Event - Elftopia 2021

The 1st costume event in.. nearly 2 years?
You can't believe the ecstasy of opening those tickets in the mail, getting that CovidSafePass in time and hearing that it would not get cancelled as feared (unlike Castlefest). Preparing the cameras. Getting ideas for shots. Actually smiling.
Thank you Elftopia.

However there was a little hick-up. I could blame it on traffic jams making us arrive extremely late.. but it wasn't that. It was exactly as feared and predicted in this post: I didn't dare to make photos.
Have I gotten scared of walking up to people for a picture?
Have I lost so much self-confidence?
Did I stop trusting my technical instincts?
Did I start doubting my gear?
Haven't I talked to live strangers for that long?
Is this what people call a panic attack or anxiety?

I guess a bit of all of those. Meade helped a bit. Spending some time on the event finally got me clicking again.. but by that time the fair was closing its gates. So I returned home with only a handful of images and only 1 of my ideas for a shot realized.
I could get mad at myself.
I could get depressed.
Or I could try again.. and again.. and again during some following events until my state of mind is finally aligned again and photographing returns to feeling natural.. until I get back into the routine.
I should try that last option.. because photography is all about the state of mind. It's decided. 

Summarized:  Thank you to the gentle souls who posed so very late during the day.

All the other images are on Flickr.