Attaching yourself to the idea that you "already know this" or "have seen it all before" limits your ability to discover something new. For a photographer, especially, staying open—free of expectation—is the key to being surprised.

These thoughts came to me today when I visited the old Oyster Factory. I’ve probably been there a hundred times, but each time I go to make pictures, I see something different. New colors, new arrangements—it’s all exciting to me. There’s something special about returning to a familiar place and still being surprised by what you might have overlooked or never thought about before.

On the way home, I stopped by a junkyard I’ve visited before and admired the cars scattered there. It gets me every time.