The Camera Stays on the Table

For a month, Ellis had taken photographs every evening and posted his favourite one online. At first, the routine encouraged him to notice light and shapes. Soon, however, he was checking reactions more often than he was taking pictures. A quiet photograph with few comments could spoil his whole evening.

At his photography group, he mentioned the problem without expecting much help. Another member suggested making a series that would not be shared for six weeks. Ellis disliked the idea immediately, which made him curious. Was he practising photography, he wondered, or mainly practising how to attract attention?

He chose to photograph the same kitchen table at different times of day. Some evenings the camera stayed on the table because nothing interested him. On others, a shadow or an open newspaper gave him a reason to work. He kept notes about his choices rather than counting reactions from strangers.

After six weeks, he printed five pictures and brought them to the group. The discussion focused on what had changed between them. Ellis later posted one image online, but left the others in a small folder at home. He had not stopped sharing his work. He had simply stopped treating every practice session as something that needed an audience.