Sunday Scroll – Richard Schulz

Scope creep.

Projects of any nature tend to evolve.

continuous or uncontrolled growth in a project’s scope, generally experienced after the project begins.

The definition above explains scope creep. I found out about this while working as a freelancer. The first client I worked with needed a website for his real estate business. After a few months the requests started to become a bit more ridiculous. Add this, change that. If you hear someone say “I want it like Windows” you know you’re in for a rough ride.

Scope creep to boost creativity.

I sat down and thought about the good VS the bad of scope creep. This morning as I was having my coffee I checked myself and wondered: Why write about the bad, focus on the good.

Think of scope creep as breaking boundaries. It takes us outside of the creative constraints. A different route. Letting creativity run wild…is never a bad thing. This is where new ideas come from. Whatever comes into your mind re. your photos / photo project, write it down. Make notes. Let inspiration take over.

I was working through the images of my Apartments project and thought about single windows within the photos. These are often windows which stand out – your eyes drawn to them immediately. And what if I edited them in a 1:1 ratio?

Here is an example of how a single window stands out from the rest. Curtains wide open in the evening. Most of the other windows in the photo have their curtains drawn. Perhaps a free spirit knowing you can’t see into the windows on the 3rd floor (2nd floor).

Same thing in this image. A complete opposite of what is going on around it.

The small details in this crop are interesting. Slivers of light coming in through some of the curtains which haven’t been closed completely. Two windows down you can see burglar bars in front of the windows. In the very foreground you can see thing horizontal lines – electrified fences on top of the wall running around the complex.

Limits on creativity.

This might seem like blasphemy. I mean creativity should run rampant right? Strike while the iron is hot and just keep going until it starts getting cold.

Yes & No.

Yes because creativity doesn’t always strike when we want it to. No because I think straying to far from your original idea might bring in variations which you didn’t anticipate. More effort into your art for less results. (but maybe art and creating shouldn’t be about results?)

When you set out on exploring the extent of a project look at your original idea. Does the new direction help or hinder your efforts? Can the new direction stand on its own, perhaps a new project?

Questions of this nature is important.

tl;dr

Boundaries are important but they shouldn’t constrict creativity. It is down to the individual to decide how far they venture into the unknown of creativity. If you’re currently working on a project, how do you stop scope creep from distracting you?

Thanks for reading : )

For passion.

A bird sitting on a telephone wire. Foreground is meta loop which forms a frame around the bird and telephone pole. — Lined up.

A stormy afternoon.

Light rain fell down and this turned into a downpour which lasted about an hour; maybe two. The stormy weather rounded off the work week. Between writing I am watching Sicario. Instead of trying to focus on what’s new at the moment I often revisit some older favorites.

I’ve been thinking a lot about photography and writing.

Mostly how I can turn this into additional income. I’ve had a few internal struggles about this. Can a hobby turned job still be fulfilling? Can I handle the jump from the one to the other? Will I still enjoy photography on the days where I’m not taking photos for a client?

These are some of the questions going around my mind.

I concluded that if I am still asking questions perhaps it might not be a bad idea to at least try and see where it will lead me. Am I thinking quit 9-to-5 and hit the streets running?

No. I’m probably going to post a few cautious adverts online and see what sticks. Hand out a few business card here and there. I’ve recently connected with a business which can facilitate payments so selling photos aren’t off the table completely.

But why?

A bird flying in the right hand side of the image. Background is a cloudy sky. — Bird against the cloudy sky.

I thought about this a bit and one things keeps sticking out in my mind.

Photography makes me feel alive. Happy. Grounded in reality. Present in the moment. Feel free to use your own synonym.

Not in the sense that bungee jumping or skydiving would make you feel. It’s not a rush of adrenaline. It’s a strong desire to keep doing something I enjoy. I enjoy the moments behind the camera. What comes after is what I enjoy more: seeing the results, thinking about what I captured. It gets my brain working and thinking about the next time, the next photo. This makes me feel and think about possibilities.

Perhaps life isn’t as difficult as I imagine it to be. It might not be as overwhelming. Would I enjoy making money from the photos I take or being a photographer, even part time? Definitely. Shit, who wouldn’t enjoy their hobby making them money.

Yet the more I think about it – one thing keeps appearing to me as a beacon. Yes, money from photography will help. But at this point in my life I’m looking for some type of purpose. Go to work. Go back home. Sit in front of a computer browsing YouTube. I don’t want this type of routine.

I want to something with purpose. With passion. Something to consume me. I want to do something which matters to me.

Even if there is no financial reward involved.

Thanks for reading : )

Zoom blur.

It has been a few weeks since I took photos of the apartment complex I chose for a photo project. I’ve been eager to get back into the swing of things and a public holiday gave me the perfect opportunity.

While taking photos I thought about the zoom blur technique. At this point I’m already busy with long exposure photography so why not try this. What could I lose?

I’m using an 18-55mm kit lens on my Canon. As you’ll see in the image above the light to the left shows some shakiness as the rotation of the zoom isn’t as smooth as I hoped it would be. The result however is still really good looking.

While I was busy with the a car drove past and you can see it’s light trails going past.

I leave you with another two images from the night, both long exposure but without the zoom blur effect.

Long exposure photograph of an apartment complex. — Long exposure with light trails.

Thanks for reading : )

Forget the world exists.

Dive deep into the quiet. – Image found on Pinterest.

“Burn down everything.”

I was out for my routine, mind-preparing coffee today. While sipping at the cappuccino and marveling at a variety of things I started thinking about the week ahead and this post.

It’s been a crazy week in the world.

Political assassination. Governments collapsing. If you really had the time you rewrite Billy Joel’s “We didn’t start the fire” with the events going on around us at the moment. A fast browse on YouTube or any social media channel makes you negative fairly quickly, draining the will to create.

While I was busy making some notes I noticed how quiet it got in my mind. Yes, I was in the middle of a slightly busy restaurant / shopping mall but nothing bothered me at this point. While writing and sipping my coffee I lost track of the surrounding distractions. It brought up the following thought:

Find stillness.

As a part-time creative (hobby creative if you will?) we have to navigate wisely. Our time is limited so when we do have an opportunity to be creative we have to focus as much as possible. No, I’m not trying to sell you something to maximize your time. I mean we shouldn’t focus on the things which don’t contribute to our creativity.

It is easy to become despondent and think “Why do I even try?” And in these times we compare ourselves to others, conveniently forgetting each of us have a different set of circumstances resulting in different outcomes.

Finding stillness focuses mostly on a time where you cut away from the excess of the world. The news, the social media channels. The politics of everything.

Find time to create – even if it is something small. The one photo which gives you inspiration. The single paragraph you write which over time completes a newsletter draft or perhaps a novel / short story. Make time for this. It’s vital if you want to somehow escape the rat race. Even if it is only for an hour while sitting in a coffee shop.

Thanks for reading : )

A simple life.

An overcast sky as backdrop against a telecoms tower. — A windy morning.

I sat at a coffee shop earlier this morning.

People walking past, people inside talking about a variety of things. When I find myself in these positions I tend to be very contemplative about life. I’m not the extroverted type personality who will ask people to be quiet. And in this instance I couldn’t even if I wanted to.

It is a public space after all.

So with my easy cappuccino a third of the way finished I thought to myself: how do I drown out this noise? And as these rabbit holes tend to work the more I thought the deeper I went.

How do I tie this in with photography?

I read through a post on Zen Habits. The title From Chaos to Calm: My Journey to a Simple Life.

As a photographer it is easy (sometimes necessary) to take a lot of photos. But if we focused on quality VS quantity how would it benefit our photography?
Is it important to capture literally everything we see?
Capture, edit, post. An endless cycle if we get caught up in the social media current. What if we learned to breathe around our photos? Let them sit and work on getting them shared at a later stage.
If you didn’t capture an image your really wanted is your whole day a failure? Focus on being content with the work you do.
Savor life just as it is. I enjoy this point because I struggle with comparison. Other’s have better areas for street photography thus my photos aren’t good. If I don’t have ___ subscribers it’s not worth writing. These types of things rob us of enjoyment. We hate on others and in the process neglect our own work. You might not have the same circumstance as another writer / photographer but you can make the best of your surroundings.

tl;dr

I still go through these motions today. Disliking my photography & writing because of external motivations.

It’s a natural inclination to compare. It’s how we strive forward and push ourselves to become a better version. But if it starts to make us negative and perceive others’ as “lucky” I think there lies a problem with our thinking.

If you’re reading this on a Sunday I hope it’s a good one for you.

Thanks for reading : )

Sunday Round-up

An apartment block at night in the mist. — Foggy.

It’s been a few days.

Between work, writing and trying to take photos my days seem to blur into one messy things. The funk I found myself in a few weeks ago seems to be slowly going away and my energy levels are getting back to where they were. Perhaps the end of winter has something to do with it.

As I type this I’m working on a new interview, adding the final touches to a finished one and thinking of how I can change or rather improve on my existing writings for the newsletter.

A few thoughts have come across my mind surrounding my newsletter.

The idea of building community. I have less ambition to pursue the goal of getting paid subscribers. It would take away my pleasure I derive from writing. It has always served as an outlet for me, long before the idea of subscribers came into my mind. Switching from an outlet to an income based activity would most likely kill it for me.
Focus on interviews. Not because they get more view but because I find them to be an interesting process. Reading through the newsletters of photographers, looking through their photos. Approaching them and putting together the questions. This whole process is a good thing for me. In learning about other people I tend to discover more about myself. It sounds like a line from a self-help book but it gives me writing a purpose. I think it also fits well into the point above about community building.

Speaking of interviews, I’m leaving links below where you can find the last few I did with photographers on Substack.

Alicia from The Daily Film Project

Edition Fifty Eight by Richard Schulz

An interview with Alicia Paley from The Daily Film Project

Read on Substack

Berkay from Lightgrain

Edition Fifty Seven by Richard Schulz

An interview with Berkay from @lightgrain

Read on Substack

Suzi from Suziinframe

Edition Fifty Five by Richard Schulz

An interview with Suzi from @suziinframe

Read on Substack

Dan from Okayfoto

Edition Fifty Three by Richard Schulz

An interview with @okayfoto

Read on Substack

Steven from Out There

Edition 50 by Richard Schulz

An interview with Steven Thomas from Out There.

Read on Substack

Very talented people doing interesting things with their photography. And more importantly building the community of photographers on Substack.

tl;dr

Often we find ourselves in a place we don’t enjoy.

This can be a life situation, a work situation, a relationship. We want to solve this problem now. As I’ve discovered over the past month, sometimes it is best to let these things sort themselves out. Our propensity to rush towards solutions doesn’t always work out.

Thanks for reading : )

Being frustrated with the status quo.

A close up photo of a cup of coffee. — Afternoon coffee.

I recently moved my desk into a different room and as I type this the winter sun is right on my face. It’s a nice distraction and it helps to warm up the chilly afternoon. Sundays are mostly spent on distraction. YouTube videos, reading Substacks and browsing the internet.

This calms me down and gets me ready for the week ahead.

During the past few weeks the thoughts of taking my photography professional [or at least semi professional] has been on my mind a lot. I’d like to get into food photography. Today as I sat with a steaming bowl of instant noodles and a cup of coffee the urge to take photos of my food made me reconsider. You know the feeling when you get swept up in something? Rush to find a tripod, switching from the kit lens to a 50 mm with an extension tube. The sun light just perfect. No need for the external flash.

It’s the feeling we get when doing something we enjoy. So much we become distracted from everything else around us. For a few minutes or hour or however long we aren’t focused on the present. The problems. The difficulty.

I’m not under any illusions around this. Finding clients, taking photos under different circumstances and for money isn’t a ‘fun’ thing. It wouldn’t be how I normally take photos.

My biggest reason for doing this would be to effect some change in my life. At the moment things are fairly static. I have a routine set up which is strangling my creative side. Not enough creative outlet. Hence the urge to do something creative with my photography. Is this the only creative thing I could do? No. But it is also in part the idea of looking for a challenge. Can I do this? Is it possible for me to go out, find a client, take photos for them.

I’m looking for growth in my photography. Not the static, stagnant photos I capture on my way to work. I’m curious to see how my skills will match up in a ‘real world’ situation.

We’ve all found ourselves at a point like this. The urge to do something different. Being frustrated with the status quo in our lives.

I leave you with two more photos: the first one is a close up of the bowl of noodles which re-awakened this existential crisis and the second is another of the apartment complex which I photograph as part of an ongoing photo project.

A close up photo of a bowl of instant noodles. — Noodles.

A set of apartments in an apartment complex. A light trail runs in front of the buildings. — A motorcycle going by.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your Sunday : )

Reset.

This particular draft has been lying in wait for at least four months.

Last edited 4 months ago.

In a way this is a taunt. The backend of a blogging platform mocking me. Showing me how much, or how little, a piece of writing can matter. Showing me how quickly time can go by and we can still hammer on one thing we want to do “one day”.

A key component to the things we do, particularly our hobbies, is time. Without time you can’t to anything. If you’re constantly working then you’re out of luck. Somewhere in the mad dash from 9-5, dealing with life, etc-etc you need to squeeze off some time if you are looking to pursue a hobby.

For the moment, forget about why you want to pursue this hobby. Each person has their own why and the purpose of this isn’t to find your why.

Over the past month I have been in a state of discontent. I won’t lie here – I am just not happy with how my life is proceeding at the moment. I have some of the basics down – job, income. But that’s it. I have nothing challenging me. The job I work is routine. Mundane. And it also occupies large chunks of me time. Too much for me.

For me, or for any creative, the problem is the discontent I feel has spilled into my photography & writing. Photography & writing, or your chosen art / hobby isn’t a standalone component of life. It is part of your life.

So when unhappiness, sadness, boredom, lack of interest drifts into you life it often seeps in. In my case it has seeped into my photos. It is there when I want to go out and take photos. I think “I’m not really in mood this morning” although I haven’t been out with my camera for a proper photography outing in months.

I think “What is the point of this?” when I know what the point is. It isn’t about the accolades, subs, likes, shares, restacks. No. I’ve moved past it, mostly. It doesn’t bother me if no one likes me writing. It doesn’t bother me if no-one likes my photos. If all my work fades into obscurity and you never hear from me again it’s fine.

But it bothers me when I don’t enjoy photography. It bothers me when I cannot find something worthwhile to write about. Writing and photography two of the few things in my life which keeps me going. If I let go of them I give in to the grind. If I snuff out the flames for these two passions, what do I have left?

This morning I sat down, after thinking about this for days on end. This way or that way. What to do. Where to turn.

I need a reset. Start from zero.

A different approach to my life. Because the mindset I have now isn’t good. It’s negative. It is depressing. I look at all the negative shit before I think about all the upsides. This is not a manifesto. It is not a call to arms. Nothing like that.

It’s a man struggling with life. And choices. It’s a person finding themselves in a difficult situation. Uncertainty about the future. Not sure about what will happen in the next month or two or six. We all have these from time to time. No one lives a life without some form of turbulence.

Here’s where the reset aspect is coming in. Take a step away from the rush of my photography and writing. Create a routine which allows me to manage things better.

Focus on my mental health. Crucial. I’ve been depressed for a large part of my adult life and the feeling isn’t anything new. Yet as I grow older I understand how dangerous a depressed mind can be. Soon you find yourself caring about nothing – what then?

Physical health. The last time I visited a gym was in 2024. After I lost my job in January ’24 I cancelled my contract. I loved the gym. The improvement, the people I met, the escape it offered was a huge part of my life. For the first two months after no gym I felt lost. I have some dumbbells at home and I could probably do bodyweight exercises but I don’t always feel like doing it.

tl;dr

It isn’t easy to turn a hobby into a financially viable thing. And if you managed to do it, how long before it becomes just another job to do?

Not everyone who throws their hat into the ring succeeds.

Perhaps the idea of working as a photographer / writer is a bit far fetched. It’s definitely not for everyone. Life doesn’t always work out how we’d like it to. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to do this – congratulations. If you haven’t been able to do this, or perhaps you feel this isn’t the path for you it’s okay.

Do photography as a hobby. Write for yourself. Find something else which holds your interest. Find something which truly makes you feel alive. Take photos on the weekend and enjoy writing whenever you find time.

Thanks for reading : )

A few photos from my morning walk.

Sunday morning.

A walk into town always leaves me feeling ready for the week ahead. It is probably the solitude which makes me enjoy this so much. Recharges my batteries drained by many face-to-face interactions. The birds chirping and cold air letting me know winter isn’t over by a long shot.

Early mornings also allow me to capture some beautiful silhouettes of objects in the neighborhood. A street lamp standing around idly. The palm tree just behind it. I am not 100% sure whether it’s a palm tree.

Street lamp silhouette against the sky. — Street lamp.

On a Sunday morning, this early, you’re hard pressed to find anyone on the street. And when you do find someone you know there is a purpose. To go to work. To head into town. On a Sunday you don’t want to be on the road unless you have to be somewhere. A busy week deserves a quiet ending.

A water tower.

Quiet observer as I walk past. It doesn’t ask any questions as I shoot it from the hip. The small camera struggling to focus but eventually gets there. It really needs the light. I also discovered thick gloves are great for keeping your fingers warm but not so great when operating a camera with tiny buttons.

The apartment complex I pass on my way home. Early morning sun cascading into the windows. It’s still quiet outside and I suspect many residents are still asleep. The church opposite the complex getting ready for the morning’s proceedings.

The last stop before I head to a coffee shop to end my weekly routine. This morning I didn’t find any coffee. Only gospel music played as loudly as possible. While I sat in the sun I thought about the road ahead for my Substack, about the week ahead at work and about my ideas of doing food photography.

I hope you’re having [ or had ] a relaxing Sunday. I’ve moved my computer into a smaller room which I hope will help me with creativity. Let’s called it an office for a lack of a better word.

Thanks for reading : )

Starting something.

A photo of a lit sign for a business. — City in lights.

It’s been a cold few days here.

The chilblains on most of my fingers tend to suffer on these days. Last winter I had them for the first time in more than two decades. This is probably the downside of early mornings in the winter. A freezing wind tearing at your clothing hoping to find a way in.

The photo might look familiar. It’s a spot where I wait to get a few snacks to eat before work starts. In the distance [to the left] you can see a church steeple. One ironic thing about this town is the amount of churches you can find here. This neighborhood where the photo is taken has 3 within a 1km (1.6mile) radius. I’m not sure whether this is due to the factions within religion or just a case of catering for communities.

As I write this previous realizations are confirmed – I write much better when looking photos I took. The one below is in the street where I live. Just above the horizon you can see the light crescent of the moon. It might be a coincidence but on the colder mornings the moon is right up there – almost mocking me as I head to work.

A car passed and the red tail lights disappeared down the street where the cold darkness swallowed them. This type of silence and peace is something I truly enjoy in the mornings.

A dark early morning with a streetlamp illuminating the scene. — A light in the dark.

On my way into town this morning a light fog was hanging over a stream. It lies in a hollow and as the fog rises it covers the houses in a creepy blanket until the sun pops out from behind the horizon.

A light fog hanging over a stream. Houses on the horizon covered within the fog. — Slight fog.

Starting a photography business.

I’ve been thinking about doing food photography as a means of supplementing my income. Anyone who has been doing this knows how quickly something you enjoy doing can become a job.

This isn’t the first time my thoughts have drifted in this direction. Since I started doing photography it has been at the back of my mind. At the very least something I revisited at least once a month. Even if it is just briefly.

Initially I had the idea of taking photos and quitting my day job. The modern rat race is something I would love to escape [ wouldn’t we all? ]. Yet even the most focused entrepreneur will tell you this isn’t as easy. Starting a business, even a small business, takes a lot more than just saying “Let’s take photos for money”.

The process of getting clients and everything involved with it isn’t easy. You need to do the work – take photos, pitch to potential clients, edit, get your website / storefront updated, etc etc. It doesn’t end.

It is really easy for this to become another day job. Something you dread or dislike.

Thinking about this possibility – for a passion to turn into a job – it might help to think about this: at the very least, even though it might be more work than something 9-5, it might not be as safe, stable or traditional – at least you’re doing something you’re passionate about.

But passion can’t pay the bills right off the bat. In some cases it never does. This shouldn’t stop one from trying. If you start with nothing, what have you got to lose in this situation? You may have to work the day job a bit longer before you can go out on your own. Or you do the day job and sell photos / do photography.

I’m mostly writing this to motivate myself.

To keep going when the results I want isn’t there. To keep going even if you’re not getting sales. This always sucks. But few people are successful the very first time.

TL;DR – keep going. Do what you enjoy when it comes to your photography. Whether it’s for fun, a hobby or for money.