How to Get Photography Inspiration When Motivation is Low

How photographers can get photography inspiration when creative juices are low

Photography has evolved far more than just a usual thing for occasional purposes. Now it has evolved into something really big with a large number of enthusiasts involved in it. The usual life always has its ups and downs.

You might be doing photography with a lot of enthusiasm but things may not turn out as expected all the time. The same thing may happen with your photography. In case you find yourself low on motivation, this article is going to help you a lot. Let us have a look at some of the best ways to get photography inspiration. 

Leave your camera for a few days

As a photographer, you must have got in the habit of shooting photos wherever you see something magnificent. But there are some downsides to this habit as well. Since your whole perspective depends on photography, you will start feeling a bit depressed when things don't turn out the way you expect.

But you can get away from this situation very easily. This might seem a bit strange but it works very effectively. All you have to do is leave your camera for some days. This will help you get rid of your habit of photography. Apart from that, you will start seeing the world from a completely different angle. 

When you start feeling low, you should spend some time in nature to sense the smell of fresh air, to see the world with a different eye. This habit will not only refresh your mood but also help you find a new way to look at the world. And the reflection of that perspective in your photography will help you capture the world with a whole new angle.

Once you start living your life without the camera, you will become aware of reality. Awareness will come when you rise above your usual routine and habit. It will let you find new ways to observe yourself. And that observation will bring you back on track.

Apart from all that, this simple habit will help you a lot to get photography inspiration. And when you think it's time to get back to photography, try to shoot the least number of photos. This habit will let you be more thoughtful and precise in capturing photos. 

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Choose your projects wisely

A large number of photographers lose their interest and are demotivated because they don't find their work exciting. And you will certainly get bored of something that you don't enjoy doing. Photography is quite a broad field with a lot of specifications.

And people with different choices are involved in different genres of photography. For example, some love fashion photography whilst others enjoy landscape photography instead. Someone might be interested in a thing that you find boring and there is nothing wrong with that. But you can avoid it from happening to you by choosing the right project.

The only thing you have to do here is to invest some time while you get to choose a project. A few sincere efforts, in the beginning, will make your journey very enjoyable. 

When you have got a project that interests you much, you will never feel low even if you are not getting better results. Something that you enjoy doing is very beautiful in itself. A project worth interesting could be anything since people have varying demands. Being engaged in a passionate project has several benefits. Here are some important highlights. 

  • Even if you find some issues with your life that might stress you out, you will certainly choose to stick to what you are passionate about. Since your interest is entirely lying in the project, you are less likely to be distracted. 
  • When you are passionate about photography, you will definitely feel something while shooting photos. This occurrence is very important for doing something consistently. 
  • Your passion will help you get new ideas and help you capture the world from a completely different perspective. 

Photography inspiration using moody skies

Don't chase perfection

This is the biggest trap that most people fall into. A large number of people just lose their interest in photography because they think they are not doing good enough, and that their work isn't award winning or as best as it could be. When the usual work of professionals doesn't match their expectations, they start feeling low.

There is nothing wrong with your work here but certainly, something is wrong with your expectations. You need to lay down your fear of being not so perfect and focus on your job. Experience is what matters in long journeys.

You can get inspiration in photography from other successful people who have faced the same issue. Be a wanderer for some time and start enjoying what you are doing. You will certainly learn many things along the way. 

Try to get feedback from other photographers

Feedbacks and critiques from other photographers come with two benefits. First, they will encourage you when you are trying to get photography inspiration. Apart from that, critiques also open your eyes to new perspectives.

That is why you should focus a lot on these especially during hard times. Because feedback is something that engenders enthusiasm and productivity at the same time. Critiques will help you a lot in broadening your horizons of perception in this field.

There is nothing to worry about the places where you will get the feedback. If you don't find a team to get comprehensive reviews on your work, you can simply publish your work on online platforms. It will serve the purpose and you will get enough feedback from different people. 

Try angles and experiments to find your inspiration and creativity

Try changing the location

When you are shooting photos at the same location, this might be a reason behind your fading interest. Trying to get photography inspiration, you should change your location. Maybe it could even be as simple as experimenting with different angles. Try shooting up at the tops of buildings or trees, skies, planes - the choices are endless.

Once you start capturing photos around a new location, it will bring freshness to your work and you are more likely to start liking this profession again. 

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Final thoughts

We think this article presented enough ways to get photography inspiration. But you should not limit yourself to these techniques only. You can find indirect inspiration from almost anything you see in your daily life. The main motive is to avoid your fear and insecurities from stopping you.


About the Author

Damien Jones is a writer, visual artist and very bad photographer (at least he knows his limits). When not business blogging or writing guest posts, you will find him enjoying time in art galleries, hiking and listening to vinyl he has found in second hand stores.