I can't tell you how many of my friends bought DSLR, with an intention of learning photography and then just gave up everything in few months. With all the other work and responsibilities that we have, we tend to put a hold on our passion and eventually end up giving up what we like to do.
Just like every other hobby or passion, to keep it alive, you have to keep yourself motivated, no matter what. So - how exactly can we do it? Here are the 5 things that I recommend that you do, to keep your passion alive.
1. Love what you do
This is the first and the most important thing to keep you motivated. You need to love what you shoot. Period. You may not be the best photographer and might not have got the most amazing shot that there is. But if you like it, you will spend more time and click some more pictures. Sure - 5 years down the line when you look at your archives, you may not like most of the pictures you clicked, but they did their job. They kept you motivated to reach the level of photography you do today.
2. Be with people who genuinely appreciates and critiques you
It doesn't matter what your job or passion is, you need to be around people who genuinely appreciate your work and critique it whenever necessary. Such people are difficult to find, but once you find them, don't leave them. They will keep you going, without virtually doing anything.
3. Make it part of your routine/schedule
Just like you brush your teeth everyday and pay your bills every months, you need to give time to your photography and put it somewhere in your routine. How much time should you give? It really depends on you. I follow a schedule of reading about photography 15 mins everyday and plan a photoshoot at least once in a month. Reading alone will not improve your photography. Go out there and click some pictures. Find out how busy you are and then make time for your passion.
4. See other photographers work & find a mentor
Any form is art is about imagination and that usually comes with inspiration. I can't tell you how much I have learned just by looking at pictures that others have clicked. Start following photographers of your genre. I am sure you will have a lot of "Eureka" moments when you see other's work. Better is if you are able to talk to the photographer you admire and he acts as your mentor.
5. Do something else too
I think this one is self-explanatory. No matter what passion you have, you have to do different things, take different experiences. The more diverse your life is, better are the chances that you will make better pictures and keep your self motivated. If you are stuck with one thing, that is the worst thing that you do. That will definitely derail you.
I hope after reading this article, you will be able to keep yourself motivated and take your photography to newer heights. But before I leave you today, I want to give you a BONUS. It is actually an extension of my 1st point about loving your photography.
We all should love our work, but we should stop judging it. Don't judge your work based on what someone else thinks or says. Don't judge your work by looking at how many "Likes" you get on Facebook or on other social media. Yes, you want to share your photos on social media for others to see and appreciate, but not getting Likes does not mean photo is bad. Infact - getting a lot of likes doesn't mean your work is good either. So - trust your imagination, trust your skills. If you got the shot that you planned to click, that's the best thing that could have happened on that day. :-)
Thank you again for reading my blog, I really appreciate your support here. Interestingly - my writing this blog is a proof that I am keeping myself motivated about photography. (At least) As of today, I don't have many readers for my blog and I don't even know if people read my post till the end. Let's prove that by asking you a simple question. If you have read till the end, write #ReadIt in comment on my FB post Or on this post
You all have a wonderful day !!!
Just like every other hobby or passion, to keep it alive, you have to keep yourself motivated, no matter what. So - how exactly can we do it? Here are the 5 things that I recommend that you do, to keep your passion alive.
1. Love what you do
This is the first and the most important thing to keep you motivated. You need to love what you shoot. Period. You may not be the best photographer and might not have got the most amazing shot that there is. But if you like it, you will spend more time and click some more pictures. Sure - 5 years down the line when you look at your archives, you may not like most of the pictures you clicked, but they did their job. They kept you motivated to reach the level of photography you do today.
2. Be with people who genuinely appreciates and critiques you
It doesn't matter what your job or passion is, you need to be around people who genuinely appreciate your work and critique it whenever necessary. Such people are difficult to find, but once you find them, don't leave them. They will keep you going, without virtually doing anything.
3. Make it part of your routine/schedule
Just like you brush your teeth everyday and pay your bills every months, you need to give time to your photography and put it somewhere in your routine. How much time should you give? It really depends on you. I follow a schedule of reading about photography 15 mins everyday and plan a photoshoot at least once in a month. Reading alone will not improve your photography. Go out there and click some pictures. Find out how busy you are and then make time for your passion.
4. See other photographers work & find a mentor
Any form is art is about imagination and that usually comes with inspiration. I can't tell you how much I have learned just by looking at pictures that others have clicked. Start following photographers of your genre. I am sure you will have a lot of "Eureka" moments when you see other's work. Better is if you are able to talk to the photographer you admire and he acts as your mentor.
5. Do something else too
I think this one is self-explanatory. No matter what passion you have, you have to do different things, take different experiences. The more diverse your life is, better are the chances that you will make better pictures and keep your self motivated. If you are stuck with one thing, that is the worst thing that you do. That will definitely derail you.
I hope after reading this article, you will be able to keep yourself motivated and take your photography to newer heights. But before I leave you today, I want to give you a BONUS. It is actually an extension of my 1st point about loving your photography.
We all should love our work, but we should stop judging it. Don't judge your work based on what someone else thinks or says. Don't judge your work by looking at how many "Likes" you get on Facebook or on other social media. Yes, you want to share your photos on social media for others to see and appreciate, but not getting Likes does not mean photo is bad. Infact - getting a lot of likes doesn't mean your work is good either. So - trust your imagination, trust your skills. If you got the shot that you planned to click, that's the best thing that could have happened on that day. :-)
Thank you again for reading my blog, I really appreciate your support here. Interestingly - my writing this blog is a proof that I am keeping myself motivated about photography. (At least) As of today, I don't have many readers for my blog and I don't even know if people read my post till the end. Let's prove that by asking you a simple question. If you have read till the end, write #ReadIt in comment on my FB post Or on this post
You all have a wonderful day !!!
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