I've lost my mojo

[Josh Bear]

Dear All,

A little advice please. Since May I have only taken a handful of photographs. A couple of local floods, a couple of a family day out in Windsor and that is about it.

For some reason I seem to have lost motivation. I feel the need for a good landscape photography session and on 3 occasions have left home in the early evening looking for a "good" picture opportunity but come home with literally nothing.

So in an effort to find my mojo I have booked thursday off work and bought an OS map of the southdowns around Brighton. My plan is to be at the "right" location for Dawn and then see what happens.

So two questions:-

1. Would Anyone suggest a good location to kick start me? Cheeky I know but I think I need a spark to rekindle the fire and don't want to risk coming home with nothing.

2. Has anyone else lost motivation and how did you get it back?.

Best Regards

Josh

[Stephen]

Re: I've lost my mojo

Dear All,

A little advice please. Since May I have only taken a handful of photographs. A couple of local floods, a couple of a family day out in Windsor and that is about it.

For some reason I seem to have lost motivation. I feel the need for a good landscape photography session and on 3 occasions have left home in the early evening looking for a "good" picture opportunity but come home with literally nothing.

So in an effort to find my mojo I have booked thursday off work and bought an OS map of the southdowns around Brighton. My plan is to be at the "right" location for Dawn and then see what happens.

So two questions:-

1. Would Anyone suggest a good location to kick start me? Cheeky I know but I think I need a spark to rekindle the fire and don't want to risk coming home with nothing.

2. Has anyone else lost motivation and how did you get it back?.

Best Regards

Josh

I think it happens to a lot of us Josh, from time to time. What you need is a like minded friend you can go out with and who can offer the motivational spur to get you out. If you make a commitment to go somewhere you will do it with someone else. Whilst left to your own devices you often can't be bothered. So in many respects you have done well to have developed a plan for Thursday

I don't really know the Downs area but, if you check out some photo sites that have galleries and do a search for a location you can often get some good ideas. I've recently searched the galleries on ephotozine and got some good results.

Perhaps you should consider the ultimate challenge and come with us on Sept 6th

[Josh Bear]

Re: I've lost my mojo

Thanks for the photosites idea Stephen. I will have a look. I would love to come on the 6th but I am in Berlin with work. I will keep an eye out for other minimeets etc

Best Regards

Josh

[paul.r.w]

Re: I've lost my mojo

This weather is enough to drown anyones motivation. I've been hanking to get out and take some "sunny" pics. Every time I get a day off it's 'orrible!

[Josh Bear]

Re: I've lost my mojo

true. I have seen great photographs of rain and dark clouds but this "greyness" we are stuck I think would challenge even the most creative photographer.

Best Regards

Simon

[Bearface]

Re: I've lost my mojo

Lost mojo - despression, frustration and/or apparent loss of inspiration - is common among creative people and you shouldn't worry about it too much. However you shouldn't assume that simply popping over to a nice spot and rattling off some pretty photos will bring you around, because we're all a bit more complex than that. Sometimes we have to give ourselves a kick up the a*se

What Stephen has suggested (about going on a shoot with a friend or associate who shares your interest in photography) is a good idea. Often, if you spend time assessing locations, looking at tidal patterns and considering the weather etc., your motivation returns and with it the inspiration you're currently missing. It's a bit like the period before you go on holiday; somehow all the preparation and anticipation puts you in the mood long before you even reach the airport, and it's this feeling that I'm talking about in relation to planning a shoot.

Involving a friend (especially someone who knows you're not firing on all cylinders...) forces you to organise your mind and get involved in the planning discussions and preparation, which in turn starts to generate the motivation, quickly followed by the ideas. It's good to start thinking about these things a couple of weeks ahead and to put aside a couple of suitable dates in case the weather doesn't play ball. However if you treat the shoot more like an event and discuss your ideas in the days leading up to the big day, you'll get your mojo back, I guarantee it.

The idea of planning a shoot like a military operation might seem a tad OTT at first, but the best preparation and planning makes for successful shoots, and more importantly, it pulls you out of the creative void that you currently find yourself in. Believe me, the very idea that your next shoot could produce a world-class photo is very motivational.........I'm as exited about the Hadrians Wall shoot in September as anything else I've done photographically, because it could well produce the photo that defines my career. Adopt that kind of attitude and you'll be suprised how enthusiastic and creative you'll suddenly feel

And the weather..? Scr*w the weather mate, because we live in Britain and it's rarely ideal. Just keep your eye on the forecasts and go for the windows; there are plenty coming up. If you miss the clear days, use those gloomy skies and make something happen...

You'll be fine. Keep smiling

[jds9000]

Re: I've lost my mojo

It happens .....

I took nothing for weeks and weeks, then one day I stopped off in a car park, (waiting for the missus to finish some hairdressing), and a Kestrel settled on post some 10 feet away ! ..... no camera !!
Then next day it rained like a monsoon, which sounds depressing, but when the wind blew it off the roofs ... sideways .... and then stopped, so there were big puddles, a rainbow, and cars driving past creating a spray and a couple of soggy seagulls .....

There is always something .... even the rain itself, have you ever tried various speeds to 'catch a rain drop' ? ....... bit sad I know, but good practice !!

Just my 'threepenny' bits worth !
(for the under 30's a threepenny bit was a rather odd shaped 3 old pence piece.)

Jay

[yoshi]

Re: I've lost my mojo

2. Has anyone else lost motivation and how did you get it back?.

Josh

It's just normal to have up and downs of motivation. If you can consider the period a good opportunity for warming up, then it's ok. While I lived in a big city, i tried to visit photo exhibitions or to spend more time watching at photography magazines.
Now living in a smaller city where photo exhibitions are rare, I went to a library yesterday and borrowed three photography books and have just finished "analyzing" one of them. no need of feeling guilty but even if you do, it can also be a good spiritual fermentation period.
yoshi

[Pol]

Re: I've lost my mojo

It's just normal to have up and downs of motivation. If you can consider the period a good opportunity for warming up, then it's ok. While I lived in a big city, i tried to visit photo exhibitions or to spend more time watching at photography magazines.
Now living in a smaller city where photo exhibitions are rare, I went to a library yesterday and borrowed three photography books and have just finished "analyzing" one of them. no need of feeling guilty but even if you do, it can also be a good spiritual fermentation period.
yoshi

I agree with all you say, Yoshi. Everyone occasionally needs time to stand back, relax and contemplate the universe so they can recharge their batteries.

I've had this particular page bookmarked for a very long time and I can usually find a helpful paragraph in there to ponder.

Pol

[cowcrzy06]

Re: I've lost my mojo

Josh,


Sorry I cannot help with suggestions of a location unless you are willing to travel to America! Right now I am taking a photography course. This has challenged me a lot! Before I started the class My mind was becoming a creative blank from doing the same thing all the time. This class has motivated me to get out again. So you could try to take a photography class. There is often everything from beginner to advanced. Online classes usually go at your own pace, ( for us folks who work for a living!) and challenge you with assignments. usually you are doing things that you have never tried and this can give you a new and fresh perspective on things. Or if you want to go the less expensive route try to open up the galleries and find a section that you have never posted a
picture in before or have not posted that many in. Then set yourself a goal and challenge yourself to get a picture for that gallery! I hope this helps!

[yoshi]

[Josh Bear]

Re: I've lost my mojo

thanks all. Lots of great advice. Pol that link is fab.

Thanks

Josh

PS Thursday was cancelled due to work.