Recently I ran a poll to find out what photographers struggle with most and results showed that lack of time and energy was by far the most popular. We all have the same 24 hours so why is it that some people achieve so much while others feel like they’re always struggling to manage it all?
The secret is goal setting and time management. Unless we schedule dedicated time in our calendars we'll always let other stuff get in the way, until some beautiful sunset or special event is demanding enough that we reach for the camera.
GOAL SETTING
There are a lot of things in the world to photograph and indecision about what to choose next, combined with the frustration of our photos not always turning out as we hoped, means photography gets tossed in the too hard basket. So how do we get past these hurdles?
With projects.
Humans are goal oriented. Give us a task and a time challenge or reward and we’ll get the job done. It’s lack of direction that cripples us.
Projects for photographers come in many forms from beginner to advanced. Here's a few you might like to consider:
Photograph the same object 50 ways
This is a good exercise in teaching yourself to see differently and to never settle for the obvious angle. You’ll eventually be forced to get creative.
Single subject with different lenses
Choose a subject and photograph it using different lenses. This is a great way to learn and compare the capabilities of your different lenses.
Wide angle vs telephoto lenses
Pick a colour
Select a colour and photograph only items of that colour.
Use only one variable
If you’re still coming to grips with camera settings, this one may help. Choose only one setting to focus on – such as long shutter speed, fast shutter speed, wide aperture, narrow aperture. And only use that setting to see what interesting things you can capture.
A day in the life
Choose a person or object and photograph them over the course of a day.
365, 52, 30 day projects
It takes a brave soldier to do a 365 and I wouldn’t personally recommend it. When you make photography a daily chore you will start to hate photography, not love it. I’ve seen so many photographers complete 365s, never to be heard from again. But taking or creating a photo for 52 weeks or 30 days is certainly more manageable. If you need ideas, there are plenty of online 52 week projects that run every year. Our Creative Photo Folk membership is full of projects with regular challenges to keep you creating.
Create a blog
Creating a blog is a lot of work but this is exactly the project that worked for me. On a regular schedule – weekly, fortnightly, monthly – create an image and write about the process of capturing it. This helped keep me motivated with the added benefit of raising my profile and inspiring others. When I did eventually stop blogging I also stopped creating for quite some time, so that’s when I realised that projects are key for motivation.
Organise a group shoot
Make yourself accountable by bringing others on board. Create a concept, recruit a model, include some props, tell a story.
Plan one good image – make instead of take
Instead of a photography excursion where you take lots of images, plan to take only one good one (though you may need to take several to nail that one good one). This may require location scouting to choose your subject, creative research for ideas on how to shoot it, and some intervention to get the best result (if you choose a flower, for example, perhaps take some plain cardboard to remove distractions and use a flash to highlight the subject.) I personally work far better when I create only one great image, than when I take hundreds.
One good image (even though it took several photos to achieve)
I developed Creative Photo Folk because I wholeheartedly believe that projects are the key to learning and staying motivated with photography. The membership is full of fun creative projects to help give you goals so you’re never stuck for what to shoot next, while improving your skills in a logical order at the same time.
TIME MANAGEMENT
Projects are one thing, but if you struggle with time management your guilt will only compound if you choose a project and don’t complete it.
Having a hobby is absolutely vital to your mental well-being, just as exercise is for your body. Stop thinking of it as an after thought.
Time management is actually stupidly easy. Get a diary, a calendar, a time management app, and each day or week create time for your photography. Do not give that time to anything else, and if you must then reschedule it. If it helps, break your project down into smaller goals and schedule those for each day.
If you truly, absolutely, have no minutes to spare, then work your camera into your everyday routines. Photograph while you’re cooking, on a lunch break, watching the kids. Take your camera with you wherever you go. And if you can’t be shooting, be learning! Read your favourite photography blogs or watch your favourite YouTube photographers so next time you pick up the camera you’re already one step ahead.
Discover what inspires you. If going to an art gallery fires you up creatively, then go to more art galleries. Look at art online. Make notes when you feel inspiration hit and turn those notes into ideas.
But also, do not beat yourself up if you don’t meet your own expectations. These are learning opportunities to discover what your blocks are and navigate around them. Some days just aren’t productive days and that’s okay. Remember what drew you to photography in the first place and try again tomorrow.
What are you going to do to improve your photography today?
