It's a photographer's job to capture moments in a way that captivates us and holds our attention. Achieving that goal isn't always easy. Actually, it's rarely easy. A lot of thought and inspiration goes into a great photograph (and sometimes a hint of luck), but many times you lose your inspiration.

This has happened to me countless times, both in photography and my personal life. Most recently, I got into such a funk when I was on vacation in San Diego. I didn't think I was taking very good photos because I felt uninspired. I didn't have any ideas about what I wanted to capture. My brother, Casey, told me to switch my lens. I was reluctant to do this because I was sure that I would capture better shots with my longer lens. Regardless, I did what he said and switched to a wider lens.

I looked through the viewfinder and almost immediately, I had a vision of the images I wanted to create, and all I did was change my lens.

We all will experience many ruts in our lives. They're unavoidable sometimes. If you find that you are in a rut, try changing your perspective. If the big picture is stressing you out, focus on the smaller, easier steps. If the many little steps are pressuring you, step back and look at the big picture.

You can always get out of a rut. Maybe all you need to do is change your lens.

∆ Abbi