Sometimes, however hard you try, there is simply no way you are going take that special picture. Things have a habit of getting in the way. Perhaps work, perhaps family. Perhaps during some festivity or other you are simply too busy or tied up to care about your photography.

Then guilt can set in. Occasionally you can feel ashamed of your behaviour and somehow berate yourself for letting slip something that has been your life. You have told friends and family about your love of photography and you have bought expensive digital equipment to show off your talents. Everyone and his proverbial dog knows that you are THE man (or woman) in photography – at least, in their world.

Yet suddenly you have a gap in your activity. A glitch, an emptiness.

And, yes, it can hurt. The feeling that you may have lost that spark. The feeling that you may have lost “face” amongst colleagues. The emptiness that you can feel when you are not busied with snapping the shutter, uploading to the computer, retouching the images, printing or otherwise sharing your talents.

Well, here is a message: “Don’t worry!”

There are many things that take over importance in your life. Being with friends and family is special and precious. Taking time out to laugh, be merry or simply relax is fine. Being able to simply switch off and go and do something else is just dandy.

It shouldn’t worry you. If you have a love of photography then you will soon be back to it. The potential images will still be there - the landscapes, the portraits, the action shots. The computer and other equipment will be ready and waiting, none the worse for you small diversion.

You don’t have to feel guilty either! We all need special times just for us and our nearest friends and relations. You are special in the same way that you believe you love of photography is special.

The likelihood is that you will return to your hobby with renewed vigour and enthusiasm. Perhaps fired up with new and exciting ideas.

And that means even greater images!

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com.

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