Self Assignments are Important!

In Rough Times Return To The Source

I remember the day I took this photograph. It was back in 2009 when the economy took a massive dive. Our business, like everyone else's, was not doing well...in fact things were pretty grim. The phone had stopped ringing, shoots cancelled and no work on the horizon. It's times like these that all of us, but maybe in particular creatives, doubt ourselves. "I'm not good enough, I'm all washed up, nobody cares" blah blah blah...just crap! When I became aware of the self defeating dribble running through my head I did what I always do when I find myself stuck. I grabbed my camera. I've always been a firm believer of self assignments, so I decided to go out with just one lens and spend an afternoon seeing what I could find. The one lens I decided to shoot with was a Canon 15mm fish eye. It's a relatively inexpensive lens with a distinct look. I find it best used when you either exaggerate it's look or you minimize the distortions...in between doesn't seem to work for me. So, I found myself walking down Naples pier and as I looked around I noticed this fish was about to be cleaned and was laid out in front of me on the table. I brought the camera up to my eye to see what it looked like through the fisheye lens. It looked like a giant mouth was about to consume the fish and the lights on the canopy above looked like eyes. It's a fun shot that I call "Fisheye" and each time I see it, I smile because it never fails to remind me that I should always turn to the source within when times get rough, or doubts creep into my life. I have always found solace in that place. I still find refuge. @garethrockliffe #naplespier  #naplesflorida