Do you ever have days where you don’t want to pick up your camera? Do you feel like all your creative juices have been flushed down the toilet? Fret not folks, losing your photography mojo is an actual thing and I’m here to tell you that it’s completely normal and show you my top 7 tips to get it back.
At some point in our lives we all lose our mojo for different things and for different reasons but it’s seldom talked about. You may have read my blog 10 reasons why I love photography. It’s been life changing for me in lots of ways. As creative people we’re expected to be inspired every single waking day but do you know what? I’m all about keeping it real and sometimes we have days where we’re just not feeling it 100%.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my job and feel privileged to be the chosen one to photograph my clients’ weddings in Angus, Dundee and beyond but once in a while we all lose our mojo for a little while.
Whether you’ve lost your cooking inspiration or you’re losing your passion for exercise, it happens to us all. I don’t want you to fall out of love with photography so I’m going to share with you my tips to help you bring back your mojo.
7 top tips to help you find your photography mojo
Watch this video right here or read on.
1. Change your scenery
Sometimes visiting a new location is all we need to feed our creative minds. It can be a day trip or a month-long adventure, just pick somewhere that you haven’t been to before and see what possibilities await when you get there. You don’t even need to travel out of your own town. I bet there will be places on your own doorstep that you haven’t yet explored. Just get out there and do it! I love to use Pinterest for planning trips away and have created a photography location inspiration board for this. Whenever I see photos online that inspire me I pin them to my board so I never run out of new places to photograph.
2. Take a big giant leap out of your comfort zone
That was deliberate, I didn’t just say step out of your comfort zone. Yes, I’m giving you permission to take a mahoosive (yes, that’s a word in my book!) leap out of your comfort zone to do something that you’ve never done before. Perhaps you love to photograph landscapes but have never tried macro. Seriously, just try it. What’s the worst that can happen? So you might not get the shots initially that you want but that’s ok. Life is a journey with lots of learning curves along the way and if you don’t take a giant leap out of your comfort zone, or maybe a tiny wee baby step, you’ll never know what you’re capable of. So just go ahead and try something new and you may surprise yourself. You might even find your new favourite thing!
3. Make some new friends
I’m sure you already have fantastic friends but hobbies can be enjoyed far more when you have friends that really get what you’re into. It’s all very well knowing your apertures from your shutter speeds and ISOs but if you start explaining that to a friend that has zero interest in photography you’re going to be met by a blank face and that’s no fun for anyone. There are lots of photography clubs around that will welcome you with open arms. You’ll find people at the same stage in their journey as you and others that can help you if you’re struggling with your photography. Then you can enjoy days out with your new friends. That’s a win win!
4. Try out a shiny new (or nearly new) lens
Sometimes you can get a whole new appreciation for photography just by using a different lens. Before you commit to buying a new lens why don’t you try before you buy and hire one for a few days? I highly recommend Lenses For Hire. Or perhaps you can talk nicely to one of your new friends (see tip 3 above) and do a wee swap.
5. Get a grip of your photos
Ask yourself, how often do you ever print your photos? Well I’m telling you now, get your photos off your computer and print them. Frame them, put them on your walls, on your desk, make them into calendars, give them to your friends and family. Pick them up and look at them. Literally surround yourself with your beautiful photos and remind yourself just how far you’ve come in your journey. Walking into a room and seeing your own photos on the walls reminds you of your passion and all the people you’ve met and places you’ve gone to that have helped inspire you along the way. That feels so good for the soul so go on, do it!
6. Be a bookworm
Yip, it’s time for you to put down the camera, switch off the tv, your mobile, social media and anything else that might distract you, even if it’s just for 10 minutes every day before you go to sleep at night. Pick up a book or magazine and read, or look at the pictures. There are so many photography books that will inspire you, no matter what subject you like to photograph.
7. Cut yourself some slack
If all else fails, purposefully take some time away from photography and trust that your mojo will return in time, one way or another. Sometimes you just have to stop putting so much pressure on yourself and cut yourself a little slack. We all go through ups and downs in our lives and it is ok to put your camera down for a while. When you take a little time away you might find that you’ll come back with even more enthusiasm than you had before!
Over to you
Jump into the comments below and let me know what you do to get your creative juices flowing again.