How do you stay motivated?

[expats]

How do you stay motivated?

 

Silly question, I know. For some photography is hobby (maybe a serious hobby), for others a profession.

 

Yes, I love photography. Capturing images, moments, is a passion. But I can’t be the only one that gets sick at

looking at life through a lens, can I? Do you ever think about your camera and cringe.

 

Yes, I want to take photographs, I want to improve. But after a 60-hour week, traipsing somewhere with my gear is

the last thing I want to do. Realistically, how do you balance weekend shooting with a family, a full-time job,

etc.?

 

Does that mean I have no passion? No, just being realistic. Air conditioning, a silly DVD with my wife, and a

cold beer are more appealing at times than thinking about DOF and wondering if I’ll get beaten for taking street

photos.

 

Honestly, I like to hear the opinions of those in a similar situation.

 

Thanks a bunch.

[ellis_vener_photography]

I get off my butt and take more photos.

[bill_clark___minnetonka_mi]

Join and get involved with photography organizations either on an amateur or professional level.

 

Find a mentor/coach who will help you in many ways with one of them mentioned in your post.

[bangengeman]

I actually used to ask myself that with my other passion: computers in general, programming to be specific. I

question the long (crazy & odd) hours, the absurd client requests, the monotonous projects, etc. But in the end,

I realize that if there was a skill that I can make consistent and comfortable income out of, software

development is the one. That in itself, I felt, was a reasonable motivation to wake up early.

 

Then I moved to a different company, where I have expanded my role, and was able to take on other projects that

weren't just software development. And that put in an extra hop in my step at work; knowing that I'm going to

take on something new every few months (not to mention the pay and travel opportunities are better.

 

So with that in mind, I think you should take on something different with regards to your photo projects. Always

doing macro? Why not landscapes? Tired of sports photography? Do some night shots instead. Break out of the mold,

and try to expand your horizons. There's 148,300,000 sq km of land waiting for you to capture it's beauty.

[Lou_Meluso]

Nothing wrong with kicking back with the Mrs. and a coldie. Photography isn't everything in life. That said heres a couple of ways to get some "juice". Read photo books of the photographers you admire, Teach a kid photography, Look more but shoot less, try a new camera/format that you are unfamiliar with, Take a class with a Pro, Learn a new approach i.e if you generally shoot landscapes, try street portraits or macro photography, Donate your photo skill and time to a worthy cause you believe in. Read the Obits and realize that our time on earth is stunningly brief. If that won't get you moving, nothing will.

[matthew_newton]

I take hikes on my lunch hour sometimes. Unless you work downtown in a big city you might not be all that far from a park. I work on the out skirts of Baltimore, but my office is only 10 minutes from a fairly large state park (Potapsco). Its nice, especially on Fridays to get out there on my lunch hour and hike around for 30 or 40 minutes, take some pictures and then head back to work.

 

I find a lot of times wishing I could get away from my family and go take hikes with my camera. I love my family dearly and it is nothing against them, but a 9 month old isn't very understanding when his daddy wants to get up at 5am to get to a trail for sunrise pictures...so on the whole that sort of thing doesn't happen.

[MichaelChang]

Steve, as a hobbyist, I concur that life does often get in the way of photography. Other times it is the

unavoidable creative dry spell. What does keep me going, though, is knowing that there is no deadline for "making

it" and that priorities are to be responsibly dealt with. So if photography needs to take a backseat for a while,

it will, and should.

[brian.]

How do you stay motivated? ... I look at my balance in my checking account ;)

[AJHingel]

Steven as you write yourself, we are all very different - some are amateurs, others professionals - I can only answer the

question seen from my own situation.

 

I'm a passionate amateur photographer and never seem to lose my inspiration for seeing photographic scenes around

me, but I don't always shoot photos. I think it is essential to find a balance between observing and registering the World

by means of a camera, and living life fully. Cold beers, family life and an engaging professional work are part of good life

and human well-being and photography should never replace it and put us in a observers' role in society. What you call a

"loss of inspiration" might be the most healthy thing that happens to you, because you probably come back to

photography as an even better photographer afterwards.

[AJHingel]

Sorry, I meant to write Steve of course (can't correct it here in a forum, as you know).

[garry_young1]

Steve P. Am I correct in presuming that you make money from photography? If so that may be very different to some of us.

 

I for instance love shooting because it is my escape from the day to day grind. But I can see how shooting being the bread and butter could take the edge off that.

 

I guess I would suggest totally different style or topics to shoot if that is the case with you. Go macro nuts or something. Setting a thematic objective you would work at over a longish period of time may be something to keep work shooting and personal shooting separate.

 

Basically though, I would say that if there is a question in your mind about how to stay motivated toward photography, and it ISN'T your job, then drop it. Do what you love. Take a break. If it is a question about motivation with it being your job, then check your bank balance as Brian mentioned. Regularly.

[sarah_fox]

Re-invent your work!

 

My own work has been in metamorphasis. I look back over my "pretty pictures," and they leave me empty. They have no social relevance. They don't address issues that are important to me. I've been mulling over a new direction, and I've gotten started on it.

 

Yesterday I went out and recorded history -- the first election with an African American presidential candidate. The significance of the event was not lost on anyone. Even in my almost-all-white, tiny-town part of the world, the Republican leafletters were quietly mesmerized as I photographed an elderly African American walking down the sidewalk to cast her first ballot for a presidential candidate of her own race. As she left, they smiled broadly, congratulated her, and thanked her for voting. It was a proud day for everyone, whether liberal or conserative, Democrat or Republican, White or Black. We matured a bit as a nation, and we all shared in the moment. It was a fine day to be an American.

 

Throughout all this, the woman kept insisting, jokingly, that I shouldn't take so many pictures of an "ugly old woman," because my camera might break. I told her that she was beautiful on that day. I told her how I collect old cameras, many of which are much older than she is, and that part of what I find fascinating about cameras is their "souls" -- the things they have witnessed. I told her that the soul of my camera was very young, but that with her help, it had witnessed something of great significance, which made both my camera and me very happy.

 

The images I captured yesterday will never sell as artwork to hang over fireplace mantles. Nobody will ever pay me a plugged nickel for them. However, I am very proud of what I did as a photographer, and I am newly energized to keep doing more of what I did. WOW! I don't know where all this will lead, but I like very much what I am doing. Sure, I'll still do the grunt work of photographing events and homes and images for websites and other stuff. Gotta earn something! But bearing witness to contemporary issues is where I think my passions will lead me.

[bernie moore]

Motivated?...hmmm. Whose motivated? If your a pro than the mortgage motivates you. If you're an amateur you do this for pleasure. Do it when it pleases you, otherwise you are working without a paycheck.

[phyrpowr]

Ditto Michael, Anders and Garry.

 

I used to worry about my lack of dedication to the craft, then remembered I took it back up because: I like the pictures I get as a result, and; it was not a "deadline" hobby.

 

My last hobbies were golf and rifle competition, both of which required scheduling, like my job. I got tired of arranging the groups, getting a tee time/locating a match, driving to meet a starting time, etc.

 

I just keep gear in the car now, go or not, shoot where I am if something looks interesting...or organize a safari, my choice, no pressures.

 

Just look at it as something that can be done or not, picked up or dropped anytime, but constantly available.

[colin carron]

I agree with Mchael Chang - if photography is just an interest for you then why not take a break from if from time to time?

[sallymack]

<quote>Do you ever think about your camera and cringe.</quote>

<p>

Never. Although I sometimes look at my tripod and cringe, then remember that I could not take pictures I like without it,

shooting MF film in natural light.

<p>

<quote>But after a 60-hour week, traipsing somewhere with my gear is the last thing I want to do. Realistically, how do you

balance weekend shooting with a family, a full-time job, etc.?</quote>

<p>

I carve out a "special time" that I go out photographing: Sunday mornings 7 a.m. to noon. Some Sunday mornings I get up

and groan about it, the only day of the week I don't have to get up early, but thinking of going out, how I've never regretted

going but have regretted NOT going out. I see the morning light and pack up camera, tripod, boots, and off I pedal on my

bicycle (I don't have a car). It's an extremely limited amount of time and I'd love to be able to go out more often but since that

rarely happens, I have to make the best of the time that I do have.

<p>

<quote>Does that mean I have no passion? No, just being realistic. Air conditioning, a silly DVD with my wife, and a cold beer

are more appealing at times than thinking about DOF and wondering if I’ll get beaten for taking street photos.</quote>

<p>

If you're doing photography for fun and it's not fun, maybe there's not much point <italic>for you</italic> in doing it the way

you've been doing it right now.

[jpo3136b]

I agree with Ellis. Usually loading one more roll will do it. Keep on going; every now and then you'll discover something.

 

The other day, I was walking down a trail and thinking to myself, "I have been wasting my time all these years." I

realized I had come across some stuff that was so amazing to me that it made other days, when I was bored, look like a

waste of time. There's all kinds of stuff you can do to get variety.

 

Sometimes it helps just to loosen up and drag a camera along with you. Drop standards for a change. Maybe things

that you have been excluding because they were not good enough for some reason could give birth to some

refreshment. Or, increase standards, to really tight levels, and do some testing. There's a bunch of stuff you could do.

[jpo3136b]

I thought about this some more, and I'd have to say, "60-hour week"? Putting in the hours is a lot easier when you are

motivated. Meanwhile, you are living in civilization, such as it is. Maybe what you need for a while is a 40-hour week

spread out over a 60-hour block of time.

 

If you are your own boss, you should definitely take advantage of opportunities like going to the kids' softball game,

dinner and a movie with the wife, etc.

 

I'd be willing to bet that OP is in a rut. Break out of that. Worried about a fight in the street? Go do the street

photography in some place so quiet and so lame that no one would even consider bothering you. Very refreshing,

compared to the tension you must be feeling. J.

[catherinevankempen]

Hey Steve,

 

To me it seems my need to photograph is sort of cyclic. There will be a period of time that all I can do is think about that next shot, go out, shoot, shoot, set up studio space, ... And then for a while I'll be in a "No Photograph" zone. While i'm in that zone I don't shoot very much, just with my p&s pics of kids and family but I still think about my photography a whole lot. I think these down times are really good for my creativity. While I'm in the throws of shooting I often don't think about what I'm doing. It's almost like I'm on auto pilot. I really have to slow myself down to prevent myself from shooting the same thing over and over again. During these little hiatuses however, I have time to process new ideas, think them through, and then when the bug bites again I'm ready to go with a whole bunch of new ideas.

 

So I think the best thing is to just go with the flow, maybe kind of like a writer's block. The more you bump up against it and struggle the stronger it gets. I wouldn't worry about it. After all, photography as a hobby should still be fun right?

 

Catherine

 

Catherine

[chris_waller]

Like Catherine, my photography is cyclic. I have phases where I'm out as often as possible shooting whatever has caught my attention, then after exhibiting the work, I have a slack period. Then, the Muse visits me unexpectedly and I find a new subject to engage me.

[hugh_croft]

Time off enhances time on...

[dd_toth]

I agree with Hugh. Taking a period of time away from it, is just what you need sometimes. I am an artist as well, (painting and drawing) I decided that since I enjoy it, I would go to college for it. The work load was so large, time consuming, and repetitive, that it seemed that we were just pumping them out and made what I loved to do as a hobby seem like work. After college I barely touched a brush for about 1 year, then slowly got myself back into it.

 

I find what motivates me is family and friends. I rarely create something for myself. I love seeing others enjoy my work so it seems that almost every piece I create is for someone as a gift. Thats why I enjoy photography as well. Not everyone can do what I do, and see what I see, so I love making others happy from the images I create for them. Sometimes I get those days where I have a hard time being creative and motivated, so I look at what others create to get ideas and inspiration, and then that gets the spark going and I can't stop thinking of new images to capture.

 

There are days when I work my full time job in front of a computer, and then go home and just can't muster up the motivation to get in front of the computer at home and work on more images. I just leave it for another day, or I look at similar images from other photographers and hopefully a few inspire me to work on my own.

[starvy]

buying new old lenses can always motivate me! am not buying so much now but still check out the om range gear in fleabay occasionally!

[tomwatt]

The artist and photographer Charles Sheeler used to take time off to muse, to put things on the back burner and stew. I'm not sure you could fault him for that. For me, staying motivated is hard. Somedays I look at my body of work and just about want to open a vein. But then something will catch my eye, and I'll start trying to get it, or worse, I won't but I'll think about it for days until I just have to try to go get some images that address that. And it helps to have the silly thing on burst mode... lotsa shots always wakes me up, makes me wanna do better.

[johnny_anderson]

Photography is a hobby for me and if I don't feel like it, I just don't do it. I have a life other than photography. I just

got back into it after a 14 year break. The last time I go involved in photography it turned into a part time business,

and all the fun went out of it. So I gave it up for 14 years. The world didn't come to an end becuase I wasn't out

taking pictures all the time. LOL

 

I really enjoy photography now but only as a hobby. It's amazing how much I see when I'm out and about without my

camera. I notice all types of photo ops and file them away for future shoots. But if I don't get back to them it's not

the end of the world. As others have said, life exsist outside of the lens so get involved in it.

 

I went with a Nikon DSLR this time and the learning process is keeping me busy and interested at this point. When

I feel unmotivated I just try doing something that I ordinarily wouldn't do, photographically speaking. Try close up,

wide angle, telephoto photography. Take pictures of the moon, go out to somewhere with dark skies and try some

time exposures of the milky way. Try some street photography, take pictures of buildings, cars, fall leaves, etc. But

if you don't feel like taking pictures then kick back and read a book, watch the tube, or have a cool one and relax.

Sometimes we just need a break.