So you’re the one everyone knows is the photographer. And for a long time – perhaps many years – photography has indeed been your life. When out and about you are never without your camera, and once back at base spend most of your time poring over your photographs.
But gradually things have begun to change. It’s difficult to pinpoint, but it’s almost as if photography has become a bit of a chore. Just something else on your To Do list. And you’re beginning to wonder whether to put everything on the back burner for a while. But in your heart of heart you don’t really want to do that : you just wish you could rekindle your passion for photography.
If that sounds like you, help is at hand! In this article we share a few thoughts and ideas as to how you can rekindle your passion for photography.
With any creative pursuit, boredom can set in if you are just doing the same thing over and over again. So one helpful way to rekindle your passion for photography is to set yourself a new project. Something completely different. We’ll list a few ideas below but the key thing is to find something that you are genuinely interested in and won’t in any sense feel like a chore. The main purpose is to have a fresh goal to work towards that can help to relight your fire.
A few ideas for starters are:
If none of the above appeal, how about considering a change of camera kit? Whilst this means further investment in your life as a photographer, the process of researching, choosing, purchasing and experimenting with a new piece of kit could be the catalyst to rekindling your passion for photography at last.
Once you have been doing photography for some time, it’s very easy to stagnate. You have developed a good set of skills and know what you are doing. But the problem is that you can then just keep doing the same kind of thing over and over again, which gradually becomes very boring.
It is never too late to learn something new, and the very act of learning can be enough to rekindle your passion for photography. So why not go back to school? There is a wide range of opportunities to learn more about photography. Whether you prefer a face to face course, an online course, or self-study with the help of resources such as photography books and manuals and YouTube videos, there is something out there to help you improve your skills even further.
A photographer’s life can be quite lonely. Whatever the situation, you are the one behind the camera, and tend to experience most events vicariously through the images you produce. And you can then feel that your worth is judged solely on how much people do or do not like those images.
It can really help to rekindle your passion for photography if you start to network with other like-minded photographers. For example you could look for a local group that you could do the occasional meet up and/or photography trip with. Or even an online group where you can share ideas, inspiration and feedback. Getting constructive feedback on your work is an essential element to help you improve your skills and gain confidence, and is much more valuable than well-meaning comments – either good or bad – from friends and family.
A very common reason for losing your passion for photography is doing too much photography for other people. Once it becomes known that you are a good photographer, there is likely to be a queue at your door asking you to photograph a whole host of things such as baby photos, family portraits, social events, weddings, and so on.
If photography is some or all of what you do for a living, you may not want to turn work away. But if photography is a non-work related hobby then you need to start learning to say no. This can be very difficult : no-one wants to be that person who disappoints others. But if you are finding that all your potential photography time is taken up doing a service for others, you need to find a way to pare that down and start doing the kinds of photography that you are excited about.
Leading on from the above, the best way to rekindle your passion for photography is to put yourself first. Start identifying the genres of photography that excite you, and spend time improving your skills accordingly, and finding opportunities to experiment with taking the kind of shots that you want to do.
And celebrate your achievements along the way. Whether it’s particular images you are proud of, mastering new camera or post-production skills, or perhaps winning a competition or being published online, celebrate yourself!
As with any creative art, any of these achievements will mean far more to you than they do to others who don’t understand your passion for photography, but that doesn’t mean you have to play them down. One great idea is to keep a journal of your photographic achievements and reward yourself along the way. Whether that’s a new bit of kit, a mini break somewhere, or enjoying a glass of fizz while you browse through your images, just enjoy the moment.
Similarly, be kind to yourself when things don’t go quite as well. Tomorrow is another day and sometimes things just don’t line up as we’d hoped. And part of putting yourself first is knowing when to call it quits for a day, put the camera down, and go and do something else instead. This is not giving up on your passion for photography, it’s more a case of treating it – and yourself – with respect, and returning to it when the time is right.
We hope that this article has given you some ideas and inspiration as to how to rekindle your passion for photography, and that you soon find yourself moving into a phase where you achieve your best photos ever.
Remember to check back here soon for more helpful photography guides from Print Your Memory.
