Somewhere along the endless highways of commercial photography, you can lose yourself.
 You chase deadlines, trends, and invoices like a donkey chasing a green carrot—always just out of reach.
 The joy that once sparked your every shutter click becomes a checklist. You become lost, having a “ where did I put my glasses?” moment, when all the while they’re hanging around your neck… You search frantically for that original, simple vision that first made you pick up a camera.
For me, oddly enough, that rediscovery came through boiled peanuts.
Every year, my county hosts a small rodeo. Nothing fancy—no grand arena lights or celebrity cowboys.
Just dust, leather, families, and the smell of funnel cakes lingering in the late afternoon air.
On a whim, I decided to go—not for work, not for portfolio pieces—just to shoot.
But this time, I left behind all my heavy gear, my endless settings, my “professional expectations.”
 One simple camera. One simple lens. Everything set on auto.
 It wasn’t a technical exercise; it was a soul exercise.
At first, I wandered aimlessly through the crowd, half-lost in the noise of it all. Then I saw it: a small hand-painted sign…I was struck

“Boiled Peanuts.”

Something about that moment unlocked the place around me—the real place, not the one I’d frame neatly for a client. I started seeing everything differently:
The creased faces of ranchers, the wide-eyed wonder of kids in cowboy boots two sizes too big, the slow, golden drift of dust in the setting sun.
 It wasn’t about shooting for them anymore.
It was about seeing for me again.
That day reminded me:
 Photography, and maybe life itself, isn’t always about mastering the complex.
It’s about surrendering to the simple.
It’s not the big stages, the expensive gear, or the prestigious assignments that shape you—it’s the boiled peanut moments.
The small, quiet, overlooked things that reconnect you to why you started in the first place.
And no, for the record, I still don’t like boiled peanuts.
 But I’m forever grateful for the sign that pointed me home.

See Hometown Rodeo

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Are You Feeling Burned Out as a Photographer? Here’s How I Found New Inspiration.
Have you ever been out shooting, only to find yourself staring at your camera screen, feeling like you just can’t capture anything fresh or exciting? It’s as if you’re stuck in a creative rut, snapping what seems like “just pictures.” I know I’ve been there—feeling burned out and uninspired by the very thing I love most. But then something clicked for me, something simple, and it completely reignited my passion for photography.
The answer? It was seeing in a different light.

My Turning Point : A Day at the County Fair:
It all started on a seemingly ordinary day. I decided to visit the local County Fair. Now, if you’re thinking, “Well, that’s not anything new,” you’re absolutely right. There’s nothing groundbreaking about a County Fair. But that’s exactly why I chose it—because it wasn’t new. It was the perfect setting to push myself creatively without the pressure of expectations.
I didn’t go with any big plans in mind. No grand ideas or concepts—just a simple day of shooting for fun. Normally, I’d pack a camera bag with two camera bodies, a selection of lenses, and a bunch of accessories. But this time, I wanted to do something different. I was tired of hauling all that gear around. So, I made a bold decision: I grabbed my smallest camera, the Fujifilm XT20. It’s a little underrated gem, and it’s been one of my favorite travel cameras. I paired it with just one lens: the versatile 18-50mm, plus a cheap, manual-focus Rokinon 12mm lens.

Here’s the kicker—I didn’t want to think too much about settings, apertures, or the usual technical decisions we photographers tend to obsess over. I set the camera to Auto mode (I know, I know—sacrilege, right?). I wanted freedom. I wanted to shoot with no constraints, no self-imposed rules, just pure creative expression. And what better place to do that than a fair? The sights, sounds, and colors were everywhere, just waiting to be captured.

The Power of Post-Processing: A Fresh Perspective
After the fair, I eagerly uploaded the photos to my computer, excited to relive the experience. But, to be honest, I wasn’t blown away. Most of the shots were, well… just okay. There wasn’t anything particularly special about them. But then, I decided to play around with post-processing—nothing drastic, just a few tweaks in light and shadows. And that’s when the magic happened.
I started experimenting with color grading and created a new color profile I called “Candy Color.” It was an unexpected shift, but suddenly, those ordinary fair photos transformed. The dull, everyday shots gained depth, vibrancy, and a whole new life. Colors popped. Details stood out. And I saw something different—something I hadn’t seen before. This simple, playful adjustment in post-processing gave me a completely new perspective on my work. The fair, which I thought would be just another photography exercise, had now become a treasure trove of creative potential.

What I Learned: It’s Not What You See, But How You See It
The lesson here isn’t about using expensive gear or the latest editing software—it’s about seeing the world differently. I didn’t need to capture anything extraordinary; I just needed to look at the ordinary in a new way. Changing the color palette brought fresh energy to something familiar.
For any photographer out there feeling stuck or uninspired, I encourage you to do the same. Go out and shoot, but don’t be afraid to experiment with your post-processing. Try creating your own color profiles, adjust the shadows and highlights, or play with filters. You might just discover that the most common places and subjects can yield extraordinary results when seen through a different lens.
Realize that photography is not just about what’s in front of you—it’s about how you choose to see it. Don’t get bogged down by the “rules” or the pressure to capture something groundbreaking. Instead, allow yourself the freedom to explore, create, and transform the everyday into something magical. Sometimes, all it takes is a shift in perspective to reignite your creative spark.

See more of the Fair here

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Mark Twain once said….“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

If that’s true, I am going for more of the cure and thankfully so. I travel every chance I can get and afford! So here I am on route once again, this time guess where, for the first time.

Love fish and chips, ale, and cider planning on not only tasting it but photographing it as well, along with the usual sites, but using my new pallet “Candy Color” which you can read about here:

Subscribe to either blog and follow me. Along the way I share experiences, photography, some insight, a little humor, and lessons from my life that might apply to yours.

#matthewpace#photography#travel#CandyColor#myOtherBlog

What activities bring out being American with two words…( no not that )….it’s Baseball and Rodeos. The Universe speaks, often in a language, that as a photographer, I should be able to understand. It’s visual and some of the things you see, when you are receptive, have your name on it. Driving out into the country I was going over my move here to Leesburg Florida. Some time had passed since settling in and the need to re-connect with my camera was increasing. I asked if I still could when through the introspective fog, it appeared….

RODEO : Friday Night. ……A sign, no on a sign, but still a sign and I was going! I put the camera on full Auto, didn’t want any distraction with dials, knobs and settings. Off I went to get re-baptized. I mixed in with the crowd, and of course the cowboys… just call me Tex. They might have called me something else but it didn’t matter as I was shooting the bull, no pun intended.

In the middle of the backfield happenings, A clown appeared in front of me.

“Do you know what the oldest sport event in the U.S. is?” he asked…

” Baseball?” I replied…

” No….Rodeo ! ” he said and that’s when I felt we had switched places. Not sure if he was right but I re-connected and you can see more at

https://www.matthewpace.com/portfolio/G0000wj0.SUsg5GE

#Rodeo#Cowboys#matthewpace

It’s no surprise that here in Florida a lot of cars and SUVs are white…mine is and so was the one parked next to it. In a frantic morning, packages in hand, I hurried out of the store reviewing my receipt. Opening the door ,I started getting in and heard

” You’re in the wrong car “

Balancing my packages, I repeated over and over how sorry I was until I realized the woman who was sitting in the driver’s seat was a Cop, in full outfit. Like a deer in the headlights I froze for the moment and I blurted out..

” jeeze, you can say that again! “

We looked at each other and started to laugh. She told me of a similar event that happened to her. Lucky for me she was watching me with that fog around my head. She judged no threat and took no action that might have prevented me from writing this…good judgement, good police work !