How to Stay Motivated as a Photographer
photo by freemixer via iStock
I think we can all agree that photography is a lot of fun. Whether you photograph landscapes, people, or something in between, the process of planning the photo, framing up the shot, editing it, and presenting your work to the world is hugely satisfying.
But sometimes staying motivated as a photographer can be tough…
The weather might not be all that great, the lighting might be off, or maybe you feel like you’re in a photography rut.
Whatever the case, when your motivation for photography wanes, you need to find a way to get your mojo back.
With these simple tips, you’ll learn how to stay motivated as a photographer.
Go Shoot With Other Photographers
photo by Tanja Ristic via iStock
I often like to shoot solo because photography is my escape from reality and the stressors of everyday life.
And while shooting solo is great for unwinding and doing my own thing, it can also be a challenge from a motivation standpoint. After all, it’s easy to cancel a photography outing if I’m the only one involved!
So, to keep motivated to go out and shoot, I’ll make arrangements with friends to go together. Even if it’s a friend that isn’t much of a photographer, having someone else along does two things: first, I’m more likely to go because I don’t want to cancel on them, and two, you never know when you might learn something new from your shooting buddy.
The phrase “two heads are better than one” definitely applies here. When faced with the same scene, my vision for a shot might be completely different from my shooting partner - and that’s a good thing! Seeing other people’s process and the results they get can serve as motivation for me to try new things and keep my photography adventures fresh.
Get Inspired
photo by apomares via iStock
Part of lacking motivation to go out and shoot photos is certainly having a lack of inspiration. It can be a challenge to motivate yourself to get off the couch and head out with your camera if you have no ideas for the types of photos you want to shoot.
But getting inspired these days is easier than ever…
I had the opportunity to check out a brand-new photography product called Inspiracles that will change the way you get amped up for photography.
Inspiracles is a collection of multiple decks of 56 colorful cards that come with loads of inspiration for your photography.
In fact, each Inspiracles card gives you an inspirational prompt, professional photography tips, and example photos to inspire your creativity and improve your motivation to go out and shoot photos.
It’s like having a photography game in the palm of your hand. Instead of beating you over the head with tutorials, these cards make photography a fun adventure. This means that rather than sitting at home watching a long YouTube tutorial about photography, you can be outside, having fun while you learn by doing.
The activities on the Inspiracles cards are bite-sized, too. This means you only need a few minutes of your time to tackle the activities on a card. You can do each activity with nothing more than a smartphone as well, so you don’t have to lug around a bunch of heavy photography gear.
Inspiracles also provides you with 10 cheat sheets that help you learn basic photography techniques. It’s a great way to learn new skills or brush up on skills that you might not have used for a while.
There’s even three different sets of cards - one each for landscapes, portraits, and a “classic” set that covers the broad spectrum of all types of photography.
Inspiracles recently launched a Kickstarter campaign, so give their campaign a visit to learn more about how this ingenious product can help motivate you to take more photos, more often.
Take Photos of the Mundane
photo by Tom Merton via iStock
Far too often, we think that we have to go somewhere spectacular or attend a special event in order to create a beautiful photo.
If that’s our mindset, the problems I outlined earlier - bad weather, poor lighting, and so forth - will all too easily de-motivate us from heading out to shoot.
That’s why taking photos of mundane, everyday life can help motivate you to take more photos (and better ones at that).
You can practice taking portraits in your backyard, set up a still life shot in your kitchen, and play with shutter speed effects by taking photos as cars pass by your house.
Focusing on the mundane will show you that there is beauty everywhere you look, so long as you actually get out there and look for it!
Always Have Your Camera With You
photo by martin-dm via iStock
One of the best things you can do to stay motivated to take photos is to have your camera with you at all times.
This is far easier today than ever before because your smartphone is a great camera that fits easily into your pocket. You always have your phone with you, right? So you always have a camera with you too.
The key here is to act when the opportunity arises to take a shot. I can’t tell you how many times I find great scenes to photograph over the course of the day, but I’m often in too much of a hurry to take a couple of minutes to pull my phone out and frame up a shot. Staying motivated as a photographer means being okay with pulling the car over or pausing your walk with your dog to take a shot of something that has captured your attention.
If you can commit yourself to making time for photography, and if you find inspiration in sources like Inspiracles or fellow photographers, you’ll likely find that you have all the motivation you need to go out and shoot!
