i don't know if it is the summer heat or the fact that i have already photographed everything in a 5 mile area but lately i've been finding it very hard to stay motivated to shoot my picture each day. any suggestions on how to overcome this?
i know how you're feeling...been there a few weeks ago. i just kept shooting but allowed myself some slack. then i started participating with the selfie challenge and the weekly theme. hopefully what your feeling won't last long. hang on in there!
@kellitolocka struggling with this, too. And it's not even hot here in OR. One suggestion would be to try some of the weekly challenges, or possibly some of those sites/blogs that offer daily challenge assignments.
I am usually unmotivated when I'm feeling "blue" so I'll do one of three things. 1) I'll make myself go somewhere different so I'm seeing new things. 2) I'll participate in one of the challenges so that I have to fire up the brain cells or 3) I'll use a filler or process a photo I wanted to post but haven't yet. Don't feel bad about being in a slump-everyone goes through it at least once. You're in good company.
Look at those places you've shoot before but try and see them from a different perspective. If it's somewhere you always shoot wildlife look at it from a landscape perspective. Take the gardens for instance instead of wildlife look for that scenic shoot over the water.
Try something that will prompt you to break out of your comfort zone. A to Z challenge, selfies, Movies, Music, you name it. I found a healthy dose of something new seems to spark back some life.
I find a recently taken photo and start processing it. That almost always leads me to something. Also - I've started keeping a little list of things I'd like to photograph so I'll have something to turn to when I can't think of anything. Or - I go somewhere and see what's there - a walk, a drive, downtown, etc.
That happened to me yesterday, was so uninspired. Then I climbed a mountain for a new view and perspective which helped energize me. So I would suggest going in search of someplace new to explore!
When i'm unmotivated I find playing video games or reading tends to jumpstart my mojo. You'd be surprised at how video games can motivate. Other times i'll put on my headphones and lay down in a calm place and listen to music for an hour or so.
@kellitolocka Have you tried any of the themes. I have been on 365 only since the end of May. I really enjoyed doing the ABC's. Black and White was fun. Recently I was inspired to start looking at things that I have seen so many times before only looking at them in a new way
I think many of us go through times where we experience a lack of motivation. When I am all out of ideas, sometimes I revist something I have done previously with the intention on improving it. We can often look back at our shots and think 'what would I have done differently' and times of lulls in the brain waves gives an excellent oppourtunity to explore that shot in a different way. Good luck, know its just a moment and sooner or later it will pass and you will be back to happy snapping.
Get outside your comfort zone... I got over photographing everythign in a 5 mile radius too, so I am TRYING to start settign up photos, somethign I have always found difficult. Self-portrais, nudes, simple photos with lots of post-editing... anything that you HAVEN'T tried before, give it a go... I am 300 photos in and god knows, I've suffered from lack of motivation. The only thing that has successfully snapped me out of it has been making myself do something I've been 'scared of' or disinterested in.
Sometimes my 365 friends have got sick of my whinging and dared me to do a particular type of picture... and that's been enough to get the creative juices flowing again :) Good luck!
The majority of my pictures are within a 5 mile radius too. I know I haven't photographed everything here. Every day brings something new because the seasons change, the weather changes, my mood changes. The details are what bring my little corner of this world to life. Look to the details and apply what you are learning from others here.
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It's already helped me out with my photo for today - http://365project.org/tashachawner/365/2011-07-30
Definitely worth a read!
Cheers,
Tasha
Sometimes my 365 friends have got sick of my whinging and dared me to do a particular type of picture... and that's been enough to get the creative juices flowing again :) Good luck!