I experienced something similar with Yellowstone (and wrote about it). The main issue for me was that family became more of a priority, coupled with sort of… an ambivalence, I could say. I would never say I got bored, but familiarity with a place and countless experiences led me to feel less urgency when I visited. I no longer stressed about missing great opportunities in what was still limited time in a place I’ve loved for two decades. Many people I know from the area misconstrued the point of the article… they looked at it as a criticism of the place and the constant increase in crowds and tourism. In reality, my own priorities had changed.
Recently, I have found that tackling the park from a new perspective (touched on in my recent Black and White article shared here on NPN) has reinvigorated me a little. There’s a bit more excitement getting out there, and it’s nice to have tangible goals hovering in the background to add extra motivation.
If you are confined to the same areas, then “finding a different take,” as the others have mentioned, may help. Branching out either artistically or technically—I’m not much of a gear head, but I feel like I should work more toward mastering macro, flash, and camera trapping for wildlife—may open up new avenues that could be surprisingly inspirational and intriguing.
And of course, it’s important to make sure this exploration remains personal initially. The important thing right now is finding new areas, subjects and styles that turn you on. You shouldn’t be worried about what a wider audience might think.
I fully understand the challenge of balancing family with shooting. I have cut back on my photography and travel noticeably to make family a priority, and sometimes even have to “force” myself to get out and take a picture (ahemNEOWISE). I sometimes have to convince myself that I must set aside time to get out and shoot, not just for the advancement of my art and business, but also for my own mental health.
Max