Lost my mojo

Mozziephotography

Mozziephotography

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Stephen
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What do you do when you lose your photography mojo? Taken mainly sports images and the repetition of what I do has finely killed off the pleasure. Should I sell my gear and take up knitting or just wait for the mojo to reappear? I'm stuck at the same level of competency and becoming frustrated. Family situation means that I can't get up at 3 in the morning and trek up a mountain.
 
Take a look at Flickr or such like. Get some inspiration, maybe try table top stuff and see if you can give it your own style. It gets you thinking, even if it's not something that you want to pursue.
I like wildlife and action photography myself but can't afford the cost of good kit to get the images i want. I have found that doing the 52 challenge has really helped me discover a whole different type of photography that i like. I can take my time to think about the theme and then plan how I'm going to shoot it. Most of the photos I've taken are set up at home with minimal props.
It's a good way (for me at least) to keep me motivated.
 
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Sounds like it's time to try something different: ICM, portraits, urban or urbex, maybe birds if you have long fast lenses, or perhaps architcture (go out at night for something different).

I went through a patch of CBA about 2 years ago - put the camera down for a month or so, then started doing other things. Almost all my 'outside' photography is done in company, so I've had to learn to spot a shot & grab it while I'm walking past - can lead to disappointment, but also reduces boredom when out on a shoot.
 
40 years ago I was doing weddings and portraits, it became like working in a sausage factory.

Between then and late 2015, I just took holiday or family snaps, nothing arty, I lost my photography mojo for 40 years :)

In that time, during the 90s I had a Bronica with all the lenses, then from 2000 onwards various bridge zoom cameras. Then, in 2015 I bought a reduced price Lumix FZ 72 60x zoom (Stop Laughing).

I have never been interested in nature photography but I had to stick this zoom somewhere, so it found itself on the bird feeder in the garden. This is when I realised what a piece a crap I had actually purchased.

But, after seeing other birders photos, it gave me a challenge to improve, so bought a DSLR, the first I had owned for a long time,

The camera is superb, now it's me that's crap :)

Anyway, perhaps you need a challenge?
 
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Go out with a 35mm film fully manual camera with a 50mm lens and see how good YOU are :D
 
Thanks for all the help. I'd like to go on a course at the local college to pick up on all the "simple" things that I don't know. I can take a reasonable picture but just a bit tired of "runners".
 
I've also lost steam - my current trajectory is to sell overly specific gear and look for new photography formats. Possibly explore some exhibitions for narrative or format inspiration? For example, the Richard Mosse exhibition at the Barbican at present.
 
There is SO little upt' north in terms of photographic exhibitions. Need to google and see what is going on. JUST got a card and letter from MallariaNoMoreUk saying a big thank-you for raising over £10,000 from the sale of my images. GUILT is spreading through my veins as I type.
 
One more thing I find useful sometimes is to just choose a single prime lens - 28mm, 50mm, 85mm - pop it on the camera and just walk about using that. The technique is cliched and will stop you being able to get certain shots, but it also makes you work the instrument.
 
mossienet said:
There is SO little upt' north in terms of photographic exhibitions. Need to google and see what is going on. JUST got a card and letter from MallariaNoMoreUk saying a big thank-you for raising over £10,000 from the sale of my images. GUILT is spreading through my veins as I type.
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Don't feel guilty about the photography - £10,000 raised is fantastic - and now I understand your forum ID.
 
Can't spel up norf! MALARIA! The apostrophe man will be after me next!

ancient_mariner said:
One more thing I find useful sometimes is to just choose a single prime lens - 28mm, 50mm, 85mm - pop it on the camera and just walk about using that. The technique is cliched and will stop you being able to get certain shots, but it also makes you work the instrument.
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I've got an 18-70mm which I took on holiday to Greece last year but I only ever use a prime. A photograph on Flickr inspired me and when we went to India, I has a 35mm prime on a D7000. It was brilliant. Used my feet instead of zooming in and out and possibly missing the shot.
 
Nostromo said:
Take a look at Flickr or such like. Get some inspiration, maybe try table top stuff and see if you can give it your own style. It gets you thinking, even if it's not something that you want to pursue.
I like wildlife and action photography myself but can't afford the cost of good kit to get the images i want. I have found that doing the 52 challenge has really helped me discover a whole different type of photography that i like. I can take my time to think about the theme and then plan how I'm going to shoot it. Most of the photos I've taken are set up at home with minimal props.
It's a good way (for me at least) to keep me motivated.
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Thats exactly what I did. Hardly touched a camera for 2 years bar 2 weddings. I loved doing them but hated the pressure ( big up to the pro's ).
Went out one day with Mickledore and it's reignited my thoughts to the point I've redone my office and actually pulled out the iMac I bought over year ago thats been in the box most of it.


Find time to get out and about and take some shots just for yourself and nobody else. The fun will come back.
 
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Hi Stephen
I had a look at your images and they were very good, you are one talented Guy. I think you should go back to the start and think about what inspired you to take up a camera in the first place.
Maybe as you said "repetition killed off the pleasure"..Take a break and you will come back to it again..
 
Film cameras did it for me. Got completely bored of digital.

Bought an Olympus Trip and a pocketable little minox style one and I'm obsessed with film again. I have a stack of odd film cameras and take a different one out each time I go out. I've got a couple of trips, a couple of old Rangefinders and a couple of odd balls with zone focus and built in flashes. You don't get to see the photo the instant you take it. It remains in your head until you get the film back. Somehow faddling about loading film and winding on with a lever and using different cameras makes it more of a novelty.
 
I bought an X-T2.

Suddenly photography's interesting again.

Even more so now I've bought a fisheye.

Who knew it would be such fun photographing buildings?
 
shannensdaddy said:
Hi Stephen
I had a look at your images and they were very good, you are one talented Guy. I think you should go back to the start and think about what inspired you to take up a camera in the first place.
Maybe as you said "repetition killed off the pleasure"..Take a break and you will come back to it again..
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Thanks for taking the trouble to look through, I really appreciate it. Being on your own (photo wise) isn't easy. Spent 40 years inspiring kids to be creative (hopefully), I need someone/something to do the same for me.
"Why not try this ...." "The next time you go to a race, take ..." "What about editing an image in this way..."
Thanks again.

The reason I was inspired to take up the camera: a tour guide/photographer who didn't think much of the images I'd taken while on a group tour of Burma. Decided to prove him wrong.
 
Try changing disciplines. For years i concentrated on motor sport because i loved racing etc then i had a five year break from photography. I have just set up a small home studio and i am really enjoying learning a new skill with feedback from the community on here.
 
Trying anything that's out of your normal comfort zone will be a good start. You don't have to stick to any one type of photography after you've tried it, but just trying something different will give you the chance to see if you like that or if it gets you excited.
You seem to have stuck mostly to sports, so try something that is more deliberate, that requires you to deliberately set up a scene, choosing a background, setting the lighting to create a mood will give you a challenge and a big change.

I started doing the 52 Week challenge a couple of years ago and have found lots of new techniques and styles that I wouldn't have tried otherwise. I'd totally recommend it. I usually manage to find a couple of hours some time during the week to fit it inbetween family and work commitments.
Your idea of trying a college course is a good one, probably much more worthwhile spending money on rather than buying any new kit.

Don't get disheartened though. Take a step back from what you are doing. Take a look at new styles (Try Flickr Explore to find different examples), try to find some galleries (I'm sure there are some in Leeds, Sheffield and Nottingham) look at other work. Watch some documentaries (Britain in Focus on BBC iPlayer was good).
Try something new:
Stick a prime on the camera and shoot with just that. (I'm currently liking an old 24mm manual lens)
Cover your rear screen and spend a day shooting without being able to check the results - might force you to pre-visualise the image more.
Put your camera into JPG (or RAW+JPG) then put it into Monochrome/B&W mode. Spend the day shooting in B&W, makes you think more about light/shadow, texture and form.

Good luck.
 
Some really good points ABTog. Thanks for taking the time to write such a comprehensive reply. I only shoot with primes, apart from the odd holiday with the 18-70mm. Cheers.
 
Put the camera away for a while.
Your mojo will return.
 
Having looked at your images you seem to be a very good photographer, have you considered maybe teaching others some of your skills for a while. It may be that in trying to inspire others you may find some new inspiration yourself?
 
morph1909 said:
Having looked at your images you seem to be a very good photographer, have you considered maybe teaching others some of your skills for a while. It may be that in trying to inspire others you may find some new inspiration yourself?
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That's really kind of you to say. There are so many BASIC things that I don't know about and I'm sure that they would help me to improve. I did have a group of kids on a Friday at a local school, but with budget cuts ...that is no longer available. The main problem is the lack of feedback from anyone. Tried the local photographic club, but it seemed (my perception) to be all about competitions.
 
Back into my fell running again. Went from Langsett up to Margery Hill. She was really pleased to see me again. VERY dry up there. Still managed to find the one boggy bit and went in up to my knees. LOVED it. Wish someone had taken a photo.
 
mossienet said:
Back into my fell running again. Went from Langsett up to Margery Hill. She was really pleased to see me again. VERY dry up there. Still managed to find the one boggy bit and went in up to my knees. LOVED it. Wish someone had taken a photo.
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The key for me has always been not to be a photographer but someone who takes photos of things I enjoy doing.

For me that's travel, walking, friends, gardening (the allotment), running/cycling and probably a load of other things too that span a whole range of genres. I never get hung up about not using my kit for a few months, eventually I will book a holiday or a trip somewhere or do something interesting and ping! the camera comes out.
 
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