Recovery Season
SAD
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern. We have hit November with a bang and to be honest with the lack of a proper summer, no doubt caused by global warming, the winter feels like it has come around quicker than ever. Maybe it’s an age thing! I try to stay self aware and I caught myself reaching out to my social media community asking if anyone fancied a photowalk around the city of Glasgow a couple of weeks ago. Now, normally I am happy to wander the streets and rarely stop for lunch, choosing to catch a coffee on the go and make the most of the long days and photo opportunities. Therefore, why with the clocks going back and the days being really short am I feeling like it would be a better idea to catch up with other photographers, sit and have a coffee, and be willing for the daylight to pass?
The light is great in the coffee shop
Photography Season
I’ve grown up since the age of 10 being a cyclist, there are seasons, and this is traditionally the rest season before training resumes in January. That is how it was, now with training science people are training all year with little down time, moving from summer disciplines such as road and time trial to cyclocross or track. Maybe after decades of having a cycle schedule and distinct seasons I’m hard wired to see November and December as a rest period, a time to rest the muscles and come back training fresh and eager in January. Is that is what is going on with my photography, and is there good reason to take some down time, or is it SAD and the lack of motivation that can come with it?
Georgetown 2up Time Trial 24.08.2022 a local grass roots event.
This time of the year if I was cycling would be enjoying the fitness I’ve built over the year and having easy social rides for an extended coffee and cake stop, and catching up with friends. I put out a call and had some interest in a photo walk but it didn’t work out, like the cycling if you know the usual haunts I hit the streets knowing I’d meet someone, a like minded street photographer getting the most of the short winter light hitting the city streets.
Scotland beat Poland, it was a special day! The light played hide and seek and was difficult to find.
Heading into the city it is always good to take some time to take the temperature, it was baltic, and the movement felt slow. I headed to some quiet areas and the light was good.
Heading out the West End and back into the lower end of town I hadn’t came across many photographers. Then as I crossed Argyle Street I spotted this scene, blue hair, blue hat, looking into each others eyes, there’s a shot….. As I head to try and get the angle I notice Fraser already lined up and taking focus, I call out well spotted and open up the conversation. Fraser was one who I had tagged in a post asking if anyone was up for a walk and coffee, due to travel the 10am start was too early for him. I’ve seen Fraser around at demos or when darting around as each of us are in the zone and not for stopping. Today, we chatted and found that other than the photography we have many people and things in common. His shot is here with his permission and when he sent it over called it Double Blue, head over and check out his work. We agreed that getting a catch up with other photographers would be a great idea and I even planted the seed of him heading to the Dublin Street Photography Festival DSPF2025 in May. We also hope to set up a local WhatsApp group to open up that opportunity to easy pedal sometimes, rest and recover over a coffee and cake and share stories with likeminded people. January is just around the corner and training that muscle will start again with DSPF2025 my 1st event of the year, I need to be trigger finger ready.
Double Blue, Fraser AKA @_f.j.k
What I take away from this is, it’s ok to take it easy for a while, it’s good to connect, patterns are ok, SAD will also pass with the winter, without the training we won’t improve, but quality training requires you to be well rested. Without the winter and it’s short days, we wouldn’t be able to look forward to the longer days of summer.
Take care.
Scott