What to do during unmotivated times?

[Stevepwns]

I work on post processing, using the old photos I didnt think were worth doing anything with. Practice different techniques of editing photos.

 

[Designer]

Does anyone else ever go through a week or two where they just can't find anything to photograph?
So how do you guys find things to photograph during unmotivated times?

Is photography a hobby that you enjoy? If so, just enjoy the slack times as well as the inspired times.

As for me, I keep a notebook of future projects to do when I get the time. Whenever I think of a photograph that I want to make, I jot it down in the notebook.

People's inspiration is nearly always something that comes and goes.

 

[JoeW]

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.

There's your problem. Most of what involves a creative approach to photography, you fail to see the creativity in it. You can just shoot water drops. Or you can use the water drops as a lens and capture images in them.

Most of those suggestions I listed have nothing to do with "use your camera" lessons. Most of them are about how you see--your ability to see creatively. Dorothea Lange once said "a camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera."

 

[Tee]

When I'm that unmotivated I put the camera away. Otherwise I will learn to hate photography.

 

[DSRay]

Learn something.

How does your light meter REALLY work?

What are the names of the most common lights in a portraiture setup?

Learn to recognize three architectural styles.

What does the inverse square law mean?

Shoot motion - slow shutter speeds, panning, zooming.

Shoot white on white and black on black.

Shoot glassware and silverware.

Build a light tent.

Many, many more...

 

[grafxman]

Buy a macro lens and go to work. Shoot chunks of decayed limbs, tree bark, fungus, etc. You'll be amazed at the world a macro lens opens up for you. It's like going to an alien planet. When the weather warms up a little start shooting insects. This spring there'll be beatles, butterflies, bees, etc. With a macro lens you should never be without things to photograph.

 

[Patrickktown]

Shoot outside your comfort zone.
Shoot subjects you normally don't
Road trip and shoot a place you've never been

 

[slackercruster]

OP, look at photo books, catch up on printing, go over old pix that need checking. (I'm 6 months+ behind) Work on Tumblr, etc.

If you up nights start shooting at night unless all you like is fall color. Street photography is always changing, try that.

 

[multistraddler]

+1 to books. I received a copy of That Tree by Mark Hirsch for my b-day. If you aren't familiar with the book, Hirsch decided to photograph a particular tree in a field in SW Wisconsin near where he lived everyday for a year. Sounds nuts/boring but he took some amazing pics just using his iPhone with some kind of macro adapter and a tripod plus some apps for manipulating the iPhone camera.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[paigew]

You have to shoot through it. Start a project, inspire yourself. I totally feel your pain and I am looking around today thinking what on earth am I going to photograph (I'm currently doing a 365). I just shoot through it, like homework...just shoot, every day, challenge yourself.

 

[bc_steve]

wake up early and go somewhere amazing for the sunrise .... before you set your alarm though, make sure it's not going to be overcast.

 

[j-digg]

I work on post processing, using the old photos I didnt think were worth doing anything with. Practice different techniques of editing photos.

This would be my answer as well.

I've learned about so many amazing techniques from various sources that I never would have figured out on my own. There are many different ways to do everything too - sharpening, dodging/burning etc... even if you know how to do them already you could find a new and possibly better method to achieve a certain effect.

Every time I'd learn something new I couldn't wait to go back to old photos and apply what I learned.

When you start shooting again, you may find that your end results are much better than before.

There are a lot of good ideas in this thread so far.

 

[dsm.iv.tr]

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

I am in agreement with JoeW's post, but I wanted to add something.

The way I see it is that photography is an art, a science, and a practice. To produce photos that "mean something", you have to have an idea of what you want to say first (the art, speaking loosely), and then utilize the right technical approach learned via experimentation and observation (the science) to produce a work that's meaningful (the practice). Essentially, photography is communication via a visual language. Everyone learns this stuff differently, so I'm going to link you to a primer on visual communiation that tackles history. Don't worry, too - if you can communicate in words, you can probably communicate visually. The rest is up to you! Practice creating a message, and thinking of ways to communicate it. Good luck!

The History of Visual Communication