Throwing In The Towel On Photography

The other week I received an email from someone who I did a few online one to one sessions with. In this email this guy, let’s call him Bob basically said that he had enough. He doesn’t feel like heading out to shoot anymore and just generally losing interest in photography. “I feel like throwing in the towel on photography”…. Can you help? He said. Well Bob, yes I can. 

Why

Before going into the practical steps you can take to undo the throwing in the towel feeling, let’s address some of the most common reasons why people can feel like that. 

1 - Being overwhelmed 

Photography can be as simple as you want or as complicated as you want and if you listen to any camera shop or gear nerd on YouTube you will be convinced you need every gadget and piece of software. This is before deciding what to point your camera at and how to edit the photos. 

2 - Feeling uninspired 

How many times have you gone out to shoot but for whatever reason you just “didn’t feel like it”. Maybe the weather sucked or the light sucked or you just couldn’t see a single shot despite being in a photogenic location. 

3- Feeling down about your work 

This is a common one and happens to us all. We spend a whole day shooting but come home only to find that every photo we have taken is garbage. If this happens now and then it’s not an issue but if you had 2 or 3 successive days where you didn’t get anything you liked, this can impact you. 

4 - Not having time 

This is another common one especially for those who have demanding careers and families. Between your job, taking your kids to school, having time to see your friends and everything else in life, where do you even fit  photography? Because it’s not just a quick hour here and there, unless you live slap bang in the middle of an interesting place. Most of us have to commute into a cool location. So take that, add the few hours to shoot, then editing and before you know it, a whole day has gone by. 

5 - What’s the point of it all 

This last one is usually a combination of the previous points. 

You’ve spent all this money on gear, you can’t seem to feel inspired when you go out, if you even find the time in the first place, you might not get the types of photos you want and eventually you don’t enjoy it… so what’s the point of it all? 

Minimise & Declutter 

Before you can sort any mess inside your head, you need to sort out the physical material mess first. The best way to do this is to simplify and declutter. So many of us will buy every lens under the sun along with a bunch of accessories, 4 bags and every single editing program just in case. In reality we only really use 20% of that stuff most of the time. However by having all this material crap all we do is add a layer of decision making, confusion and self doubt every time we want to grab a camera to shoot. Shall i take this lens or that lens? Or maybe take them all just in case. What about the bag, shall I take the big bag or the small bag? Before you know it you’ve either wasted an hour trying to decide or you have taken the whole lot with you and have a sore back after a couple hours. 

Take your entire camera kit and half it at least. You don’t need to sell anything yet but put it in a separate box and out of the way. You want to get into a position where if you feel like going to shoot, you grab your camera and within a few minutes you’re out of the door… not spending an hour sorting through a makeshift camera store. 

If you want more practical advice, then keep 1 body and 2 lenses. One 24-70 zoom and one 35mm or 50mm prime depending on your preference. If you prefer primes then take one 28mm and one 50mm. 

Don’t stop with the decluttering process just yet. Take this time to also go through how you store, organise and manage your photos. Go through your entire digital life and make sure it is not full of clutter and mess. Clean up your Lightroom library, delete photos you don’t like and streamline the whole process. When your physical kit is minimal and tight and your digital world is clean and organised, you will have removed a huge mental barrier between you and photography. This is the first step to getting out of this rut. 

Focus On Enjoying The Process

You would have heard me bang on about enjoying the process many times. This is for good reason because many of us only focus on the end result and neglect the process. Then when the end result doesn’t materialise we are bummed out. Really think what you enjoy about photography and design an experience around it that you will enjoy from start to finish. Of course I can’t tell you what that looks like for you, but for me it is all about having a great day out. Typically I would only pick a nice sunny day. I would have a rough idea of a route through the city, typically 10-15 miles. I will start with finding a nice coffee shop at the start of the route where I can chill, get the camera out and make sure everything is set up as it should be. I would walk along the route and stop off anywhere that peaks my interest, be it another coffee shop or a museum. I try to remain curious all the time and stop as often as I can. I would then find a nice restaurant to eat at before finishing the day off with a drink somewhere with a good sunset photo spot. As you see I have created a nice day out being a tourist while also taking photos. If I come home without a single “banger” image, then I still would have practiced my craft, had great coffee and food, got my steps in and ultimately had a fantastic day out. For some the process is all about climbing a mountain in the dark, setting up a tripod and taking a single photo. For others it is all about having photo meets and spending time shooting with like minded people. Spend time and really think what do you enjoy about the process. Because when you enjoy the process, everything else falls into place and the end results or the “bangers” will come. 

Integrate Into Your Daily Life 

I will admit that I am privileged to be in a position where I can spent as much time as I want out taking photos. However it has not always been like that and for most of us with busy careers and family life, carving out time for photography can seem impossible. By this point you would have minimised your kit and found a way to enjoy the process of photography. Now it’s time to see how you can integrate it into your daily life. Again, everyone is different and I can only speak for myself here however I believe that these tips will help you. First of all make sure your camera is always with you. 

If you own a 5kg DSLR from 5 years ago, it is time to get rid of that and get yourself a nice compact APSC system that can fit into a small sling or a coat pocket. A lot of my best and favourite photos were taken when I was going somewhere and not out to shoot specifically. Secondly, find ways where you can maximise time outside. For example if you work in the city and commute in, why not leave 30 minutes earlier, get off a couple stops before and walk the last mile. During that walk you can get your camera out and see what you can get. Maybe do the same during your lunch break if you can. Same can be said for editing and organising all your photos. If you have a giant PC work station at home that requires you to sit at a desk and sort everything out, get rid of that, grab an iPad or something similar and edit in the park while your kids are playing football. Photography is one of the most flexible hobbies one can have, so really have a think how you can integrate it into your life.

Take Snapshots 

This one might upset the purists who “make photos” and believe every image they take must be a thought out masterpiece, but it doesn’t matter. Take pointless snapshots… why? Well because it is fun to just take random photos without any expectation of what they should or shouldn’t be. Because most of the time when we go out to shoot, there is a degree of seriousness to it in regards to getting the best shot possible and putting as much effort in as we can. So if you do happen to have a family weekend where “serious photography” is not possible, just throw a 35mm prime on and take random, pointless and dumb snapshots. It will be fun for you, less pressure on your family who is with you and you never know, maybe there will be something decent at the end of it. I do this all the time. For each day where i am focused on getting good shots, there is a day where I just don’t care and take pointless snapshots. At the end of the day, this is how we started, snapshots of our day out.