Riding the Struggle Bus: When Routine Photography Sessions Go Off the Rails
As photographers, we often fall into a rhythm with our work. Day in and day out, we know our subjects, our equipment, and our surroundings like the back of our hand. Shooting and editing become second nature, and before long, muscle memory takes over. It’s a place of comfort and confidence—one where we know exactly what to expect and how to handle whatever comes our way. But every now and then, even the most seasoned photographers find themselves riding the struggle bus, where the smallest issue can derail an entire session.
This morning was one of those days for me. I had everything lined up for what should have been a routine session. My 600mm f/4 lens was ready, the location was perfect, and I knew exactly which subjects I was hoping to capture. It’s a scenario I’ve played out countless times before. But today, things didn’t go as smoothly as planned.
The trouble started when I took my lens from an air-conditioned environment out into the warm, humid morning. Here in Arizona, we have very few days where the humidity is high enough to cause this issue. Over the past few days, some monsoonal moisture had arrived, and I wasn't paying attention to the humidity levels. Within moments, of pulling the lens out of the case, it completely fogged over— a situation in which I wasn’t fully prepared to handle. I quickly realized that I didn’t have proper lens wipes with me, and the lens cloth I did have wasn’t doing the job. Instead of clearing the fog, it left behind a thin layer of oily film on the front element of my lens. Just like that, what should have been a minor inconvenience turned into a major source of frustration
Even after I managed to get rid of the fog, the film made it nearly impossible to get a clear shot. And as the frustration built, tasks that I usually perform without a second thought—like mounting and balancing the lens on my gimbal head—suddenly became a struggle. Every little thing felt like a challenge, and my usual workflow was completely disrupted.
It’s easy to let days like this get the best of you. After all, we pride ourselves on our ability to handle whatever comes our way, to adapt and overcome. But sometimes, the struggle bus arrives, and there’s no avoiding it. What’s important in these moments isn’t the frustration itself, but how we choose to handle it.
Pushing through these challenges is never easy, but it’s essential for growth. When everything seems to be going wrong, it’s tempting to throw in the towel and call it a day. But if we take a step back and approach the situation with a clear head, we can often find a way to salvage the session—or at the very least, learn something valuable from the experience.
For me, that meant taking a moment to breathe and reassess the situation. Yes, the fog and the oily film were frustrating, but they were also a reminder that preparation is key. In the end the humidity dropped and I was able to finally clear enough of the film off of the lens to get some decent shots. Next time, I’ll make sure to have proper lens wipes on hand and take extra care to adapt my equipment to the environmental conditions. It’s a small adjustment, but one that could make all the difference in future sessions.
The struggle bus might come around every now and then, but it’s important to remember that it’s just a temporary setback. These moments of frustration teach us resilience and help us develop a deeper understanding of our craft. Each challenge we face, no matter how small, prepares us for the next one, making us better photographers in the long run.
So, when you find yourself on the struggle bus, don’t give up. Embrace the challenge, learn from the experience, and know that you’ll come out stronger on the other side. After all, it’s the bumps in the road that make the journey worthwhile.
