No photos for one year

I went to take a photo of a scene during a recent ride and discovered that my camera was not working. I carry a small pocket camera that takes great photos. I also have a DSLR, but it is so big I never take it anywhere. So now I need a new camera. I have found one, and it is $700. I am ready to pull the trigger. Then I pause… why do I want to take photos so badly… and most importantly, why do I have to have a quality camera?

I am backing out of the purchase, at least for now. I think I will go on a journey to see why I have let cameras dominate my life. They cost money, and dealing with the results is VERY time-consuming. In one ride, I can take 300 photos, and then it takes me 4 hours to sort them and find the ones I like. Then I like to process them and share them in blogs and online. I waste so much time on something that is not my job. It makes me no money. Why do I do it? Do I use it to hide from other things? Is it an expensive distraction? Am I hiding behind a lens?

So I am thinking about not taking another photo for one year. This way, my photography fast will uncover my true desires and passions. I will understand more why I do it as I withdraw from it. If in a year I still want to do it and can rationalize why, I will pick it up again. This will either make or break my blogging. I mean, I am not a good writer, so I don’t know if I can pull off blogging without visual aid. But then again, this blog’s purpose is therapeutic for me, like this one, helping me to try and understand my passions.