We’ve all had it, a seemingly unending feeling of boredom with our photography. Lack of inspiration (called writers block by authors) can strike the photographer at any time without warning.
In Neeed of Photographic Inspiration?
In this article we’ll highlight some ways that can help you rediscover your photographic mojo and enable you to become inspired to get out there and start shooting again.
1. Develop a theme or a series of photographs
If you haven’t already done so try to come up with a theme or idea to base a series of shot around. Doing so will mean you have a specific subject or message to capture with your camera, immediately giving your photography some direction.
Your series could be anything from the seasonal changes on your street throughout the year to a series of shots of a particular type of insect. Be sure to choose something that interests you otherwise you’remore likely to become bored and lose interest again.
For a great example of how powerful a series of images with a common theme can be sure to check out the Boston Globe’s Big Picture Blog which features collection of reportage photographs based around common topical news items.
2. Look at your photo archive for natural themes
You probably already have the beginnings of a great photographic series in the archive of your photographic library already. During a recent review of the old photographs on my hard drive I found a number of images I’d taken over the last few years of the London Underground.
I usually travel to work above ground on my scooter so whenever I do take the underground I make sure I take my camera and try and grab a few shots during my journey. The net result is that after a few months I now have a little series of London Underground photographs that work well together and I can work at building over the coming months.
Take a look through your archives to see if you have some themes already there that you can work on developing.
3. Always Carry a Camera
You never know when inspiration may strike you. One thing is for sure if you don’t have your camera, you can’t take any pictures. It can be surprising how many wonderful moments you will spot in your everyday travels if you always carry your camera and make a conscious effort to keep an eye out for photo opportunities around you.
Always Keep Your Camera To Hand
You might spot interesting looking characters on the street, wonderful landscapes through the car window or interesting urban scenes during your commute. The point is that you can find interesting subjects everywhere and anywhere, at any moment.
4. Seek Inspiration From Others
All artists are influenced by others and often it is through these influences that the best ideas are born. Get out there and view some work by other photographers. Head over to flickr and browse some of the amazing pictures that have been uploaded or visit your local gallery.
By seeing more of other peoples photography the more likely you are to make that spark of an idea to be used for your own work. Even if you don’t suddenly find inspiration you may consider trying to replicate a particular technique or style you’ve seen someone else master.
5. Try to monetize your hobby
If money is the only thing that motivates you then why not think about trying to make some money from your hobby. There are two obvious ways that you could start making money from your photography hobby.
The first is to sell some of your images through stock photography agencies. This means you could make money from designers and publishers using your images in their brochures, publications or other work. To go down this route you’ll need to register with some stock agencies who act as a middle man. You’ll generally make anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars from each image you sell. While it may not be a huge amount if you have a few hundred images for sale, you can bring in a nice steady little income from stock photography. Take a look at our stock photography article to learn more.
Another way to try to make some money from your hobby is to start looking for some paid photography jobs. This can be a daunting prospect as you wonder whether you are good enough to charge for your services.
One of the best ways to get started is as a wedding photographer. Ideally you should try and get a position as a photographers assistant to learn some of the basics. Alternatively there are a number of courses out there that teach you all you need to know to get started as a wedding photographer.
6. Challenge Yourself
Some people only get motivated if they are under pressure. One way to get you kick stared again may be to set yourself a challenge. There are numerous groups on sites such as flickr that challenge participants to take say one good self portrait everyday for a year (often referred to as 365 groups). Other groups set a theme for you to go out and photograph every day or week. The idea of groups such as these are to motivate you and force you to be creative with your photography.
How do you cure your photography block? We’d love to hear about how you get your motivation back on track when you feel uninspired. Just leave a comment below.
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