I dunno what exactly happened to me and DA ... I've been keeping myself busy with more or less useful stuff lately (rather less useful than anything though), web sites, playing PS2 games (GT4 & GTA:SA mainly), (occasionally) studying ... and a whole bunch of other things. Plus, I just don't feel inspired anymore ... or I didn't for a long time. Moving away from Paris to anywhere will mess up your inspiration I think. I also think any completely unoriginal moron with a paintbrush or a camera could produce decent art when in Paris. It's just too easy, too many things around you that are too beautiful to mess up. The trick is to make them even more beautiful than they already are, I guess.
So now I find myself in this North American metropolis cement block hell .... And it's not even like New York where it's so overwhelming that it's in fact quite easy to create great art again ... the New York-ish part of toronto is just too small. And it seems like such a random mix of styles ... a New-York-Like downtown, 1700's buildings in the University area, subdivision-style town houses, run down industrial areas - it's all there, just, it's not focused on any of it really. I need to figure out a way of focussing my own attention on one of them I guess.

Also, I've been thinking, and I've come to the realisation that there's two main categories in the pictures I take/took ... the ones where I changed the subject to something that would make for good composition, an interesting subject, lots of meaning or whatever, and then those where I just went around and tried to capture something given in the best way possible. (I'm not going to go move around gravestones for better composition just yet) ... Now they both have their advantages and drawbacks ... and I'm thinking I wanna side for one of them. I just don't know which I'm better at, and most importantly, I don't know which one I enjoy more, really. I just feel like I could use some more focus in what I do, rather than doing some of EVERYTHING.
I guess the altered model technique has the advantage of me having tons more influence on the image, having much more of a say in what's going on ... but at the same time, the "given subject" approach seems to always end up with a more realistic final product ... could be just me, but that's how I'm perceiving it at the moment.

Time to ponder ... heh
And also, I want my Mamiya back. That thing made me enjoy taking "artistic" photos so much more than any of the other cameras I own ... it just feels like more of a tool than a toy. Agh ... why'd I leave it in Europe w/ my parents where no one uses it?!

Anyways ... Enough of the random blabbering ... the girlfriend is refusing to wake up, so I'm gonna get on that right now, plus, my smoker's duty calls again ... I'm going to start with some photos soon I'm sure ... i'm itching to, and i have been since a long time, anyway ... Ah well.