What to do during unmotivated times?

[Lightsped]

Does anyone else ever go through a week or two where they just can't find anything to photograph? Or maybe a lack of motivation? Lately, (with all the leaves and colors gone) I just can't seem to get any good shots. It is almost like I don't know what to photograph.... Another drawback for me is that I work nights and sleep during most of the daylight.....

So how do you guys find things to photograph during unmotivated times?

 

[D-B-J]

Does anyone else ever go through a week or two where they just can't find anything to photograph? Or maybe a lack of motivation? Lately, (with all the leaves and colors gone) I just can't seem to get any good shots. It is almost like I don't know what to photograph.... Another drawback for me is that I work nights and sleep during most of the daylight.....

So how do you guys find things to photograph during unmotivated times?

Pet's. Self portraits to practice lighting techniques. And a million useless snapshots.

Jake

 

[Josh66]

This happens to me a lot.

I find that the more I shoot, the more I think that everything I've done before sucks. I think I hit a creative wall like 2 years ago.

I think it's one of those thing that MUST happen, if you're going to move on from there. That's where I think I am now, the part that you have to move on from, but I can't. It's hard...

I know I need to, and I want to, but I just can't step it up to the next level right now...

 

[Josh66]

And a million useless snapshots.

The problem with useless snapshots is that they're useless. They don't really teach you anything, and they don't really mean anything...

 

[D-B-J]

And a million useless snapshots.

The problem with useless snapshots is that they're useless. They don't really teach you anything, and they don't really mean anything...

That's the problem. When I'm lacking creativity and drive that's all I end up with. I should have elaborated.

Jake

 

[Josh66]

That's what I struggle with the most, I think. My "work" doesn't mean anything. Some stuff does, maybe, but that's like one photo out of a hundred... Maybe out of a thousand.

The stuff that means something to me, I think that most "don't get it"...

 

[ShootRaw]

No such thing as Can't...Get to clickin.

 

[JoeW]

Does anyone else ever go through a week or two where they just can't find anything to photograph? Or maybe a lack of motivation? Lately, (with all the leaves and colors gone) I just can't seem to get any good shots. It is almost like I don't know what to photograph.... Another drawback for me is that I work nights and sleep during most of the daylight.....

So how do you guys find things to photograph during unmotivated times?

Give yourself assignments (as if you were an apprentice or in a class). Each week, a new assignment. Let me suggest a few:
1. Pick a common object in your house (a candle, a pencil, an appliance). Find 30 different ways to shoot it. No, not 30 different looks due to post-production. 30 different ways to shoot or compose the object.
2. Look for natural "S" curves in nature (meaning...you don't lay out cooked spaghetti or jelly beans to form an "S" curve but instead look for a dog or road or stream or hose that forms an "S").
3. Shoot photos using negative space intelligently.
4. Shoot high key. And then the next week shoot low key.
5. Shoot with a very narrow DoF. As in f1.4 or f1.6 or f1.8. And shoot people with those apertures.
6. Find different ways to convey motion with your shots.
7. Capture emotion.
8. Shoot pictures that tell a story. Maybe it's a series (that would qualify editorially as a story). Or maybe it's just one photo that without a caption or explanation, people see it and go "oh crap--that's so sad!" or "geez, how amazing she pulled that off" or "I get it---that's cool!".
9. Shoot pictures that show perspective.
10. Shoot HDR.
11. Shoot macro. Maybe water drops. Or smoke. Or ink. Or frost and ice.
12. Shoot food.
13. Get a volunteer model and shoot head shots as you rotate your lighting around the model's face all 360 degrees and then change the angle.

The point is not that you haven't shot any of those things. But now you've made it an assignment. You can shoot anything you want this next week BUT you must also shoot your assignment. Declare to people you're going to do this (say it on FB and then post your results...or start a blog). Or pair up with another photographer, give each other mutual assignments and then critique each other's success.


Ed

 

[kathyt]

Have you met my BFF Pinterest yet? If not, go take a look. Very inspiring work. Just go to the photography category and glance at some of the ways and things in which people shoot. I just get inspired every time.
www.pinterest.com

 

[Josh66]

7 & 8 - Yes. The others seem like a "learn how to use your camera lesson" to me...

I think what I have the hardest time with, is that I want my work to "Mean Something", and most of it doesn't.

 

[nmoody]

Sometimes its better to not force anything and instead take a little break. Creativity/Inspiration doesn't like to be rushed =)

Another thing I tend to do I grab a book or research and area of photographer I am weak in or been meaning to learn more about. This typically gives me a ton of inspiration.

 

[gsgary]

No it has never happened to me in all the years i have had a camera

 

[EIngerson]

Buy stuff!!!! There's no better cure than buying photography gear.

 

[JTPhotography]

Buy stuff!!!! There's no better cure than buying photography gear.

Thats what I'm talking about, yeah!!!!

Good discussion though. Here are my suggestions:

1. If you don't have a good large aperture prime lens, like a 50 1.8, get one and shoot with it exclusively for a while.

2. Shoot out of your comfort zone. If you like portraits best, go on the street and/or play with some landscapes. And vice versa.

3. Stop reading and studying and analyzing. Anything that causes you to think to much and analyze is a creativity killer in my opinion. If you have one thing you want to learn or one technique to practice, read up on only that, and only in little bits of info at a time, then practice it. Reading volumes of varied information just gives you more crap to think about.

 

[Lightsped]

Does anyone else ever go through a week or two where they just can't find anything to photograph? Or maybe a lack of motivation? Lately, (with all the leaves and colors gone) I just can't seem to get any good shots. It is almost like I don't know what to photograph.... Another drawback for me is that I work nights and sleep during most of the daylight.....

So how do you guys find things to photograph during unmotivated times?

Give yourself assignments (as if you were an apprentice or in a class). Each week, a new assignment. Let me suggest a few:
1. Pick a common object in your house (a candle, a pencil, an appliance). Find 30 different ways to shoot it. No, not 30 different looks due to post-production. 30 different ways to shoot or compose the object.
2. Look for natural "S" curves in nature (meaning...you don't lay out cooked spaghetti or jelly beans to form an "S" curve but instead look for a dog or road or stream or hose that forms an "S").
3. Shoot photos using negative space intelligently.
4. Shoot high key. And then the next week shoot low key.
5. Shoot with a very narrow DoF. As in f1.4 or f1.6 or f1.8. And shoot people with those apertures.
6. Find different ways to convey motion with your shots.
7. Capture emotion.
8. Shoot pictures that tell a story. Maybe it's a series (that would qualify editorially as a story). Or maybe it's just one photo that without a caption or explanation, people see it and go "oh crap--that's so sad!" or "geez, how amazing she pulled that off" or "I get it---that's cool!".
9. Shoot pictures that show perspective.
10. Shoot HDR.
11. Shoot macro. Maybe water drops. Or smoke. Or ink. Or frost and ice.
12. Shoot food.
13. Get a volunteer model and shoot head shots as you rotate your lighting around the model's face all 360 degrees and then change the angle.

The point is not that you haven't shot any of those things. But now you've made it an assignment. You can shoot anything you want this next week BUT you must also shoot your assignment. Declare to people you're going to do this (say it on FB and then post your results...or start a blog). Or pair up with another photographer, give each other mutual assignments and then critique each other's success.


Ed

These are great ideas! JTPhotography also has some good ones. Thanks. I'll try some of these.