That’s the name of the new focus I have established for myself, and I am suggesting it might be one for you as well.  So what do I mean by Two Hours?  Glad you asked. Looking out for and discovering things of obvious and potential photographic interest that are within two hours of where I live. That sounds pretty vague but I actually think it’s a stroke of genius.  I can always be on the lookout for interesting and even bizarre and other out of the ordinary events to checkout. Or I can learn about things that are important to those I live near me and hang out with them. And guess what – it takes a lot of pressure off me concerning what to be photographing. Now I’m surrounded by all sorts of opportunities!

All of the sudden local news and nearby events become more worthy of note.  For example, over the past few months I have attended several protest events here in Doylestown organized and made up mostly of high school students (my faith in the young has been rekindled!), attended the annual Peace Festival put on by a local Quaker school here in Bucks County about 10 minutes from where I live (I felt like I stepped back into the Sixties), visited Ocean Grove NJ, a small community on the Jersey Shore founded by Methodist clergymen in 1869, and mingled with some strange rangers at the annual Zombie Walk held in Asbury Park.

So you might say I am pretty lucky to live where I do and that I have an unfair competitive advantage – Bucks County, Philadelphia, the Delaware River, New York City, the Jersey Shore, the Poconos … I could go on.  Yes it’s great, and I love living here, but I don’t think I am better off than anyone else. I truly believe that there’s always fertile opportunity wherever one might be if you’re open to it.

None of this means I have dispensed with specific projects. Far from it!  A benefit of the Two Hourplan is that with enough outings and results new themes demanding additional focus may emerge.

I never thought about this idea before, despite it being so utterly simple and obvious.  Now that I’ve had this news flash I feel much looser, less pressured, and yes, somewhat liberated. When I am out and about I feel more creative and have even more fun.  Consider the Two Hourplan for yourself. You might get similar benefits!

This week I start another semester teaching two photography classes at Delaware Valley University’s Center for Learning in Retirement. I also teach another class on a completely different subject and continue to work for myself.  Then of course there are the children and the grandchildren to see. In between all of this I find time to go out to photograph and make some prints of the keepers. Occasionally I’m able to listen to some music, which is another lifelong passion. All of which means I’m probably a little bit nuts! My wife tells me that with more frequency and she’s probably right. And speaking of insanity, there’s the puppy we got that turned our lives upside down this year.

The problem is I gain a tremendous amount of satisfaction from living a somewhat insane life.  One thing that gives me the some of most satisfaction is teaching my course called Living a Photographic Life. I’ve discussed this before. It came about as a result of the first entry I wrote for this site. The idea is to find things to do in order to keep our heads in the photographic game when life conspires to keep us from making photographs. But there’s another useful reason to go to all sorts of art exhibits, go to libraries and used bookstores to find great monographs, and get on line to discover a treasure trove of information. The reason is that we sometimes need a creative spark to reignite an interest to actually go out and make photographs.

So I love teaching this course for a number of reasons. I see my students learn new things and broaden their photographic horizons … or in some cases develop horizons that never existed before. Then there is getting them to go out to make photographs and have them printed so they can actually see what they look like instead of merely viewing them on their phones or pads. None of my students use film or go near a darkroom. But that doesn’t matter to me. All that matters is that I’m getting them excited enough about the possibilities so they will go out and do something.

What about you? I’ve discussed the value of a photographic project if your interest is waning or your just stuck. But I know there are some that can’t even do that in order to get motivated. Better to wait for the exotic trip next year that’s thousands of miles away. Ok, I can’t get in your head, but how about try keeping it in the game to continue learning and stay interested? Just perhaps something might spark your desire to pick up your camera, load some film into it and go out photographing.  Who knows, you might get inspired to find the time to go out again and even make some prints!

I’ve come to know a number of my students and have gained a tremendous amount of satisfaction from seeing what has resulted because they kept their heads in the game.

There’s a lot to see and learn about. Take the time to do it. You might just enter a new and rewarding creative phase!

I recently wrote an entry about needlessly overspending on gear.  It got me thinking more about the gear issue and the obsession we often have with it.

Do you ever find yourself thinking more about your gear than the actual making of photographs? Or when the time comes to actually go out and make some photographs do you agonize over which camera or which set of lenses to bring? Are you spending inordinate amounts of time conducting Internet research on what others think about a particular camera body, lens or brand vs. something else?

Am I talking about you?

We all need to simply our choices … for years I had only one camera with a fixed lens attached to it. After my Plaubel Makina 670 developed some well-known problems I sold.  After that I experimented a lot.  During this time I made many pictures I am proud of but in hindsight I wasted an undue amount of time doing more thinking about what to get and why to get it instead of doing what was really important … getting out and making photographs.  Looking back, I could argue that having only one choice made things considerably easier and allowed for greater concentration on what was most important. It certainly created less stress!

Now, whether it really is best to be limited to one camera and one lens is certainly something that can be debated, but the point is to do what you need to do in order to determine what you need to make the type of photographs you are interested in making. Brands don’t matter, negative size may not be critical if you don’t make large prints, exotic focal lengths are superfluous and of course the never-ending argument over rangefinders vs. SLRs is just that – an argument.

Recently I have been switching off between my Leica rangefinders and SLRs for street and environmental photography with no issues to report. Did the Leica SL’s shutter disturb my subjects? No. Did the rangefinder prove less effective in capturing architectural detail? No. If given a choice do I care what I use for a particular subject? Yes. If I don’t have it will it prevent me from making a good photograph? No.

It’s just easier to think about gear acquisition and the many surrounding philosophical issues; and of course more thrilling to hunt the gear down, than what is most important … making photographs. GAS becomes the means to the end … more and more neat and ever costlier gear.  I know people with plenty of equipment of the highest pedigree that make few if any photographs despite their best intentions to do so, and when they are finally ready become panicked over what camera, what lens and/or what film format to use. News flash – it won’t matter! If you haven’t taken the time to become familiarized with what you own the chances of making a true keeper when you finally get out there are next to zero! Ok, perhaps HCB or Strand or some of other giants could. We can’t.

Bottom line. Do what you need to do to find out what gives you the results you want. Start with one camera and one lens. Don’t get another lens unless the one you have precludes you from making the types of photograph you want to make. Normal, mild wide and short telephoto lenses are all you need for almost any situation you are likely to encounter. Having an M3 will not make you HCB. An M4 will not make you Winogrand, and having a Nikon won’t transform you into Pete Turner. Find out what camera and lens is most enjoyable for you to use and enables you to do what you want to do.

Once you have made your format, camera and lens decisions, please get some film and make some photographs!

The weeks leading up to summer are always very exciting. Sort of like the football offseason.  During the offseason anything is possible for your team. The draft is coming up, there’s free agency and of course it’s a level playing field because every team has the same record … 0-0.  Yes, everything is possible, even the Super Bowl! Last season for the fans here in Bucks County and of course across the Philadelphia area that’s what happened! The run-up to summer always has that same feel for me. It’s very exciting. Lots of plans, and lots of to dos.

I always think I’m going to get a lot of photographic things done during summer and I always want to. Maybe it’s because most of people I deal with on the work side of things decide to go on vacation. Because I work for myself I have some flexibility and now more time on my hands. More time; less cash. It’s a trade-off. You take the good with the bad.

Sometimes it’s easier to let things slide then to get work done.  This summer the problem was compounded by the recent addition of our puppy Sparky. Note to self: don’t get an eight-week-old puppy during the winter months. Sparky is a Cockapoo, and while small in size, both his personality and energy level is large!

The above having been said I do feel like I accomplished many of my objectives and there still is Labor Day weekend to go.  I saw some great shows, heard a wonderful curator talk, and equally wonderful talks given by Michael Smith and Paula Chamlee. Even got a chance to meet Paula for coffee! Entered some of my favorite photographs in a very prestigious international photography competition and most importantly made a good amount of photographs at some interesting locations and events nearby that were on my list. Philadelphia’s Chinatown and Italian Market, Seaside Heights on the New Jersey Shore, the 70^thAnnual Middletown Grange Fair here in Bucks County, and a number of other local targets of opportunity such the annual Doylestown At Dusk vintage auto show.

Of course this has led to a pile of Plus-X and Tri-X film canisters on my enlarging table; their contents waiting patiently to be developed and proofed! Ok, I’m human. Actually, I don’t like developing one roll at a time, or even a few. Rather, I wait to I have maybe ten rolls or more. Then I knock them out en mass with my larger Jobo tanks. Same thing with proof sheets. Remember these are purely mechanical tasks. The creative work begins when I examine the proof sheets.  Just like the offseason, everything is possible … they all looked good in my mind’s eye, so here’s hoping there are some keepers!

All in all not a bad summer, despite some distractions … yes that’s includes you Sparky!

I hope you have had a great photographic summer and wish you the best for keeping its momentum going for the rest of the year!