Allen,
Thank you for posting the collection of shots; there are some really interesting catches in there. I guess all outdoor photography comes down to a mixture of the planned and the serendipitous, with the balance varying with the photographer.
I'm not so sure about the 'use it or lose it' aspect, though, because I think if you have it, then it doesn't desert you; if anything, I think that the excitement grows when you find yourself back in action, and only with excitement is there enthusiasm, without which there's nothing, photographically speaking. But then, we both had/have photography as a living, so the attitude is possibly a bit more developed in us than in someone who just does it when the mood takes hold, so maybe more of an instant switch on/switch off mode resides within, with very little delay due to mental electronics!
I'd suggest that something you have going for you is geography, and hoping not to disturb an entire nest of PC wasps, here goes: you live in a country where there are many black people. To a white guy in another society, these people offer a sense of difference, the unknown, and also a possible - if imaginary - threat, making their capture on camera rather more exciting than catching just another white guy or woman. Another LuLa photographer, Seamus, over on the 'Critiques' side of this site's life, has recently posted some pics of black men in Barcelona. The sense of tension, distrust and implied threat is very powerful; those same shots, populated by whites, would still be strong, but for me, not half as much. As with commercial work, casting is key.
I can only admire folks who can put themselves in these situations because they want the picture, and not for money.
Thanks again,
Rob C
