I like to wander through the second-hand bookstore – I'll often find something that I didn't know to look for. It's a process of serendipity and discovery, a time for trying out ideas and themes, and it's okay that I put most of them back. I've spent almost two years choosing books by the author's last names, working my way through the alphabet twice, and found some gems that I never would have experienced otherwise.
Occasionally I'll finish a book and go right back to the beginning. When I read it all over again I can pay attention to the details and structure in a way that wasn't possible when I didn't know the story, and can make a good work even better. The tradeoff is that I only have so much time, and lose some of the potential for stories that I don't know yet.
This is a lot like photography.
My "Lakefill" series is nearly complete. I can wrap it up and move on to the process of discovering my next idea, which is intimidating because there's no way of knowing if it will be any good. Or I could take what I've learned from the process of doing the work, add in some improved equipment, and re-do the whole thing for a better result. I give up completing anything now, and miss the potential opportunity to apply those same improvements and experiences to the next big thing.
I haven't yet decided what I'm going to do. I may even be delaying taking the critical look at my existing photos, and doing the work to evaluate the series, specifically to avoid having to make that call.
But when I finish reading a book, I usually just go back to my own bookshelves. That's my reserve of favourites to revisit and some stories that had caught my eye when I didn't have the time to pursue them. It's familiar, comfortable, and unsurprising – a nice refuge to have, but not something that I want for my photography.
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