Losing interest in Photography

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Have really found myself the past while losing complete interest in photography

I rarely take my cameras out at all now, been shooting professionally (part time) for a few years and have put alot of it down to that

I have a busy schedule next year and can honestly say I'm no longer motivated at the thoughts of it

If only for the fact I have jobs next year I think I would sell all my gear and get a smaller camera.

Any tips on relighting the fire for it so to speak?
 
buy a film camera ;)

or generally do something completely different to what you do proffesionally
 
My passion would be wildlife, nature and landscape. Time permitting I think I would pursue those avenues.

A film camera would be great.
 
peanuts on ebay - you can get something like an OM10 or a Pentax ME and a lens for less than 20 quid

the bottom line to regaining the mojo is to do something you enjoy which isn't work you have to do.
 
I burnt out working professionally. I rekindled my interest by starting to study History of Art at university - I've been prolific over the last few months!

Depends what your interests are, but personally I'd spend some days alone with a notebook in some art galleries seeing work that challenges me.
 
Hi Anthony I hade the same feeling when I retired from shooting professionally for 30+ years. I had a couple of years brake before I picked up a camera again. Now I enjoy being able to photograph whatever I want when I want and how I want. Without having to satisfy anyone else. Its fantastic
 
I do honestly think the business side of it kills my motivation. I think I will call it quits next year and keep it as a hobby. Thanks for the feedback guys good to hear from some people in the same scenario :)
 
I can identify where you are coming from.

I work in it support and so I love the photography side, but the thought of spending a few hours on a computer processing shots is blurrrgh after a busy week.

I used to tinker with Linux boxes and do loads of programming as a hobby.. I barely touch a computer out of work if I can help it, I do all my leisure browsing on a tablet.

I imagine I'd eventually feel the same about photography if I did it professionally full time.

I don't mind doing the odd paid portrait shoot for people because I can do those at my own pace and there isn't any pressure, but the thought of doing weddings every weekend I think would kill my passion, I'd never want to do that as a pro.
 
When I was younger I really liked cooking - wanted to turn my passion into my profession and trained as a chef. Turned out cooking for a living was a lot less fun than cooking for .. well fun. (I know you do need to eat but there is no need to spend hours reading cookbooks and creating elaborate meals in order to do that). Being told what to cook, when to cook it and doing it over and over again as fast as possible while being shouted at was no match to spending ages deciding what you wanted to cook and buying ingredients then doing so while leisurely sipping a glass of red wine and chatting to your flatmates. :) Not that I expected it to be but I did find turning a hobby into a profession took the shine off the hobby as it were - so similar kind of thing. :)
 
CharlotteM said:
Depends what your interests are, but personally I'd spend some days alone with a notebook in some art galleries seeing work that challenges me.
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This^^^

Go see some exhibitions. Get inspired.
 
cuthbert said:
I can identify where you are coming from.

I work in it support and so I love the photography side, but the thought of spending a few hours on a computer processing shots is blurrrgh after a busy week.

I used to tinker with Linux boxes and do loads of programming as a hobby.. I barely touch a computer out of work if I can help it, I do all my leisure browsing on a tablet.

I imagine I'd eventually feel the same about photography if I did it professionally full time.

I don't mind doing the odd paid portrait shoot for people because I can do those at my own pace and there isn't any pressure, but the thought of doing weddings every weekend I think would kill my passion, I'd never want to do that as a pro.
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Nail, hammer, head.
That's why I will be leaving IT support on Friday!
 
Take a break. Do something new. Dont push it, if it is a true passion then it will emerge again and typically stronger.

The problem is some people think they have to be a 'photographer' rather than simply enjoy using a camera, not saying this is your case, but I have seen it often.
 
cuthbert said:
I can identify where you are coming from.

I work in it support and so I love the photography side, but the thought of spending a few hours on a computer processing shots is blurrrgh after a busy week.

I used to tinker with Linux boxes and do loads of programming as a hobby.. I barely touch a computer out of work if I can help it, I do all my leisure browsing on a tablet.

I imagine I'd eventually feel the same about photography if I did it professionally full time.

I don't mind doing the odd paid portrait shoot for people because I can do those at my own pace and there isn't any pressure, but the thought of doing weddings every weekend I think would kill my passion, I'd never want to do that as a pro.
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I'm exactly the same, and since leaving the IT profession, I'm finding I am getting round to doing all those little IT jobs and projects round the house that I could never be bothered with.
 
100% correct. There is definitely a big step from loving photography and taking nice photographs than running a business. Thanks again everyone for the input its great to hear other perspectives.
 
Looking forward to downsizing in the future to maybe a small full frame camera, Nikon DF esque or that new sony one and a few nice primes. A D3 and 70-200 is zero fun lol
 
You need to plan some interesting projects that will keep you motivated.

I have been recently overwhelmed with working for the business, and all the admin work. The next fun project could be fashion shoots or stuff that looks like high end advertising (and hopefully there may be business out of it). Business itself can be very motivating if done right.
 
I am in a similar place I havent taken my camera out for over 6 months, even went to london a few months ago to take my daughter to uni and left it at home, accidentally I might add. :oops: To be fair lots going on here, recently moved house start of my ou year so been really busy. I have been here before though and I usually find it passes in time. i still enjoy looking at a good photo and come on here often and have just recently felt the stirrings of an early autumn morning expedition :)

Steve
 
For me, photography is an important expression gateway. You should be proud of what you have achieved and look back on where you started and where you are now. Have a flick through some of your photos. I am sure they are good and you should be proud.

Just take a walk and get snapping.
 
F/1.4 said:
Looking forward to downsizing in the future to maybe a small full frame camera, Nikon DF esque or that new sony one and a few nice primes. A D3 and 70-200 is zero fun lol
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Shoot some film.
 
Hi Anthony. I can empathise with your current situation. Not knowing your span of professional subjects does create a difficulty. But, do try photographing something completely different! I used to teach ornithology, botany and ichthyology, but becoming completely involved in the subjects and learning as much as possible about them, brought about a passion in getting them correct on film. To portray the very life and environment of those diverse subjects kept the photography alive. It helped my teaching immensely, as I explained how I obtained the slides/images. This introduced an extra depth to the courses, and encouraged many students to try and capture their own images. This kept the passion alive, and the warming feedback fuelled the desire to continue for many years. I do hope this helps. Best of luck. Kind Regards. Peter.
 
I have been taking photos for nearly three years now with a slr and towards the end off last year I have set up my own photography business which I am still working on as I had a few hitches along the way. And I enjoy it apart from the paperwork side of things I have recently hit a flat spot with taking photos, but I have found ways now in which to inspire my self once more, and now I have my motorbike as soon as warmer weather gets to us again I can go further afield. And I think that is why I hit a flat spot as where I could go with my camera was very limited.
 
skysh4rk said:
Shoot some film.
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I don't see how film can help, other than frustrating and eating further into the expenditure. You either want / are motivated to do it because of some goal or not. Clunky way of working is hardly inspiring to me.
 
I suppose the business side of professional photography can easily turn an enjoyable pastime into a chore, and sour the whole experience.

You've been given good suggestions. Meet next year's committments, but don't take on any more. Find something that motivates you again - personal photography, visiting exhibitions and art galleries, study - or just put your cameras aside for a while and see what happens. Don't sell your gear unless you're absolutely sure that's what you want to do.
 
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daugirdas said:
I don't see how film can help, other than frustrating and eating further into the expenditure. You either want / are motivated to do it because of some goal or not. Clunky way of working is hardly inspiring to me.
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because its completely different from what the OP does proffesionally :thinking:
 
I suppose to some people, photography is photography is photography, regardless of format used be it 110, 35mm, Digital Dx / Fx.
I can see the argument both ways. I wouldn't say film is completely different - one still uses a camera and a lot of techniques would be exactly the same!
The difference would probably with developing the pictures at the end. Which could be theraputic for some, frustrating for others or non existant if you don't have the facilities.

To me, something completely different would be going running or cycling instead!
 
point is if the OP wants to reinvigorate his interest (rather than finding a new hobby and just keeping photography for business) then the best way is to do something different to what he does in his professional life... it doesn't have to be film , it might be focussing on landscape or wildlife, or macro , or doing a 365 , or legoraphy or whatever just something that's different to the 9-5 grind
 
big soft moose said:
point is if the OP wants to reinvigorate his interest (rather than finding a new hobby and just keeping photography for business) then the best way is to do something different to what he does in his professional life... it doesn't have to be film , it might be focussing on landscape or wildlife, or macro , or doing a 365 , or legoraphy or whatever just something that's different to the 9-5 grind
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For me it was turning my business round and pointing it in the direction that I wanted to go. Getting people to hire me for the work that *I* wanted to do. I used to be hired to shoot 50 products a day for big high street catalogues. Now I sell my photographic art work and I write about photographers and art.

It's not always about doing something completely different. Sometimes it's about just making the world line up with what you really want to do.
 
CharlotteM said:
For me it was turning my business round and pointing it in the direction that I wanted to go. Getting people to hire me for the work that *I* wanted to do. I used to be hired to shoot 50 products a day for big high street catalogues. Now I sell my photographic art work and I write about photographers and art.

.
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which is completely different to doing product photography... my core point was that if the OPs pro work saps his enthusiasm he needs a different kind of photography to reinvigorate it. If he can make that happen in his work then great, but if not then as a hobby
 
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big soft moose said:
which is completely different to doing product photography... my point
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But my point was, rather than just keeping the crappy paid work that you don't like and doing something else in your spare time to try and make it bearable, why not just do the work you like doing in the first place? My 'fun' shooting is my 'work' shooting. I don't need to do something different because I don't have boring work.

Which means I can spend my spare time doing things like triathlons which is totally different to my job, and not just a way of trying to force myself to think that I love what I do.
 
daugirdas said:
I don't see how film can help, other than frustrating and eating further into the expenditure. You either want / are motivated to do it because of some goal or not. Clunky way of working is hardly inspiring to me.
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CharlotteM said:
That would make me give it up forever...
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The OP was looking for something different, which doesn't necessarily need to be film, but it's just one of many suggestions. That said, film doesn't need to be the frustrating/clunky experience that you're both suggesting.

I often find digital photography to be frustrating (I don't like sitting at my computer all the time playing with raw files, I like to shoot).

With film, I get to enjoy using all sorts of interesting cameras and when I'm done, I simply mail off my film for a lab to worry about all of the development, scanning, and post-processing work, which then leaves more time for playing with cameras again.

Sometimes though, I also develop my own photos in the spare bathroom (usually when I shoot black and white film). Film can be as hands off or hands on as you want. :)
 
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daugirdas said:
I don't see how film can help, other than frustrating and eating further into the expenditure. You either want / are motivated to do it because of some goal or not. Clunky way of working is hardly inspiring to me.
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It makes you think harder. With my DSLR I sometimes go out and limit myself to 36 frames all day. Makes you take more time and set the shot up better.

Next year I've set myself a challenge of taking some photos on the Western Front (seemed apt as it's a subject that you won't be able to miss next year). Will probably go early in the year to get some mud, mist and frost in the shots.
 
I know quiet a few people who have gone back to film for while,or in the days of film switched to using an large format camera,nd it worked for them :)
 
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