Who works outside in the heat? And has it affected your desire to shoot?

LuckySo-n-So

TPF Noob!
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Messages
448
Reaction score
0
Location
Baton Rouge, LA
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
I've been pretty inactive on this board lately (not that any of y'all have missed me--LOL). I haven't really had the desire or energy to shoot much of anything recently because once I get home from crawling around an attic or pulling wire in a non-air conditioned house all day, I am completely and utterly exhausted. All I can do is eat a little dinner and veg out in front of the TV until it's time to go to bed and then wake up and do it all over again.

Weekends are pretty much out because I have errands to do in the mornings and the evening "golden hour" is usually accompanied by a temp of 90+ degrees (that's 32 C for you Jerry :mrgreen:). In South Louisiana your shirt is soaked by the time you walk from your front door to your car this time of year.

This sucks. Lots of nice gear and no energy to use it. I think it's been two weeks since I released the shutter on my D90.

Anyone else deal with this? Or am I just not very motivated?
 
Go topless?
You may just have a bit of artist block.. i had that for about 7 months at one point ( graphic design)
 
I'm gonna go with the not motivated part as well. I ride my bicycle around in 100° heat. (commute to and from work 25 miles). I still want to shoot all the time.

BUT.. the humidity difference between So-Cal and Louisiana might make me change my mind if I was there instead of here.
 
For the past week, Vancouver's been hit by a heat wave. Around 32ºC all day or higher, and on top of that the humidity has gone through the roof (and Vancouver is already a very humid city). It's the latter that's really been killing me. I still want to go out to shoot, but I'm half Ukrainian and honestly not built for this weather (I'm also on meds that make me sweat more than I should, which makes things a little more miserable). That said, I've been going to every large event there is to shoot regardless of the weather that day (festivals, parades, etc.). And I'm still arranging photo shoots despite the heat, but when it comes to walking around just for the sake of finding something interesting, I'd rather stay home and read the Hot Shoe Diaries or something like that.

You might be able to help yourself a little with exhaustion at the end of the day. Take it real easy when you get off work, but don't get stuck by the TV. Instead just relax, take a nap, and eat something with lots of carbs when you wake-up. You might find yourself with enough energy to go out and shoot.
 
I've been pretty inactive on this board lately (not that any of y'all have missed me--LOL). I haven't really had the desire or energy to shoot much of anything recently because once I get home from crawling around an attic or pulling wire in a non-air conditioned house all day, I am completely and utterly exhausted. All I can do is eat a little dinner and veg out in front of the TV until it's time to go to bed and then wake up and do it all over again.

Weekends are pretty much out because I have errands to do in the mornings and the evening "golden hour" is usually accompanied by a temp of 90+ degrees (that's 32 C for you Jerry :mrgreen:). In South Louisiana your shirt is soaked by the time you walk from your front door to your car this time of year.

This sucks. Lots of nice gear and no energy to use it. I think it's been two weeks since I released the shutter on my D90.

Anyone else deal with this? Or am I just not very motivated?

I'll have to sympathize with you on this one. I have been in construction in one form or another for 22 years now. There have been times, especially in hotter humid weather, where I get home and it takes almost everything I have left just to stand upright in the shower. In the fall, everyone is busting ass to get things done before winter sets in, and it's nothing to put in 100+ hour weeks. Sometimes the camera may not see the light of day for over a month, but when it does get pulled out again, it's like finding an old friend. Don't feel bad, it goes in cycles.
 
i feel the opposite. i work in an office all day looking out from the 34th floor over the allegheney river. yea a great view for my office.... that only makes me wish i wasn't there. i feel way more exhausted coming home after a 10-12 hr day at the office than i did when i worked labor jobs. i used to work 4am-12pm at the golf course (grounds crew) then 1pm - 9pm as a mechanic. then i would either go out and drink or go out and shoot nightscapes of the city.

now i just take a couple days off work every month and go out and shoot.
 
I was wondering if you're replacing your lost fluids through out the day. Not just water but the other chemicals necessary to keep your body functioning properly. They call them electrolytes.
 
I was wondering if you're replacing your lost fluids through out the day. Not just water but the other chemicals necessary to keep your body functioning properly. They call them electrolytes.


I was going to suggest the same thing. This time of year, It's nothing to drain a 5 gallon water jug when I worked road construction per PERSON. Seems we had one guy always rotating water containers. I would have my own on top of the pavers and would kill a 2 gallon igloo myself 2-3 times a day on a 10-12 hour shift.

In the army, we'd have the guys drinking 1 quart an hour in this heat. And yes, you would have to force some of them to drink. but we wouldn't have anyone go down for heat injury either. Work/Rest plans would kick in and it would be 30 minute work to 30 minute rest. But it would also depend on wetbulb temps too.


Don't try to drink the water WHEN you are thirsty, it's too late, your body is already de-hydrated. You have a heavy day at work tomorrow, drink the water / electrolytes the night before. That way your body has a chance to absorb the stuff and get it to the muscle tissue where you really need it.
 
I'm gonna go with the not motivated part as well. I ride my bicycle around in 100° heat. (commute to and from work 25 miles). I still want to shoot all the time.

BUT.. the humidity difference between So-Cal and Louisiana might make me change my mind if I was there instead of here.
I've lived in So-Cal and I can tell you the 90 degrees and 80% percent humidy is worse than 100 degree heat by a long shot.

I'm in So La too. It's brutal. I work outside too and by 2 o'clock I'm completely drained.

When you get out of your car your lens fogs over and it takes ten minutes to clear up. I force myself to go out and shoot but it's miserable. Especially when bugs are biteing you neck and face. I don't even do heavy labor and my clothes soaking wet by 11 o'clock.
 
I spent 2 years in Dallas Texas...I know heat and I know humidity. It is more challenging and it is fully how I got into the habit of wearing a water bottle on my belt everywhere I went, when I needed to be outside.

90 degrees is not bad. 105 in the shade gets dangerous if you are not prepared. When it is so hot that your car sinks a good inch in the asphalt because of the heat... THAT is hot.

Just thinking about this one thought comes to my mind... "I love my Canadian winters". Our summers are not that hot, but we can hit the 90s now and then. My last wedding, the ceremony was in a tent and in the full sun... I was drenched before it was completed, but did it. A quick change of clothes after the formals and I was ready for the rest of the evening, which was much cooler.

It's not easy, but we do what we must and I do it with a smile. :)
 
I live in Australia so I know something about heat. We'll be out in 36degrees C regularly. I wish I was wearing a shirt too, no I have to wear fire retardant Nomex overalls, these are warm enough in the winter.

Eat right. Take the right breaks. Doing a 12 hour shift is easy as long as you do take several breaks to eat. Drinking water only gets you so far.
 

Most reactions

Back
Top