What is the effect of photo-abstinence on you?

Well If anyone has lived in the great white north or Minnesota, U.S. for that matter. One would know what is what I call weather-enforced abstinence- With long cold winters (some time -20 or -30F below zero) Shooting street or any outside photography become almost impossible. Yes, you can still shoot inside, malls are one of my favorite places for that, but for the most part I spend my winters processing my backlog of film and printing - Kievman www.michaelmaltese.com
 
It might sound strange but sometimes I find it very enjoyable just leaving the camera at home and not thinking about photography at all (including photo-related forums ... :eek:) and then after a couple of days the interest comes back. :)
 
For me the antidote is oversaturation when the opportunity presents itself - my wife elected not to join me on a recent photo tour to Cambodia so I took a lot. Last week on holiday in Vietnam I was on "probation and restricted access" and so took a lot less than I might: but had fun anyway. Early mornings at the street markets were not part of the quota and formed a victory of sorts as my wife hates early mornings!
 
I try to avoid photoabstinence wherever possible... but if I can't, looking at photo books and occasionally ordering new ones can provide a temporary fix. Scanning and time in LR revisiting old images also helps.

Too much time away leads to IPS (Irritable Photographer Syndrome). Potentially serious if antidote is not administered swiftly. Take diluted 1 + 1 with occasional agitation of both tank and operator. Beware of the washout.
 
Zero. I don't define myself by how often I take pictures. Or maybe I define myself as a photographer at such a basic level that I don't need to worry about not shooting for a while.

Cheers,

R.
 
Quite mixed feelings.

I've had about 7 months of abstinence (I shot a bit, but little), because I was busy with studies and all that business.

But after projecting the Kodachromes I shot last year... The urge has risen from the dead. :D

Sadly, I'm a guy who shoots little and it's horrible to have a roll sitting months in the camera (9 months for a roll of KR was my record). I try to make interesting shots and 36 is way too much, it takes me ages to shoot them.

And my routine doesn't help me a bit. Unless I travel somewhere, it's hard for me to shoot something interesting.

And sometimes I let the urge of shooting take me over and make half a roll of uninteresting and bland photographs. I even looked in google "how to shoot more". How silly, and google answers me with sites of digi shooters saying "How to shoot less".

Nowadays I've gotten the hobby of listening to music (more acessible for me as of now) and it kind of distracts me. But looking at that OM-1 on the table makes me want to have shoots.

And now I should shut up, you can see how photo abstinence makes me write too much. :p
 
Not much abstinence for me nowadays. Once every month or so, I might decide to leave my cameras at home when I go out, and I feel a bit more 'free' not having to carry them around, but I miss some photo opportunities. No big deal though.
 
Makes me Cranky Wanky ....when I don't/can't shoot. :eek:

I then take solace in viewing a Good Exhibit or sit about with a stack of photography books ;)
 
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I go thru my neg file and hit the darkroom. If I cannot do that I go online and look for new work. I also think about photography a lot and ponder the direction I am going in. I also like to partake in normal life too!
 
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