subjects and inspiration.

I shoot a lot of photos. On a week where I'm barely touching my camera I take around 200-300 photos of nothing! My cats, the breads I bake, myself, my environment, anything that strikes me.

I shoot professionally which means to me I shoot other peoples ideas. On a busy week I can shoot upwards of 6,000 photos.

Then I shoot what I can b.s. photos. When the people in my life go, "oh, you have a camera you can take photos for this" I carry no expectation of "greatness" from these photos but I always look for that opportunity when it presents itself.

I find passion in a lot of things and let go of control and let things unfold however they do. Everything finds a way. I take photos of everything. I use them to share and communicate.

I have a passion for Artisan Bread baking. So I bake and send photos to my family of my adventures with baking. I continue this through my entire life. Although these days my daughter is old enough that she doesn't want me pointing my camera at her so I know when to put the camera down and enjoy time with her.

The key is finding a balance and incorporating photography into your daily life. If you need any help or future advice please feel free to email me.

Best of luck!

I'm looking forward to seeing some of your work. Sharing your photos helps too!

-Bryan-

(the photos are home made bread that I baked, home made cinnamon strudel coffee syrup and a photo I took of my daughter on a day out with her and my mother)

mgemstone Loc: Chicago/Cocoa beach/La/NY

Check around for a local camera club. There are many benefits of sharing the interest in photography.

cheineck Loc: Hobe Sound, FL

If it's a good camera, send it to me! I'll be sure to return it when the photo urge hits you. Ha.

Seriously, have you looked into creating a photo book? Adorama or Blurb have great programs for this---and very reasonable.

BuckeyeBilly Loc: St. Petersburg, FL

Linda,
OK, you're a Mom who has lost her passion for photography. Here's what you do:
Go grab your camera, your kid(s), their camera(s), and do a search in nature and/or your neighborhood/city for....drum roll, please......the alphabet! You'll have a blast at finding all the letters, especially "K", "Q", and "Z". You'll feel like a kid again, yourself, and I know this will resurrect those old feelings for the pure pleasure of photography. I'm attaching an example for you to get the creative juices flowing. Enjoy!

BuckeyeBilly Loc: St. Petersburg, FL

Linda,
OK, you're a Mom who has lost her passion for photography. Here's what you do:
Go grab your camera, your kid(s), their camera(s), and do a search in nature and/or your neighborhood/city for....drum roll, please......the alphabet! You'll have a blast at finding all the letters, especially "K", "Q", and "Z". You'll feel like a kid again, yourself, and I know this will resurrect those old feelings for the pure pleasure of photography. Here is a link to show you how much fun this will be:

http://img0.etsystatic.com/il_fullxfull.295114752.jpg

Here is a link to show how to make a sign for your home that has your family name on it:

http://img3.etsystatic.com/il_fullxfull.294975515.jpg

Mudshark Loc: Illinois

I started taking photos...constantly...in the early '60s. I've never stopped or left the click trail. I have, however, burned out many times. One of the true miracles of photography is it's width and depth. If you grow sick and tired of one thing...there's an infinite world of moments in time and space for you to slice and dice.
Trust me...I've taken some sharp turns on the Kodak Highway. From big time photojournalism to table top product photography...etc., etc.
Ask yourself what makes you happy...then start thinking about how photography could work with whatever that may be.
Let's say you don't make a living with your camera...and let's say your friends are what really make you happy...start thinking about doing "a day in the life of" each of your friends, making a scrap book from the shoots and giving it to them on their birthday or for Christmas...OR...how about this...(because I'm doing this one...) ask your best friends about their family histories. Each one of them will most likely have a box or two of old photos...often a torn, really old photo of their great, great grandfather, etc. Try scanning and restoring these old photos for people...it's another whole area of photography that really helps people celebrate who they are. What a great gift for your best friends.