Photography Motivation – 10 Ways to Keep Feeling Inspired as a Photographer

Photography Motivation – 10 Ways to Keep Feeling Inspired as a Photographer

I’m pretty sure we’ve all experienced it:

One day, you feel totally inspired to start a new exercise regimen, to cook healthy food every day, or to lean into your creativity and make something new on a regular basis.

Some days or weeks later, your initial motivation has faded away – you simply don’t feel the same urgency to stick with your routine, and you start to let things slide.

What was once fun and exciting is suddenly boring, and motivating yourself to keep going seems like a hardship.

I’ve found this to be particularly true for creative pursuits, especially when it’s time to start a new project from scratch, or when you’ve been working in a particular style for a while and are in dire need of some new impulses.

The truth is, motivation ebbs and flows for everyone – also for me.

Yes, photography is one of my favourite things, but sometimes I just don’t feel like picking up the camera or setting up that tripod, and that’s totally normal.

Luckily, I’ve found some helpful strategies that usually get me out of this creative slump.

Here are my nine favourite ways to stay motivated as a photographer.

(Just so you know: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate/partner of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases).

1) Take a Short Course

I’ve noticed I often feel unmotivated or uninspired when I get too set in my ways.

It’s very easy to do the same thing in photography, whether that means sticking to a particular setting, taking the same kind of portrait in the same studio space, or always photographing the same subject (e.g., birds).

In those cases, I recommend taking a short photography course.

You can find great short courses at universities or adult education colleges (I love CityLit here in London).

Or, if you have limited time/budget, why not try one of the online photography courses at education websites such as Domestika.org, CreativeLive or Skillshare?

I’ve taken numerous courses at these institutions, and they sometimes only cost a tenner but provide incredible value.

(You can find a roundup of the best online courses that helped me take award-winning photos in this post).

By the way, when picking a course, try to find something a bit different than your usual style.

For example, I recently took an online course dedicated to alternative photography processes, like photo manipulation with paint and ink, and it was so inspiring because it’s totally different from what I usually do.

Self-portrait I took using a mixed media technique I learned in a Domestika course.

The reason why I listed courses as my number one strategy here is that they’re such a great motivational tool for photographers.

They expand your horizon, introduce you to new tools, concepts and ideas and take you down roads you haven’t been on before.

In addition, you meet like-minded people (or have the chance to join an online community) and get feedback on your work, which can also reignite your passion for your own projects.

2) Go on an “Art Retreat”

Another wonderful way to feel inspired again as a photographer is to expose yourself to art.

As described above, we feel unmotivated when things start to become samey, and we don’t expose ourselves to new influences.

After all, creating doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

In order to get new ideas and inspiration, you have to “fill your well” with some material.

Obviously, I’m not talking about copying other photographers – I simply mean looking at other people’s work and then collecting a whole lot of different influences, interpreting them through your lens and creating your own unique imagery.

For example, looking at other photographers’ work may inspire you to try a new angle, perspective, or lighting setup; use a different setting, such as a slow shutter speed; or start working with a model or props.

So, next time you feel unmotivated, take yourself on a personal “art retreat”:

Go to some local museums or exhibitions or, even better, go on a short trip somewhere and explore the local art scene.

Try to see as much as you can, and don’t restrict yourself to photography – I often find a lot of inspiration in art museums, looking at Renaissance or Baroque paintings.

(By the way, if you love paintings as much as I do, you might like this blog post about taking inspiration from symbolism in classical painting).

3) Create Limitations

The next strategy is a pretty well-known one amongst creatives of any discipline.

The idea is simple:

Restrict yourself by creating artificial limitations.

I understand that this is totally paradoxical – after all, you want to feel motivated and inspired, not stifled and restricted.

However – and this is so odd – it really works.

Often, we feel unmotivated because we don’t even know where to start.

When you could technically take any kind of photo of any kind of subject, it can be overwhelming to make a decision.

Conversely, when you take the element of choice away, it can be very freeing and give you some new motivation for photography.

So, how does this look in practice?

You could restrict yourself in terms of:

• your tool – go back to basics and use a simple camera with fixed or very few settings, like a disposable camera, a Polaroid or an old film camera
• your subject – pick one subject and take a whole series based around it, e.g. flowers, faces, hands, patterns, shadows, etc
• time – choose a specific amount of time and create a series, e.g. taking 30 images in 30 minutes or one photo a day
• location – challenge yourself to take a certain amount of photos in one location, e.g. your flat, a park, a particular neighbourhood, etc

A photo I took recently using a disposable camera to switch it up from my usual Sony mirrorless camera.

4) Change Up Your Style

Here’s another way to get fresh motivation for photography:

Change up your style.

Let me give you an example:

In the early days of my photography journey, I would take a lot of self-portraits in the style of paintings, especially the Old Masters.

I used particular lighting to imitate Rembrandt paintings, plus I edited the photos in post-production to make them look more painterly.

I did love that particular style, however after creating a few photos with that same look, I started to feel really uninspired because they all somehow ended up looking the same.

One of my older self portraits in a painterly style.

As a result, I made the conscious decision to produce work in a different style, moving away from that painterly look.

I achieved this by taking an online course (see point 1!) to get some new ideas for how I could light and shoot my images, as well as exposing myself to some new art in exhibitions and museum visits.

So, next time you feel bored with your photography, why not do the same:

Find an artist or photographer with a style that’s quite different from yours and then try to emulate it.

This may mean using artificial light instead of natural light, using a different type of lens, changing up your settings, using flash or perhaps even using film rather than digital and vice versa.

Doing something different can be daunting, but you will usually be rewarded with fresh ideas and exciting new work that you actually enjoy making.

Before I get to the next section…do you love taking portraits? Then check out my free ebook below to boost your creativity:

…and now, onto the next tip: Change medium.

5) Change Medium

Sometimes, you just need a break.

If you’re feeling very uninspired with regard to your photography, and the idea of picking up your camera fills you with dread, it may be time to give yourself permission to step away.

I think almost every artist knows this kind of creative fatigue that comes from being too familiar with your tool and its capabilities.

Sadly, like with everything in life, familiarity breeds boredom, so allow yourself to switch it up when you no longer feel excited by the thought of using your camera.

Instead, try something totally different:

How about doing some drawing, painting, pottery, sewing, sculpture, printmaking or creative writing?

Basically, you want to change the medium with which you express yourself.

Don’t totally stop being creative – simply use a different tool.

Don’t worry about becoming “estranged” from your camera – like in life, a bit of distance can really revive a stale relationship 🙂

Just enjoy whatever other medium you’ve picked and see how you feel after a few days, weeks or even months.

I’ve found that eventually, you will start to feel excited again about your camera and naturally reach for it – usually quicker than you may have thought.

6) Teach Someone

There’s another great way to feel motivated about photography again: teaching someone else.

This doesn’t even have to mean actual teaching in person – it could be as simple as answering some photography-related questions in Facebook groups or photography forums.

Or maybe there’s someone in your family or group of friends who’s always wanted to learn photography?

For example, I recently had my family from Germany visiting, and my 13-year-old niece was asking me a lot of questions regarding camera settings and self-portraiture.

I had so much fun explaining the basics to her, and the excitement in her eyes when talking about photography really reminded me of why I loved photography so much – I used to ask similar questions in my photography class many years back.

Teaching someone else what you know about photography will make you see the topic through their eyes and hopefully reignite your passion for it in no time.

7) Get a New Piece of Kit

If you have a bit of spare cash, you could also invest in a new piece of kit in order to feel motivated as a photographer.

This really doesn’t have to be a big investment, by the way.

Yes, of course you can treat yourself to a fancy new macro lens or a beautiful vintage film camera, but you can already gain a lot of new inspiration by using inexpensive new accessories.

Some examples are:

soft focus or other special effect filters, fun lens attachments for your mobile phone (e.g. a fish-eye lens), coloured gels, an interesting backdrop, etc.

There’s something so exciting about shooting with a new piece of kit – I find that it really rejuvenates my process.

For example, a while back I bought a soft focus filter and shot some self-portraits with it, and it made me feel so inspired!

Self-portrait shot using a soft focus filter.

I wasn’t quite sure how to best use it, so I made a Pinterest moodboard with soft focus photography, which in itself gave me lots of new ideas for different aesthetics and styles.

By the way, you can find really great, cheap pieces of kit at flea markets and in charity shops/thrift stores, so that’s always worth exploring, too.

8) Set Yourself a Project

My last tip for feeling inspired as a photographer is to set yourself a project.

As mentioned above, artificial limitations can somehow create more freedom and eagerness to create.

Therefore, set yourself a challenge such as 100 portraits, 10 self-portraits shot on film, photographing a week in your life, etc.

If you’re stuck, you could get a book with different photography challenges or projects, such as the 52 Assignments series, The Photography Ideas Book or The Photographer’s Playbook.

Having a clear task can be very motivating, plus you will get a lot of satisfaction from finishing your particular project or challenge.

9) Become Part of a Community

Here’s another great way to find new inspiration as a photographer:

Join some kind of photography community.

You could become a member of a local camera club or join an online community (I love “She Clicks” – find more information on their website).

Another option is taking part in events published on platforms such as meetup.com – type in “photography”, and you will find loads of photo walks, workshops, exhibition visits, etc.

Joining a community or taking part in such events can make you feel really uplifted and revive your interest in photography.

This is because you get to talk to all kinds of photographers working across a wide range of genres, be it fine art, weddings, street or portrait photography, and their excitement and passion for their topic will rub off on you.

And that’s it! These were my nine favourite ways of feeling inspired as a photographer.

Let me know in the comments which one you found the most helpful!