Redefine your photography in 5 steps
Have you ever looked at the photographs you took at the end of a photoshoot and found the images uninteresting? Have you ever lost your motivation for taking photographs? Do you doubt your creativity? If so, the first thing you should know is this is a very typical pitfall for artists of all levels. For many, these feelings lead to further losing motivation, which then leads to shooting and practicing less, which finally curbs and dulls one’s creative sprit. Meet the “vicious circle of demotivation”.
Pursue Light was born to highlight the common creative struggle and how to make the best of your creative potential as a photographer. While upcoming articles will dive deeper to the specifics, here are 5 important steps to reinvent your photography and to break the vicious circle of demotivation.
Shoot what you have, not what you prescribe
An example of combining nature photography with still life photography
Perhaps the most important step to creative freedom is letting go of any self-perceived labels.
Photography, in its most basic form, is about creating aesthetic or meaningful images.
Perhaps you are an avid landscape photographer? Still, don’t waste your chance to shoot that tiny flower on your morning hike. Or perhaps you enjoy people, especially portraits? Will you not try your hand at covering the protests in your town? Stuck at home during a worldwide pandemic? How about some still life photography?
The type of photographs you use to represent yourself is only one side of your story. The learnings from practicing photography in every possible chance will not only increase your creativity, but also greatly contribute to your motivation by making you feel “productive”. Being open to any style of photography eliminates the risk of exhausting your creativity in your preferred photographic niche, leaving you room for improving and staying original.
Focus on getting a good shot in the camera, and spend less time editing
An example of abstract photography. Tools need: A wall, light, and your creative spirit. No edits needed.
If you overall feel unproductive or unoriginal, put the focus on your shooting over editing. Trying to edit a photograph that is uninteresting from the beginning will more than likely lead to an edited photograph that is uninteresting, and send you into the vicious circle of demotivation. Instead try to capture the best you can with the camera, and use editing for making it perfect.
What to do with uninteresting shots?
Study them extensively to understand what they are missing. You are not done until you have a definite answer! Did you rush yourself? Was your gear not suitable for that shot? Did you choose a bad composition or perspective in the heat of the moment? In any case, you attempted to take that shot believing it could look great, and now it is up to you to either move on, or try to identify what the problem was.
Should you give up post processing?
Could you possibly turn an uninteresting shot into something beautiful? Absolutely! But don’t forget this is an art in itself. In the end, it is all about what you feel most passionate about: Do you want to excel at taking good photographs, or do you want to excel at making any photograph good? Don’t forget:
This is art. Nothing is wrong; everything is permitted!
Consume high quality photographs on a regular basis.
Inspiring images motivate you to go back and shoot more.
No, I do not mean fast scrolling and liking a bunch of images on Instagram. This is something you need to take your time with. Find and keep track of photographs that you “truly” enjoy to look at. It could be a masterpiece from Robert Frank, or it may be that guy you follow on Flickr. What makes that photograph so good?
Looking at a good photograph is like eating a chef cooked dish. You can just eat the food, enjoy it, and be done. Alternatively, you can spend some effort to understand what made you really enjoy this meal. You are not there to copy the chef, but perhaps you can incorporate some of the things you discovered into your dinner tomorrow.
Inspiring photographs are the food for your creative spirit.
Take your time to enjoy them on a bigger screen rather than your phone. Examine the colors, find the focal point of the shot, see if the composition is on purpose or arbitrary. Don’t forget that this is not a one time process! Get back to your inspiring photographs regularly, and never stop studying them. And always remember: You are not trying to copy, you are looking for inspiration!
Need a start? Check out the growing Pursue Light Gallery, as well as our Pinterest Board.
Give yourself enough time to make photographs
Final result from a series of shots during a street photography walk.
You come across a beautiful staircase, with great light and shadows on it. You snap a few pictures and move on with or without ensuring you have achieved the shot you hoped for. Ultimately, you realize it is not how you wanted it to look, or perhaps you could do something differently to make it perfect.
A lot of photographers rush themselves through a scene or subject without realizing it. Don’t hesitate to question yourself to see if you are subconsciously rushing yourself while taking photographs. Especially in public settings, one may feel “odd” for studying a staircase extensively. Or perhaps you are just not aware of whether or not you have given the scene your best shot before leaving.
Take in the scene and shoot consciously
If you see a big potential in a subject or scene, you need to slow down and do your due diligence to get all possible shots, leaving no room for remorse. If, in the end, you still haven’t got what you wanted, it is a great chance to study your approach and technique to see where you fall short. If you got what you wanted, you will feel greatly motivated for not letting a great photograph get away from you!
Shoot what your gear can achieve, rather than buying gear to achieve
Don’t take iPhone photography lightly: An unedited photograph taken with an iPhone.
Nothing is more fun than getting new gear and geeking out on the specs. But never forget that as a photographer, your goal is to simply make great photographs. You should acknowledge the fact that not all gear can produce a certain photograph, but, having all the gear does not guarantee making that photograph either.
Focusing on working with the camera you have is a great way to improve your creativity. You only have your phone as a camera? Focus on capturing details, architecture, people and streets, not on wildlife or macro photography. Have a telephoto lens? Don’t worry too much about your immediate surroundings, try portraits, and perhaps avoid candid shots in the street that day.
At the end of the day, you are your own limit for what you can achieve with a given camera. When in the moment, focus on what you can achieve, rather than what you would want to achieve. A good photograph with the gear you have will always be a lot more rewarding than a mediocre photograph you would take with your preferred gear!
Next Steps
Have you tried all these tips extensively for your photography? If not, take this as a challenge: Try to practice at least one of these tips, and see the results for yourself (and let us know in the comments, too!). If you are still not sure where or how to start, look for upcoming articles deep diving into each advice with example steps!
Conclusion
Taking great photographs requires a great mindset as much as great gear and technique. Focusing on your creative process, analyzing others’ and your own work, and keeping any other interference out of your photography is the key to not only great photographs, but also to being at peace with your art.
Each advice in this article is its own deep topic, and Pursue Light will deep dive into these with example steps in the coming articles.
Which topic would you want to see analyzed in detail in the upcoming articles? What is your process for staying motivated and productive? Please comment below, or feel free to drop me a line with your thoughts.
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