Katherine Hall

I thought I did. But I think perhaps that I don’t. Not so much.

It’s been over a year since I last wrote on this blog. It’s been an interesting year of very little photography. I stopped. That need was gone. I stopped feeling that I had to document everything. Why? I don’t know. Perhaps that was something I needed to get out of my system to begin properly. Like writing some pages to throw away, for practice.

Or perhaps I’m growing as a person (!). I was a bridesmaid for my friend and couldn’t take any photos during the wedding or reception. I was in the action, not observing it, the photography was completely out of my hands. So, for a change, I was present in the experience, rather than seeing it through a viewfinder. I think that did me good. I certainly remember the wedding more.

There are some images that still grab me. So I will still take pictures, but with a more careful, considered approach. I want to keep photographing things that feel important, but also to make room for other creative avenues. If photography took over my life, it would leave little room for collage, textures, knitting, craft or crochet.

I’ve been getting into a situation of thinking I must specialise, that I have to have something that is ‘my thing‘. I wondered what I’d make a documentary about and couldn’t think of just one subject. But I have to get that, for me, that is right, and good. I need all these things to be part of the overall creative thing.

So I’m taking a different approach, I’m branching out. I’ve started a ’scrapbook’ of other people’s work for inspiration and to keep track of work I like. It’s quite large already, go and take a look.

I’m also going to try and do something every week, to create something new. Having constraints of time, or materials can be really useful, particularly for the indecisive person [I don't know who I mean.] So you can help me out. I’ve set up a form where you can submit ideas, suggestions, words, whatever. Like ‘blue’, or ‘mice under the stairs’, or ‘bake me a cake, bitch’. (OK, maybe not that. Although I do bake. I also eat.) And every week, I can pick from the list and tell you what I’m going to work on, with how I’m going to do it or something. Then I’ll have to show you how I choose what I do and what I’ve done, or whatever. Who knows yet?

Tags: i have to take pictures, project