I’ve been pondering this recently myself. I’ve been thinking of it in terms of “breakthroughs”. Sometimes it just clicks, what you’ve been practicing, thinking, learning comes together and you, almost by magic, produce something that is on a completely different level to previously. This is how I’ve been feeling about my work over the first few months of this year, I feel I’ve made several breakthroughs in quick succession and feel much more at ease with myself as a photographer.

At the same time, I’m currently having a short hiatus where I’m not shooting much (other commitments, etc) and I’m not shooting stuff I’m that happy with. Tht happens a lot – as you say, the peaks and troughs. This time though I’m not frustrated (anguished in fact!) about it as I normally am, I’m quite reflective and calm about it, knowing I’ll be back very soon pushing for the next breakthrough. This is probably how everyone is, but I have become very conscious of this ebb and flow in all areas of my life – work, hobbies, friends, etc – and I’ve started to embrace it rather than fight it which just proves impossible.

And ye, I have to visit a place twice to really get into it. I think this is partly driven by the need to “get something” (normally a picture postcard) first time around, pushing too hard, thinking too hard, listening to yourself more than what’s around you. The calm of a return allows you to breathe in the magic around you. Or something like that anyway…

I hope you have an awesome return trip to Easter Island, I’m sure it will be! My assault on my next peak starts tomorrow with a week on Arran.