Do you love photography but find yourself rarely getting out to take photographs? I’ve been there before and it’s so frustrating!
When you have a million things going on in your life, it can be a challenge to get out and practice taking pictures. Through trial and error, I’ve discovered ways to help myself overcome this!
5 tips to help you take MORE photographs
1. Start small.
Sometimes the hardest part is picking up your camera to take pictures.
So pick your camera up and shoot something… anything.
If you can’t make yourself leave the house, you can take pictures of the way the light plays in your house. Or of your animals being cute. Or maybe something you see on the way to work or while out running errands.
Don’t make a huge deal about taking a picture, just start small and shoot something.
2. Go for a photo walk.
One of my favorite ways to make myself take pictures is to bring my camera with me on what I like to call “photo walks”. I am a big fan of walks. Walks help me become present. They’re often when I do my best thinking and problem-solving.
When I wanted to take more photographs and practice with my camera, I would occasionally bring my camera with me on my daily walks. My daily walks aren’t anything “special” and I often stick to the same 1-2 routes. However, bringing my camera made me observe things differently. It made me look for things worth taking pictures of. I started by looking for small details to document, like the seasonal changes in my environment.
These photos were always simple but they helped me get started, helped me practice, and get to know my camera settings better.
You can even invite a friend or family member with you on your photo walks to make it more exciting and help yourself get out of the house!
3. Bring your camera with you everywhere you go.
Okay, maybe not everywhere. But bring it with you often. Have errands to run in town? Bring your camera. Going to meet friends at a local spot? Bring your camera with you.
You might be surprised at how much easier it is to use your camera when you always have it on you.
For example, last winter, a time of the year when most photographers would rather stay inside than take photographs in the cold, I decided to bring my camera with me when I was invited to an art gallery about an hour away for a friend’s birthday outing. I parked a little further from the venue so I could walk with my camera there and back. I didn’t have much luck on the way there but I got a couple of good shots afterward. If I didn’t bring my camera with me that day, I would not have taken this photo below!
Bonus tip: If able, purchase a small, lightweight camera to carry around with you. It makes bringing your camera with you a lot easier. I purchased a Sony a6600 camera a few years ago for this reason, and it helped me take more pictures than ever. It does get bulky once you add lenses, though. If you’re looking for something smaller, there are tons of options out there for travel cameras!
4. Schedule a time to take photographs:
Seriously, put it on your calendar.
Plan a time to take photos and don’t cancel on yourself when it comes time to do it.
When I wanted to take more photos, I started scheduling a time to do so.
It doesn’t have to be an all-day event, it can simply be a 30-minute or even 1-2 hour outing.
Look for areas or places that have a scene you’re interested in checking out or capturing.
When living in France, it was a lot easier to find new areas to explore. But now that I am back in the United States in a place I’ve lived for years, I have found it more challenging.
However, there is beauty in the mundane if you look for it. So don’t make excuses, try to see things from a new perspective, and be patient with yourself while navigating it.
This past year, I scheduled many photo outings with myself. You can check out a few of these albums here.
- View my Hyeres, France photo album here.
- View my Le Castellet, France photo album here.
5. Sign up for a photography challenge.
Need something to motivate you to take more photographs and actually use your camera?
You could benefit from committing to a photo challenge. Whether it’s a photo challenge you create or someone else’s!
Having just completed a 365-day photo challenge (that I made up on a whim) this past year, I can tell you that committing to a photo challenge completely changed my photography. It made me more consistent (and more confident) with my camera than I ever have been before.
If you’ve found yourself dabbling in the above items I’ve mentioned and you’re still having a hard time staying consistent, you should consider starting a photo challenge.
Summary:
If you’re in a photography slump or want to get started with photography and need actions to help you get out and take more photographs then all the suggestions in this blog can help you get there!
If you’re struggling to pick up your camera and take more photographs, start with the following actions:
- Start small, shoot something… anything.
- Go for a photo walk, solo or with friends.
- Bring your camera with you everywhere you go.
- Schedule a photography outing with yourself (or someone else). Seriously, put it on the calendar.
- Sign up for or create your own photography challenge to follow. A GAME-CHANGER action.
Are you a fellow photography lover who loves to travel, let’s be friends on Instagram!
