“I don’t pick up my camera every day. But every day, I see frames.”
During my internal quest about my relationship with photography as an expression, I discovered that I always come back to it. Photography is like a home for my mind. It grounds me. It not only makes me feel alive but also helps me appreciate life more.
There are days when I forget to pick up my camera as I get tangled in my duties as a small business owner and a responsible parent. Sometimes, I realize it’s been months since I’ve created images for myself! Only working on client projects and focusing on the business side of things makes me feel like something is missing. The initial spark that pushed me toward photography seems to be fading. Sometimes, I wonder if I could just view it as a hobby and rediscover my love for visual aesthetics and storytelling.
But somehow, I manage to pick up my camera, wipe the dust off, and go for a walk in my neighbourhood. I click away without judging my frames, without any judgment for the initial impulse that makes me press the shutter button. During these walks, I don’t feel lonely. The act of looking for frames becomes meditative—a study, a practice. And like all practices, you are forever a learner.
I have been going through this loop for over 13 years now. I was curious to know if other experienced photographers ever face this ebb and flow of the desire to photograph. What keeps them going? How do they keep their passion and child-like playfulness alive when it comes to creativity? I asked 13 photographers from different genres all over the world what keeps their passion alive after so many years in photography, and this is what they had to say.
To summarise, and my two cents:
1. Challenging Yourself
Here are some ideas:
• Exhausting your memory card in one day: Use up all the space on your memory card in one practice session (200-300 RAW images).
• Restricting yourself to a particular camera mode, only taking pictures with one lens, or photographing every day at the same time.
• Trying film photography or using a different type of camera you’ve never tried before.
• Personal projects you’ve always wanted to explore.
2. Learning from mentors, online classes, and workshops. This will help you develop new perspectives and skills.
3. Meeting other photographers through photo walks and meetups. Sometimes, inspiration can strike externally.
4. Force yourself to practice every day. Photograph a place or a daily routine every day. A very popular and useful project for growth is Project 365, where you create one good image every day for 365 days.
5. Stop scrolling on Instagram and write down what truly inspires you. Why do you make pictures? Write down your answers. Find your unique creative voice.
6. Welcome the break. Sometimes, it is okay to take a break from handling the camera. Just being in the moment and observing the world keenly, can spark new ideas. Consuming other media (such as films, books, performing arts, art museums, and theatre plays), dancing, painting, gardening, spending time with kids, and travelling, go a long way in refreshing the mind. Sometimes, "taking it easy" can feed into your creativity. You never know, the next inspiration may strike when you are staring at some white cottony clouds out of a window or watering your plants!
I believe this article serves as a jumpstart if you’re feeling like you’re stuck in a rut and if you feel like your camera and creativity need some love.
Know that there are no rights or wrongs in art—there are only voices and expressions. I wish you free-flowing creativity on your photographic journey and in your art this year.
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