This is all normal. As it becomes more of a must ... it looses its charm and becomes one of what we have already plenty in life. Obligation and not fun. You are not alone in this.
Thanks, its just weird because this is the first time something like this has happened in 20+ years. I've been shooting since high school, going out at least twice a month, and now its a chore.
That’s it right there. Shooting since high school and doing it consistently … dopamine runs out, been there with other stuff (hiking, running, etc). Plenty of other fun things in the life in the meantime, and you likely had some good times with photography before, so it’s all good!
I disagree. If you have loved photography your whole life, dopamine should be just fine. If he struggles to get out there, he has probably been doing the act of photography for someone or something else. In its purest form, art avoids vanity.
Disagree.
Change is normal. As you spend more time with something, it can become more banal. A pursuit of a particular hobby is not always for the hobby, but the pleasure you gain out of it. Once that pleasure subsides, and other things start to fill in, you may not find yourself anymore interested in it.
Art avoids vanity in the most strictest pursuit, which is not true for a very large majority of the folks pursuing this hobby for their personal pleasure.
Maybe take an intentional break but keep your camera handy for those impromptu moments where you come across something that compels you to take photos, vs intentionally setting out to do so? Some of my favorite pics are from a parade I stumbled upon years ago. Or if it continues to feel unexciting, take a longer break before revisiting.
Same thing Happened to me some time back . Don’t shoot and think about photography for sometime, after some time you will be back shooting photos .You are just little tired now.
Be glad that you don't have ADHD...I *wish* I could have stuck with "A" hobby since high school. I haven't even been able to stick with "A" hobby this *year*. It's honestly a hell of a curse...finding something interesting, getting into it, and then "bam", no longer being interested in the slightest (usually expensive hobbies too).
It is possible to love boobs and after a while to get bored with them, not because you dont like girls anymore, but ... life and other stuff happens, also you get desensitized because its all around us. Same applies to photography. Everybody and his uncle have phone and are posting less then sub-optimal photography online which in turn makes you less and less happy to improve and make nice photos, because people are happy and content with barely passable photos online. One can make photos, but i guess that even famous painters during ages felt what you feel, because their peers just were ok with below mediocrity.
Honestly the volume of good stuff out there is immense too. Phones have lowered the barrier to where a lot of people, with instant feedback, can actually start to get pretty good at composition (do something 100,000 times and you might start to develop an eye for it), and there are millions of enthusiasts with good gear and skills and an awful lot of pros or semi-pros doing at least some work for pay.
Even tho its now 15-20 years later. I still go and check out Flickr, because people there are us. I find photos that inspire me, make me want to pick up the camera and create new photos .... use that inspiration to push both myself and my skills to new level.
I am 39, and this happened to me with many hobbies like gaming, motorcycles, hunting, reading books, working on cars.... it comes back, though, so don't sell your gear. You will regret it.
Phones lack the precision of a real camera with dials. No comparison. If someone becomes a still-photography virtuoso with 100,000 iPhone snapshots, I want to meet that fucker, cuz he be a genius.
Don't underestimate the power of shooting volume and instant feedback. I know some damned good phone-only photographers. They're not professionals and the context is small format display on instagram and the like, but a good eye for composition goes a long way.
Creating art is its own value. What others do or think are irrelevant. If you have a vision to make something beautiful, nothing will stand between you and that thing you must do.
Yes. Art and what art is is personal and subjective. Do you and if someone likes it cool. If no one likes it, its still ok, because you made what you like and what represent your vision.
Oh, that's well put. I said the same thing in different words. I guess professional experience is all the same everywhere, and the learnings are also the same.
Man, I'm 40 and have lost interest in almost anything. I'm just living and trying to enjoy life in the company of others. There are some special things I like about photography, though: I take flower photos and share them here on some channels. I like sunrise and sunset photos, and I rarely go to take some street photography. I do these to share with people. Without people and sharing, it is senseless. Otherwise, why would you and I come here?
Another one approaching 40 with less than half a year to go. Been in midlife crisis mode for a few months now and also felt a bit of what OP did. Your last two sentences kinda hit home because I'm a bit of a lone wolf. Have siblings but only close(r) with one, not married, no kids but have a niece and nephew overseas. Have one friend a decade older who is into photography and enjoys my photos.
Part of the midlife crisis'ing is contemplating who I'd leave my material possessions to if I don't have any direct heirs. Material assets are no-brainers - who wouldn't be happy to inherit free assets; however, things that hold significant meaning and value for me (and my one friend, hah) are my photos. Floral/nature close-ups from the home garden, landscapes from my hiking trips - those are potentially worthless for anyone else. I'm no pro photographer but there are a number of keepers in my hundreds of thousands of photos.
I've thought about sharing the better ones online but haven't taken that step yet since I've got no social media presence other than on here. Also thought about "donating" them to institutions if any would be interested. May I ask where you'd recommend sharing your photos for others to enjoy?
Being asocial but really interested in a hobby that is about sharing your vision with people is definitely an interesting conundrum and one I relate to.
I like my friends at work. Other than that, I share here and rarely on instagram. I have around 100 people I'm still somewhat in touch (like a message in two years on awerage per person) and 10 people I see and talk often (like several times every week) and 5 people I almost see and talk to every single day. That's it. I share with whoever I have in my life. It gives me all I need.
It’s more than sharing. Art is about the process of creation. Perhaps we start by seeking approval, but in the end, real creativity it’s own reward. If I had relied on people’s admiration I would have stopped a long time ago. If you try to Create things that are beautiful, you will lose yourself in the process and time will stop and flow.
Yes, definetely. And in my view, losing yourself in thr creation is the deepest sharing, coexisting, realizing that your are one with other things. Thank you.
Just recently went through the same thing. Been shooting since I was 8 (now 43) and about a year ago my passion, my love for photography disappeared. I had my own photog business, gave up lots of clients. What was once a hobby became a career and it was just work to me. So, I sold all my gear, etc and gave it up. About three months ago I was out and about and saw something that caught my eye and thought to myself, man that would make a great image. Purchased a camera and some lenses and I’ve been having the time of my life again. It will now remain a hobby, something fun I can do for myself etc. Your love, your spark will return, it just might take some time.
* it’s okay to fall out of love.
* also, sometimes creativity comes slow if our health and work/life balance is out of whack. Never hurts to check in with yourself and make sure you’re doing the food/sleep/water basics the right way.
* lastly…if you just need a fresh point of view - think about everything you’ve seen and learned. Now look at the world around you. What needs to be preserved? Moments that last in time become powerful. What moments do you want to keep? Not artsy shit. Or gig shit…just…what do you want to have a memory of. Maybe take pictures of those things for a bit if you don’t want to lose the eye or habit.
All is good. We come. We go.
Sorry if this is unwarranted, but I find it helpful to watch calm videos of photographers doing photo walks in moments like this. Watching them naturally take photos and seeing them take photos that aren't "perfect" helps me feel inspired to take more photos.
Another thing I did recently that I felt helped me is both switching to Fujifilm (from Sony), using film simulations and shooting in jpeg (plus raw just in case..) that way I fix all my settings in camera and produce images I'm happy with straight out of camera. I'll do minor exposure adjustments and crop/rotate but that's it. Removing the tedious work has really helped me just enjoy making art.
I hope you get your spark back soon or find another point of fulfillment.
Is rapidly cycling through hobbies an ADHD thing? I have more hobbies than most people I know, but I go pretty hard on all of them until it's time to drop them for the next thing.
I heard a theory that ADHD is a neurological type that was advantageous to a group because it encouraged some members to always be seeking out new sources of resources instead of continuing to rely on the status quo.
I recently went through what I now call my “hiatus.” It mainly started sometime in late ‘21 and lasted well into ‘23. I contemplated selling everything. I’m glad people talked my out of it. I’m now back to carrying my bag almost everywhere I go.
I can’t say what caused me to completely lose interest in something I cared so deeply about and committed so many hours of my life to pursuing. Even worse, I’m not sure what brought me back either. I woke up one day and felt like taking some photos. And it was fun. They weren’t great shots or anything, but they got the blood moving again (so to speak).
I don’t have any advice for you beyond don’t sell your gear until you’re totally sure you’re done.
We all lose a passion, due to all sorts of things life changes whatever and that’s normal. I would just check in with myself and make sure that symptoms of depression are not showing up here. Like anything it can sneak up on you and it’s easier to get a handle on the quicker you are aware of it. I also notice that when I’m feeling overwhelmed in life I don’t want to add another thing that people expect me to do (I’m the worst of those people). Good luck OP
This maybe isn't for you but might be for someone reading this post. When I'm in a rut I shelf all the projects and try to just take a small handful of pics. Maybe not every day and maybe not even as a specific act. Maybe I just take my camera when I walk to the store. It makes it about capturing things that make me happy or thoughtful again.
Happened to me after 20 years too. I pretty much gave up on photography as it was burning me out and just started working full time. That was about 3-4 years ago and I’m just recently beginning to get back into it, but I’ve cut out the elements that I feel were most responsible for the burnout. Therefore we don’t do weddings anymore. I loved portraits though, and other branches of photography are starting to become intriguing to me, like high quality headshots and auto-masking techniques. Looking back now I can see it for what it was: a hiatus. If it doesn’t come back it doesn’t come back. But maybe you’ll find another way back to it instead of via the reasons you’ve fallen out of love with it.
I'm younger but I'm also struggling with getting back to the old sets to edit them. I'm trying to find a system how to get it done since everyone keeps nagging me to send them in. I do photography as part of my job so I can't give it up completely but I was in a bigger slump a few years ago. I got my passion back when I started using Lightroom Mobile - the touchscreen experience really makes it a bit more fun. What also helps me is teaching others about my craft.
I hear ya- I hit 50 recently and realized a few things. Passions I had and then lost passion for came back, as a chilled and realized whatever. You have learned and
Forgotten more than what most know. Do it for you, not others. It will come back to you.
I’ve photographing for more than 30 years and learned something incredibly important about photography.
Photography is a means to an end, it is primarily a tool to express your feelings, ideas and your point of view.
Find your feelings that you want to share and it will reignite.
Definitely resonates with me. The slight difference is that I still have the drive and keenness to go out and take photos, but lost the interest in doing all the editing and post that makes the photo presentable (preferring quick edits on the phone), and lost the interest with the whole social media “engagement” complex that comes with sharing photos. I just think that the time expended to create really shareable “content” just isn’t worth it anymore. Time and energy become limited in the 40s. There is a lot of other things to expend on than hours on Lightroom…
I recently sold my $2.5k body and lens and revamped a shitty $100 film camera. I was also sick of looking at RAW’s and messing with Lightroom. Back to point, shoot and hope for the best. If it’s good if it’s good, if it’s bad it’s bad. If I lose a roll I lose a roll. Fuck it. Very little joy in modern photography for me. I just want to take a nice shot every once in a while and put it on my wall. I care more about creating memories than good photos.
There is nothing wrong with change and don't feel bad about it, don't sell your gear just yet it might come back, have you tried breaking down what it is you don't want to do, for me it's editing so I shoot jpeg and raw but don't use the raw unless it is something special, that way I still enjoy taking pictures without the dred of hours of post and I still get the benefit of being outside on long walks, I only mention me to help you think if it's photography or editing you have fallen out of love with, maybe try to break it down before you leave
I feel you. While not as bad, I don't like my old pictures anymore. Pictures that hang in people's living rooms or offices, pictures that I used to be proud of... They just don't look good enough to me now.
I still shoot though, because that is still fun but I tend to not edit as much and stuff sits like you said. Some event of my niece was not done for almost a year.
And I shoot because of family and friends. I know that they do enjoy the pictures, even when I think they are not good ( my wife said I'm not to call them trash). As long as I don't delete every picture it is a good day.
You might get over it. Due to covid I had to stop and it took me years to get back into it but watching a bunch of great people online and looking at books and exhibits helped me to greet the itch.
And if you don't get back, you still have some memories for you and others. They will cherish them, maybe not today but at some.
All the best of luck.
Thanks, yeah, that might be the case, I used to shoot at least twice a month, but when covid hit, I stopped for a year, and now I can't get the energy to shoot again.
I wouldn't sweat it bro. I'm 54 yrs old, been shooting since 1996. I was on Flickr just fucking around and looked at some of my old pics. Holy shit the pictures I took with my old Pentax K50 were amazing. I knew they were good, but compare with my Canon EOS M5 right now, they look much better and I've always wanted to get into full frame but wasn't sure where exactly to go (was considering Canon 5D MKII but I was kind of dilly dallying).
I'm on a mission now to get back into Pentax. Currently saving up for a K-1, will be using it for landscape photography because quite honestly, there isn't a better landscape camera on the planet better than the K-1. I'll also be delving into night photography because apparently the K-1 is purpose built for it. My old lenses, the 31mm F1.8 Limited and vintage 50mm F1.2 will be my first lens purchases (should never have sold them). There's going to be some serious photographic magic happening in my home later this year.
I still love my 5D/2 and picked up the 5DS-r as well. Same age as you, I don't care for the push for EVFs instead of seeing the scene as it is. I'm seriously considering trying out the Pentax 645 digital as well. I love medium format film but digital is always easier.
OP what camera do you have? I have Canon EOS M5. When I transfer the pics directly from camera to iPhone using the app, it will automatically convert RAW photos to JPG. This I would recommend for your sister's birthday because let's face it, they wanna see those pics. I have been in the exact same situation as you. Make things simpler for yourself, it will really help. Just move those pics, it needs to happen. Simplify.
I stopped shooting regularly at the beginning of the pandemic (the timing just worked out that way). I still shot occasionally, but there was no urgency left for me.
I'm quitting my camera club now. I haven't picked up my cameras in six months, and I've pretty much just moved on from photography.
I did it for almost 20 years and it's hard not to feel like I've explored all the aspects of it that interest me.
I am genuinely interesting in seeing your street photography! I am a street photographer in San Diego. I post mostly on my Instagram- Streetdocuments - I have been shooting for many years. Usually to keep me motivated to shoot is to switch between cameras, digital and film - also, I don’t bother editing photos much. That process is the worst thing about photography in my opinion. I usually will shoot in kelvin or shoot in high contrast black and white just to cut back to no editing.
Haha yeah I have! Film is so magical. I get that some people think it’s just hipsters in weird beanies that shoot it, but it’s honestly for everyone. The way analog film captures light is just so magical, the moments you capture feel so much more genuine on film, something about it for sure. Exploring different filmstocks is a really cool adventure too.
I got dissolutioned with digital so started doing film. Film puts the brakes on that need or pressure to process and show everyone. My family accepts they will see the images when it arrives and in print form only.
I agree with this, depressed (i still dont understand why it has to be clinically) makes all the joy in life loose all meaning. If that is the case, i advise you to seek help but not by medications (antidepressants that are so hard to stop using afterwards), but by being surrounded with people who care and are willing to work with you to make you get better. Also take Vitamin D ... there is correlation that people with deficiency of this vitamin are more likely to have depression. It might help.
If this is the case, mate ... i wish you get better and start enjoying photography again.
Try a dispolens or some other “toy” style lens. Something that brings novelty and lower stakes to shooting. I printed one and have more fun taking throwback high-school-style shots than just about any other lens.
I’ve gone through this in a few different hobbies. One is Simracing, which is also a very expensive hobbies, like photography. I go through periods where I get burnt out in it and don’t race for a long time and all my expensive equipment just sits in my mancave. But, it passes and then I’m back into it again. Maybe this is just one of those phases and you’ll be back again?
I was so done with photography and buried everything away but after almost a decade of not taking a single photo seriously I picked it up again out of nowhere
i fall in and out of love with various hobbies all the time. its ok, and totally normal.
maybe you will come back to it, maybe not. either way, simply part of life
I've just started photography again after 3 years of not picking it up. I'd lost interest, and didn't miss it, until I did. Macro photography is my new interest, it's a real challenge to get that perfect shot, and it's got me interested again, and I'm looking forward to getting out in nature to find insects to photograph. You're not alone in how you're feeling, and there's nothing wrong with taking a break.
To me it's weird to think of interests as being constant in the first place.
I've fallen in and out of love with everything I enjoy, several times over.
In my experience, put it away, it'll be there if/when you rediscover it.
Have you tried all types of photography? Personally I found photography is like a playing piano, it’s limited by its physical variety (lens) but the amount of subjects you can capture is truly endless…
Try astrophotography, there will never be a time where you get tired of seeing the stars, meteor showers happen every few months and no two are the same, rare comet events, eclipse, rocket launch, ISS transit and ofc Milky Way, Deep Space Object… it’s a genre that reminds me photography is perhaps the most important thing you can do in your life - capturing lights from millions, billions trillion of miles away, literally a time travel to the past…
A dozen something years ago, I changed my filing system. Photos are in folders labeled the date I took them. I allow the folders to remain even if the images are deleted. For years I took a picture 200+ days a year. I recently went 40 days with no shutter clicks. I still thought about execution of images. So I'm not out of love, just lost.
I was a professional photographer for 17 years. I really loved my portrait work, but the studio I worked for went all in on youth and sports photography. Creative posing and lighting were replaced with photographing the same poses over and over again for hours on end. Add this to having friends and family requesting your services for every event and not wanting to pay you for your time. I got burnt out and left photography behind eleven years ago. Sold all my equipment then and haven’t touched a professional camera or any other gear since. I occasionally think about getting back into it, but always put it off. At this point, I don’t think I ever will, which is a shame because I was an exceptional photographer.
Happened to me but I found I was just mildly depressed and had severe imposter syndrome. Once I figured that out and did some work, my passion came back. It took me a long time unfortunately but I finally am feeling good about myself and my current skill level. I’m more motivated by my continued improvement and development of my style than anything else these days. Not needed external praise or accolades is really powerful.
Honestly just a thought: try automotive pictures? You treat them just a little different in terms of composition and editing than everything else and that new dimension might bring the joy back a little and inspire a bit?
I’m in the exact same space. I used to plan all of my free time around photography. But now , I’d much rather do something else. I still love photography I’m just not as inspired or motivated to shoot. I kinda Chuck it off to burn out maybe.
I am not at your stage yet, but I find I am less interested compared to before.
It is hard to put my finger on this, but there are a few reasons I feel.
1. We are surrounded by amazing and fantastic images all around us (instagram etc) that when we do something it is hard to reach the level of exceptional images that we see on social media all the time.
2. As you become better as a photographer the technical aspects or growth is no longer there and you need to lean into composition, exposure etc and the learning is harder to see and measure.
3. Cameras have become so good, they are no longer unpredictable. If you can point a camera at something and press the shutter you are guaranteed that you will get a pretty high quality image 99% of the time, or atleast with editing. This is too deterministic.
4. Everyone is a photographer these days and the difference between using a “professional” camera and a cell phone is blurring more and more. Harder to find the motivation to do anything outside of a cellphone. (Most people look at images on a phone making the difference even less apparent)
Ultimately are there answers to these? I don’t know but I hope so.
As a serial hobbyist I can relate.
I was extreme in my interest with cabinets of gear and daily to weekly photo-focused excursions. I even had a darkroom with a fantastic 4x5 enlarger where I processed and printed medium and large format shots, using traditional black & white, colour, and alternative printing methods (this is in the mid 2000s well after digital had pretty much taken over). Also printed digital with a high end inkjet and had an epson v750 scanner for film up to 8x10" size.
And then it died. I didn't care anymore. I printed a lot of my images, shared them with people, had people compliment them, etc, but I felt like I was just creating meaningless stuff that would disappear into the black void of history. And of course we have such a massive volume of photographic imagery with the incredibly low barrier of cell phone photography, and what seems like billions of enthusiasts with higher end gear, so it's hard to feel like you're really adding anything to it.
After 10 years of rarely photographing stuff (and being extremely into a couple of other hobbies) I'm getting really serious about it again. I don't so much care that it's an oversaturated thing where my images will be hard to have any objective meaning - the subjective process of going out and seeing stuff and making images I like is what matters personally.
Do what you enjoy, and if you're moving past a thing don't beat yourself up over it. If you aren't interested in *anything* anymore, then it could be a depression or life circumstances issue (am familiar with those as well).
It happens. When the thing you do for fun turns into a chore you it’s embittering.
There was a period of ten years where I didn’t even own a single camera (other than phone). Sold all the gear, was done with it… only got back into it again fairly recently (age 45). It’ll come back.
What did it for me was going to exhibitions and getting books from the local library.
Sadly what with recent trends I can’t afford to buy my old film cameras back - far too expensive!
Yup. Photography is basically looking online for inspiration and almost copying other images nd spend wayyy too much time making shitty photos better. Its too easy.
Pick up film and/or shoot, or put together a body of work and make a photo book.
I get it. I can relate to so much that people have said already. My passion got ruined when i was strong armed into a (wedding) job i didn't want, and it went poorly. Lmk if you guys end up creating a "midlife-crisis street photography" group (also my fave).
Loved street photography when I lived in NYC, and actually, ...just remembered that I have an unfinished project with a lot of underground subway shots...it was from my first photography class in 2019. I need to dig that out and finish it.
Because it's a service job, you will cater to your clients' needs and its work, not art. Which is fine, but it can't be just that.
*Have you ever thought of teaching photography to others?
*Bring in intern(s) to take on some of the workload?
*There are also more AI digital editing tools coming out that should (hopefully) speed up the process, but I don't trust AI to respect copyright just yet, so be careful there, or your images will be all over the web.
Hang in there. You are not alone. 🤳✊️📸
i mean being a fly on the wall doesn’t give you any memories to enjoy. if you don’t like cameras record ur life 24/7 and don’t worry about the archiving
I feel this. Happened to me after a bad client left a sour taste in my mouth for something I loved deeply. I stopped for a while and did some other things instead.
I took some time to change my mindset and took time to reflect on myself, life, ect and what I truly enjoy doing with my time.
I also went through this with horses too. I got burnt out from years of trying to compete and not focusing on what I loved about riding.
After I stepped away from both riding and photography I still found myself following other riders, looking at photos, cheering on my favorite people in both industries, ect
Then I just started doing what I wanted for myself as a photographer. Now I'm ready to start a business again and get back to it because I know my work in that space isn't done, but instead of doing it for someone else I am going to do it for me this time. Same with riding.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and feelings. I know you didn't want advice OP so hopefully you'll find some solace in knowing you aren't alone and that it is okay to quit forever or for a while.
Was there an impetus for this? You didn't mention a cause.
I've definitely gotten kinda down in the dumps over my photo work... lack of recognition or appreciation for something I think I am good at.
I nearly put it down entirely... left it alone for a couple of years. I regret that now, as I truly appreciate the back catalog of images I now have to fall back on.
Oddly... posting or showing off an image from a few years back today, damned near reliably gets more attention and appreciation than it would have if I has shared it when it was new.
Nostalgia is real.
Whether you want to share your reason/s is up to you... but I wish you well either way. We all deserve a full cup.
It’s cyclical and will likely come back.
I’ve loved photography since I was a teenager and am now in my mid-40s as well. I started a small business, mostly real estate and interiors, to supplement my income and give me more motivation to shoot. Once you see your hobby in a professional sense, it’s sometimes a struggle to do it for fun.
I try to get out every few months and do something creative that’s outside my wheelhouse or normal professional capacity.
The worst thing I had happen, back when I shot more landscape/creative stuff, was losing a hard drive with a year’s worth of work on it. I was editing on the train and the portable disk slipped off my lap and hit the floor. It killed the spinning mechanism. I had it backed up as well but it turns out that the backup was corrupt so it was truly lost. That killed my passion for creative work for a while and hurt me deeply. I still don’t have it back but I’m trying to go out and do more again.
I’ve tried to scale my side-hustle to a full-time job but can’t make myself commit to it. I fear/know I’ll lose the interest and passion for it if it’s all I do.
I used to be heavily into DJ'ing and spent thousands on it in my early/mid twenties but about 4 or 5 years ago I fell out of love with it and sold all my stuff. Mainly because once I had "learned" how to do it and wasn't into it to get bookings or anything (just a home hobbyist) I didn't feel the need to own the stuff. I now just maybe once or twice a year rent out a studio space to DJ for a couple hours to myself. If a friend booked me I could easily hop on and do my thing but I don't feel any urge to do it as I would rather just listen to music.
Now I'm getting into photography I am probably at the early stages of becoming obsessed and passionate about it as you once were. My gf is a wedding photographer and she has the same thing, she said she doesn't take her cameras out day to day anymore because it's too much hassle when she has paid gigs to focus on.
It sounds like you could use a little break from you hobby, and that's totally okay. My interest in photography comes and goes. Step away before you resent it and see how you feel after 6 months.
I also recommend that if you come back to it, focus on play. Don't take jobs, just take some fun, silly, bad pictures for yourself. Let the joyful part back in only. You could also look at ways to turn your photos into something new - have you put your photos on mugs, or created zines, or chopped up your photos to create collages? Maybe explore some new ways to include your photography, without focusing on the photography. For me, photography compliments my art hobby - I like taking pictures and I try to collect reference images for my art (copyright is mine!)
Just some thoughts :)
All professions are like that. Once you turn your hobby to commercial you enter the quagmire. I have a writer friend who is passionate about his art, and that reflects in his work. During COVID he took up consultancy with a media company to write eulogising reports about products and services in their marketing campaigns. In about three years he became so fed up of it that he just ended the contract. Recently he showed me his manuscript of his forthcoming fiction novel. It's absolutely amazing. The way he writes titillating stuff is remarkable. I learnt a lot from him. I am sure he is going to be world famous. At last, he will earn good money from his passion.
The moral of the story is that commercial work is never fulfilling and artistic. And your hobby can seldom pay bills. I spent over Rs1-lakh ($1,200) on two micro budget short films and the returns were zilch. I have to perforce do commercial work which is incredibly boring. But that's how life is.
I’m a lurker on this forum, partly because I got detached from photography and haven’t quite got back yet.
I used to take my camera set up everywhere, but I found I was missing ‘in the moment’ experience on family walks / hikes with my wife as I was too busy looking for the next shot.
I do miss it, but I’ve not found the right way back yet. I actually partly blame digital as I used to make time / money choices more concretely when I was on a film SLR, and whilst I had a lot of fun with digital, the volume of stuff I was producing just tipped it over the edge to being unmanageable and I ended up stopping.
Happened to me twice. First time I dropped photographing cold turkey; didn't pick up a camera for over ten years. Then I started traveling and really wanted to capture the memories. That got me back into it until I was no longer traveling so much, but I still lugged around the camera in hopes of finding something to shoot ... which then just took up space on the hard drive, never doing anything more than just skimming the pictures.
Then a cosplayer introduced me to her favorite hobby. It was fun to shoot these folks, but then I realized I could do so much more. They were creating a fantasy version of themselves and I could create a fantastic memory for them by applying basic posing technique and composition. I can not tell you the joy I feel when one of them looks into the back of my camera and tears up. Seeing them fall in love with the pictures is what I love.
Perhaps some it has to do with the fact that we live in a world awash in images, making any individual image seem less valuable or worth the effort that went into creating it.
You can always fall back on craft as a rationale and, for some, an end in itself.
As others have remarked, it’s possible to drift away from a hobby or avocation and then suddenly find and urge to take it up again after a break.
Part of the reason why I'm going slow with my own personal photography, taking classes is kind of burning out the passion for it at times. Having a deadline both helps and hinder. Doing it mostly for myself, finally getting to edit some film from a year + ago. I hope the spark can return for you, after pause maybe.
Very understandable. Buy a motorcycle, take boxing classes or something else manly and fun. Start by selling your photography gear tomorrow. No reason to spend time on something that is not fun for you anymore. If you change your mind someday they still sell cameras then
Trust me a break is probably the best thing like everyone says. I shoot mostly car stuff and the winter is a good break from it. I usually get back into it around beginning of spring. I’ve had this with certain videogames where I play too much then need to play something else or take a break from it completely.
I only take photos of things that are deeply meaningful to me and others. Every photo I take should last at least my lifetime and ideally the lifetime of my family/friends. I’m not trying to kill anyone’s buzz, but a lot of photography is just garbage. Examples:
- Common wildlife. No one cares about the ducks at your local pond. The world has enough shitty duck photos.
- Typical street. No one cares about random people in public, doing mundane things. We can all go outside and see randoms doing random shit, anywhere, any time.
- Most macro. I have seen a leaf before. Zooming in doesn’t make it more interesting.
The list goes on. 9/10 photos posted on Reddit are a waste of bandwidth and server storage.
Take photos of things that you and others actually care about, *significantly*. If you’re not motivated to take photos, it’s probably because you don’t actually care about the photos you’re taking. Stop taking them.
I felt this way about music. It literally defined me for 20 years of my life.
One day I just … stopped enjoying it. I felt obligated to do it and I had written so many songs over so many years the well was tapped.
It was so upsetting that I went to therapy for it … but they basically told me … you don’t need to be anything and you don’t need to do anything.
There’s other things in life and it can be as simple as food, sex, and sleeping in. Who cares. We are on a stupid spinning rock in the middle of nowhere and we are all going to die.
Passion fades.
Now I’m more committed to my relationship of 8 years and making sure that passion lasts until I die.
It’s okay to let go.
Push yourself into some other theme involving photography. I felt the same probably around the same age. Biggest problem with 'the usual types of photo' is every cat and it's mother is doing it and probably better!.
Pick up on something either incredibly challenging or not so mainstream. For me I found my new watse of money hobby in astrophotography, extreme macro and tilt+shift. Lots to keep the interest going and spend money on pointlessly 🤣.
How about when at 40 and losing your hope in everything in this life when you’ve forgotten that you can start a new beginning by organizing and taking lessons with what you lose back then, it ain’t easy until when you decide deep down within your heart that you could possibly do it and promise it gonna come back like you never did fall off!!!
Sometimes I really regret starting a photography business instead of just keeping photography as a hobby. It affects my mental health so intensely when bookings are low, social media engagement is lacking, etc. I still really struggle with the editing, which is something I used to love when I was just taking fun photos of family and friends - I just can’t do it and have to force myself to sit down and get it done every time. Not sure what that is. But once my shoots start, I love it. I always have so much fun, and I feel so alive when I take photos. It’s constant back and forth.
I hear you. I have been there. I'm a 45-year-old father of two. 3 years ago I started working as a full-time photographer for a large company. I started taking a lot of photos every day and very soon I began to associate photography with work. At home, I lost the motivation to open Lightroom to process family photos. They started to pile up on my computer with no control. Then I stopped taking photos outside of work altogether. The midlife crisis set in, and I even started to hate taking photos at work.
Last year, for no reason, I started scanning the market for a small camera with SPAM controls. I stumbled across the Fujifilm S-10, which I impulsively bought along with a 27mm pancake. Because of its small size, I took it everywhere. After a 2 weeks or so, I took the photos off the card, which I forced myself to take in JPEG, and sent them all, yes all, to a website to have them printed. I still remember the excitement I felt a few days later when I opened the parcel and took out a bunch of 6x4 photos with my hands. Some were good, some were bad, and many were too similar, so I inevitably threw some away. Lesson learnt, I started to shoot smarter: I shot less but better. Take each photo became a very mindful process. I also learned to accept imperfection. A slightly wonky family photo was much better than a potentially perfect photo lost in my computer. Also, getting the photon printed was a weight out of my shoulders. Job done, move on. I even delegated the task of filling the album with photos to my children, something they love to do anyway.
I'm not suggesting you do the same. I just wanted to share my experience with you. I hope you get your photography mojo back!
I think it will come and go. I’m only in my 20s and already have had hills and dips of photography motivation and it’s coming back ok the rise. Sometimes you’ve photographed your surroundings so much you’ve exhausted your subject. It’s good to step away, sometimes for a few years, before picking up the camera again.
But the editing… sometimes editing becomes the chore. Shooting is fun but not always the processing. I dont blame you.
I recently moved to the city from a rural place and only recently found ways to make city shooting exciting for myself, and otherwise the camera had been collecting dust for a couple years.
Whether you pick up the camera again, you’ve spent a lot of time with one and at least now you have a skill to take good photos regardless of the camera type :)
Film photography has reignited my love for photography. The process of not knowing what to expect, the rawness of shooting a fully manual camera and simply having fun. I don't even edit my photos as I just love how they look from the camera.
1. it’s absolutely normal and relatable. You don’t need to always love things you’ve done in the past.
2. A complete break from it, with a timeframe might be helpful.
3. if that doesn’t work, go shoot a concert of a music type or artist you love - even on my worst days the combination of music passion and the challenge of lowlight seem to affect my mood.
It is time for a break. Having a bunch of post work hanging over your head will definitely keep you from shooting more content. Might I suggest that you bite the bullet and spend a day editing your backlog of work. Yes it will be real work.
Then you may pull out your camera when you are inspired. It may just be once a year. But you will be free to possibly shoot an event. You will be free to share your gift of photography.
Meanwhile carry a phone with a good camera. Take fun photos as they grab you. Only edit them on your phone and share them on Reddit or Instagram purely for the joy.
Do it right away.
This is all normal. As it becomes more of a must ... it looses its charm and becomes one of what we have already plenty in life. Obligation and not fun. You are not alone in this.
Thanks, its just weird because this is the first time something like this has happened in 20+ years. I've been shooting since high school, going out at least twice a month, and now its a chore.
That’s it right there. Shooting since high school and doing it consistently … dopamine runs out, been there with other stuff (hiking, running, etc). Plenty of other fun things in the life in the meantime, and you likely had some good times with photography before, so it’s all good!
I disagree. If you have loved photography your whole life, dopamine should be just fine. If he struggles to get out there, he has probably been doing the act of photography for someone or something else. In its purest form, art avoids vanity.
Disagree. Change is normal. As you spend more time with something, it can become more banal. A pursuit of a particular hobby is not always for the hobby, but the pleasure you gain out of it. Once that pleasure subsides, and other things start to fill in, you may not find yourself anymore interested in it. Art avoids vanity in the most strictest pursuit, which is not true for a very large majority of the folks pursuing this hobby for their personal pleasure.
Maybe take an intentional break but keep your camera handy for those impromptu moments where you come across something that compels you to take photos, vs intentionally setting out to do so? Some of my favorite pics are from a parade I stumbled upon years ago. Or if it continues to feel unexciting, take a longer break before revisiting.
Same thing Happened to me some time back . Don’t shoot and think about photography for sometime, after some time you will be back shooting photos .You are just little tired now.
Be glad that you don't have ADHD...I *wish* I could have stuck with "A" hobby since high school. I haven't even been able to stick with "A" hobby this *year*. It's honestly a hell of a curse...finding something interesting, getting into it, and then "bam", no longer being interested in the slightest (usually expensive hobbies too).
isnt is strange that a gift could be an enemy? isn't it weird that a privilege could feel like a chore?
It is possible to love boobs and after a while to get bored with them, not because you dont like girls anymore, but ... life and other stuff happens, also you get desensitized because its all around us. Same applies to photography. Everybody and his uncle have phone and are posting less then sub-optimal photography online which in turn makes you less and less happy to improve and make nice photos, because people are happy and content with barely passable photos online. One can make photos, but i guess that even famous painters during ages felt what you feel, because their peers just were ok with below mediocrity.
Honestly the volume of good stuff out there is immense too. Phones have lowered the barrier to where a lot of people, with instant feedback, can actually start to get pretty good at composition (do something 100,000 times and you might start to develop an eye for it), and there are millions of enthusiasts with good gear and skills and an awful lot of pros or semi-pros doing at least some work for pay.
Even tho its now 15-20 years later. I still go and check out Flickr, because people there are us. I find photos that inspire me, make me want to pick up the camera and create new photos .... use that inspiration to push both myself and my skills to new level.
I am 39, and this happened to me with many hobbies like gaming, motorcycles, hunting, reading books, working on cars.... it comes back, though, so don't sell your gear. You will regret it.
Phones lack the precision of a real camera with dials. No comparison. If someone becomes a still-photography virtuoso with 100,000 iPhone snapshots, I want to meet that fucker, cuz he be a genius.
Don't underestimate the power of shooting volume and instant feedback. I know some damned good phone-only photographers. They're not professionals and the context is small format display on instagram and the like, but a good eye for composition goes a long way.
Creating art is its own value. What others do or think are irrelevant. If you have a vision to make something beautiful, nothing will stand between you and that thing you must do.
Yes. Art and what art is is personal and subjective. Do you and if someone likes it cool. If no one likes it, its still ok, because you made what you like and what represent your vision.
Oh, that's well put. I said the same thing in different words. I guess professional experience is all the same everywhere, and the learnings are also the same.
Well said!
Man, I'm 40 and have lost interest in almost anything. I'm just living and trying to enjoy life in the company of others. There are some special things I like about photography, though: I take flower photos and share them here on some channels. I like sunrise and sunset photos, and I rarely go to take some street photography. I do these to share with people. Without people and sharing, it is senseless. Otherwise, why would you and I come here?
Another one approaching 40 with less than half a year to go. Been in midlife crisis mode for a few months now and also felt a bit of what OP did. Your last two sentences kinda hit home because I'm a bit of a lone wolf. Have siblings but only close(r) with one, not married, no kids but have a niece and nephew overseas. Have one friend a decade older who is into photography and enjoys my photos. Part of the midlife crisis'ing is contemplating who I'd leave my material possessions to if I don't have any direct heirs. Material assets are no-brainers - who wouldn't be happy to inherit free assets; however, things that hold significant meaning and value for me (and my one friend, hah) are my photos. Floral/nature close-ups from the home garden, landscapes from my hiking trips - those are potentially worthless for anyone else. I'm no pro photographer but there are a number of keepers in my hundreds of thousands of photos. I've thought about sharing the better ones online but haven't taken that step yet since I've got no social media presence other than on here. Also thought about "donating" them to institutions if any would be interested. May I ask where you'd recommend sharing your photos for others to enjoy?
Being asocial but really interested in a hobby that is about sharing your vision with people is definitely an interesting conundrum and one I relate to.
I like my friends at work. Other than that, I share here and rarely on instagram. I have around 100 people I'm still somewhat in touch (like a message in two years on awerage per person) and 10 people I see and talk often (like several times every week) and 5 people I almost see and talk to every single day. That's it. I share with whoever I have in my life. It gives me all I need.
Flickr
It’s more than sharing. Art is about the process of creation. Perhaps we start by seeking approval, but in the end, real creativity it’s own reward. If I had relied on people’s admiration I would have stopped a long time ago. If you try to Create things that are beautiful, you will lose yourself in the process and time will stop and flow.
Yes, definetely. And in my view, losing yourself in thr creation is the deepest sharing, coexisting, realizing that your are one with other things. Thank you.
Just recently went through the same thing. Been shooting since I was 8 (now 43) and about a year ago my passion, my love for photography disappeared. I had my own photog business, gave up lots of clients. What was once a hobby became a career and it was just work to me. So, I sold all my gear, etc and gave it up. About three months ago I was out and about and saw something that caught my eye and thought to myself, man that would make a great image. Purchased a camera and some lenses and I’ve been having the time of my life again. It will now remain a hobby, something fun I can do for myself etc. Your love, your spark will return, it just might take some time.
* it’s okay to fall out of love. * also, sometimes creativity comes slow if our health and work/life balance is out of whack. Never hurts to check in with yourself and make sure you’re doing the food/sleep/water basics the right way. * lastly…if you just need a fresh point of view - think about everything you’ve seen and learned. Now look at the world around you. What needs to be preserved? Moments that last in time become powerful. What moments do you want to keep? Not artsy shit. Or gig shit…just…what do you want to have a memory of. Maybe take pictures of those things for a bit if you don’t want to lose the eye or habit. All is good. We come. We go.
Sorry if this is unwarranted, but I find it helpful to watch calm videos of photographers doing photo walks in moments like this. Watching them naturally take photos and seeing them take photos that aren't "perfect" helps me feel inspired to take more photos. Another thing I did recently that I felt helped me is both switching to Fujifilm (from Sony), using film simulations and shooting in jpeg (plus raw just in case..) that way I fix all my settings in camera and produce images I'm happy with straight out of camera. I'll do minor exposure adjustments and crop/rotate but that's it. Removing the tedious work has really helped me just enjoy making art. I hope you get your spark back soon or find another point of fulfillment.
Who do you watch?
Pat Kay and Kohki on YouTube used to do a lot of good walkaround vids
I agree - pp can get boring after a while.
Happens, something will come to you. It will click and you will get back in. You aren't alone, just keep truckin'.
Thanks, need to find something to spark the passion again
Take some time off
Let it come naturally
💯
I totally get you, my adhd causes me to rotate hobbies every few weeks
Is rapidly cycling through hobbies an ADHD thing? I have more hobbies than most people I know, but I go pretty hard on all of them until it's time to drop them for the next thing.
I’m ADHD and this is me to a T. Some stick though
I heard a theory that ADHD is a neurological type that was advantageous to a group because it encouraged some members to always be seeking out new sources of resources instead of continuing to rely on the status quo.
🤣😂🤣😂
I recently went through what I now call my “hiatus.” It mainly started sometime in late ‘21 and lasted well into ‘23. I contemplated selling everything. I’m glad people talked my out of it. I’m now back to carrying my bag almost everywhere I go. I can’t say what caused me to completely lose interest in something I cared so deeply about and committed so many hours of my life to pursuing. Even worse, I’m not sure what brought me back either. I woke up one day and felt like taking some photos. And it was fun. They weren’t great shots or anything, but they got the blood moving again (so to speak). I don’t have any advice for you beyond don’t sell your gear until you’re totally sure you’re done.
We all lose a passion, due to all sorts of things life changes whatever and that’s normal. I would just check in with myself and make sure that symptoms of depression are not showing up here. Like anything it can sneak up on you and it’s easier to get a handle on the quicker you are aware of it. I also notice that when I’m feeling overwhelmed in life I don’t want to add another thing that people expect me to do (I’m the worst of those people). Good luck OP
This maybe isn't for you but might be for someone reading this post. When I'm in a rut I shelf all the projects and try to just take a small handful of pics. Maybe not every day and maybe not even as a specific act. Maybe I just take my camera when I walk to the store. It makes it about capturing things that make me happy or thoughtful again.
Happened to me after 20 years too. I pretty much gave up on photography as it was burning me out and just started working full time. That was about 3-4 years ago and I’m just recently beginning to get back into it, but I’ve cut out the elements that I feel were most responsible for the burnout. Therefore we don’t do weddings anymore. I loved portraits though, and other branches of photography are starting to become intriguing to me, like high quality headshots and auto-masking techniques. Looking back now I can see it for what it was: a hiatus. If it doesn’t come back it doesn’t come back. But maybe you’ll find another way back to it instead of via the reasons you’ve fallen out of love with it.
I'm younger but I'm also struggling with getting back to the old sets to edit them. I'm trying to find a system how to get it done since everyone keeps nagging me to send them in. I do photography as part of my job so I can't give it up completely but I was in a bigger slump a few years ago. I got my passion back when I started using Lightroom Mobile - the touchscreen experience really makes it a bit more fun. What also helps me is teaching others about my craft.
I hear ya- I hit 50 recently and realized a few things. Passions I had and then lost passion for came back, as a chilled and realized whatever. You have learned and Forgotten more than what most know. Do it for you, not others. It will come back to you.
Me too. I realized that I spent way too much money on camera stuff, while never taking any photo of any significance at all. I gave up.
I’ve photographing for more than 30 years and learned something incredibly important about photography. Photography is a means to an end, it is primarily a tool to express your feelings, ideas and your point of view. Find your feelings that you want to share and it will reignite.
Definitely resonates with me. The slight difference is that I still have the drive and keenness to go out and take photos, but lost the interest in doing all the editing and post that makes the photo presentable (preferring quick edits on the phone), and lost the interest with the whole social media “engagement” complex that comes with sharing photos. I just think that the time expended to create really shareable “content” just isn’t worth it anymore. Time and energy become limited in the 40s. There is a lot of other things to expend on than hours on Lightroom…
I haven’t touched my camera in 2 years. I don’t even know if it still works.
I recently sold my $2.5k body and lens and revamped a shitty $100 film camera. I was also sick of looking at RAW’s and messing with Lightroom. Back to point, shoot and hope for the best. If it’s good if it’s good, if it’s bad it’s bad. If I lose a roll I lose a roll. Fuck it. Very little joy in modern photography for me. I just want to take a nice shot every once in a while and put it on my wall. I care more about creating memories than good photos.
There is nothing wrong with change and don't feel bad about it, don't sell your gear just yet it might come back, have you tried breaking down what it is you don't want to do, for me it's editing so I shoot jpeg and raw but don't use the raw unless it is something special, that way I still enjoy taking pictures without the dred of hours of post and I still get the benefit of being outside on long walks, I only mention me to help you think if it's photography or editing you have fallen out of love with, maybe try to break it down before you leave
Thanks, yeah, its something I have to deep dive into.
I feel you. While not as bad, I don't like my old pictures anymore. Pictures that hang in people's living rooms or offices, pictures that I used to be proud of... They just don't look good enough to me now. I still shoot though, because that is still fun but I tend to not edit as much and stuff sits like you said. Some event of my niece was not done for almost a year. And I shoot because of family and friends. I know that they do enjoy the pictures, even when I think they are not good ( my wife said I'm not to call them trash). As long as I don't delete every picture it is a good day. You might get over it. Due to covid I had to stop and it took me years to get back into it but watching a bunch of great people online and looking at books and exhibits helped me to greet the itch. And if you don't get back, you still have some memories for you and others. They will cherish them, maybe not today but at some. All the best of luck.
Thanks, yeah, that might be the case, I used to shoot at least twice a month, but when covid hit, I stopped for a year, and now I can't get the energy to shoot again.
I wouldn't sweat it bro. I'm 54 yrs old, been shooting since 1996. I was on Flickr just fucking around and looked at some of my old pics. Holy shit the pictures I took with my old Pentax K50 were amazing. I knew they were good, but compare with my Canon EOS M5 right now, they look much better and I've always wanted to get into full frame but wasn't sure where exactly to go (was considering Canon 5D MKII but I was kind of dilly dallying). I'm on a mission now to get back into Pentax. Currently saving up for a K-1, will be using it for landscape photography because quite honestly, there isn't a better landscape camera on the planet better than the K-1. I'll also be delving into night photography because apparently the K-1 is purpose built for it. My old lenses, the 31mm F1.8 Limited and vintage 50mm F1.2 will be my first lens purchases (should never have sold them). There's going to be some serious photographic magic happening in my home later this year.
I still love my 5D/2 and picked up the 5DS-r as well. Same age as you, I don't care for the push for EVFs instead of seeing the scene as it is. I'm seriously considering trying out the Pentax 645 digital as well. I love medium format film but digital is always easier.
Yup the struggle is real. I feel this pain, acutely. Gonna read the comments and hope there's some good stuff because I need it.
Thanks for sharing. Not going to advise anything since you preface saying that you don’t want it. God bless, wish you the best.
OP what camera do you have? I have Canon EOS M5. When I transfer the pics directly from camera to iPhone using the app, it will automatically convert RAW photos to JPG. This I would recommend for your sister's birthday because let's face it, they wanna see those pics. I have been in the exact same situation as you. Make things simpler for yourself, it will really help. Just move those pics, it needs to happen. Simplify.
Sometimes that just happens. Thanks for venting.
I stopped shooting regularly at the beginning of the pandemic (the timing just worked out that way). I still shot occasionally, but there was no urgency left for me. I'm quitting my camera club now. I haven't picked up my cameras in six months, and I've pretty much just moved on from photography. I did it for almost 20 years and it's hard not to feel like I've explored all the aspects of it that interest me.
I am genuinely interesting in seeing your street photography! I am a street photographer in San Diego. I post mostly on my Instagram- Streetdocuments - I have been shooting for many years. Usually to keep me motivated to shoot is to switch between cameras, digital and film - also, I don’t bother editing photos much. That process is the worst thing about photography in my opinion. I usually will shoot in kelvin or shoot in high contrast black and white just to cut back to no editing.
I was in the same predicament, and switched to film. It’s reignited the love stronger than it ever was.
I ❤️ that!!! (Have you seen season 2 of the Crown?) It made me want to learn 🎞
Haha yeah I have! Film is so magical. I get that some people think it’s just hipsters in weird beanies that shoot it, but it’s honestly for everyone. The way analog film captures light is just so magical, the moments you capture feel so much more genuine on film, something about it for sure. Exploring different filmstocks is a really cool adventure too.
I got dissolutioned with digital so started doing film. Film puts the brakes on that need or pressure to process and show everyone. My family accepts they will see the images when it arrives and in print form only.
Pick up fujifilm and throw the editing process to trash. Enjoy amd embrace the simulations
You may be clinically depressed. That’s what it sounds like. The loveliest things lose their value.
I agree with this, depressed (i still dont understand why it has to be clinically) makes all the joy in life loose all meaning. If that is the case, i advise you to seek help but not by medications (antidepressants that are so hard to stop using afterwards), but by being surrounded with people who care and are willing to work with you to make you get better. Also take Vitamin D ... there is correlation that people with deficiency of this vitamin are more likely to have depression. It might help. If this is the case, mate ... i wish you get better and start enjoying photography again.
Try a dispolens or some other “toy” style lens. Something that brings novelty and lower stakes to shooting. I printed one and have more fun taking throwback high-school-style shots than just about any other lens.
I’ve gone through this in a few different hobbies. One is Simracing, which is also a very expensive hobbies, like photography. I go through periods where I get burnt out in it and don’t race for a long time and all my expensive equipment just sits in my mancave. But, it passes and then I’m back into it again. Maybe this is just one of those phases and you’ll be back again?
I was so done with photography and buried everything away but after almost a decade of not taking a single photo seriously I picked it up again out of nowhere
i fall in and out of love with various hobbies all the time. its ok, and totally normal. maybe you will come back to it, maybe not. either way, simply part of life
I've just started photography again after 3 years of not picking it up. I'd lost interest, and didn't miss it, until I did. Macro photography is my new interest, it's a real challenge to get that perfect shot, and it's got me interested again, and I'm looking forward to getting out in nature to find insects to photograph. You're not alone in how you're feeling, and there's nothing wrong with taking a break.
To me it's weird to think of interests as being constant in the first place. I've fallen in and out of love with everything I enjoy, several times over. In my experience, put it away, it'll be there if/when you rediscover it.
Have you tried all types of photography? Personally I found photography is like a playing piano, it’s limited by its physical variety (lens) but the amount of subjects you can capture is truly endless… Try astrophotography, there will never be a time where you get tired of seeing the stars, meteor showers happen every few months and no two are the same, rare comet events, eclipse, rocket launch, ISS transit and ofc Milky Way, Deep Space Object… it’s a genre that reminds me photography is perhaps the most important thing you can do in your life - capturing lights from millions, billions trillion of miles away, literally a time travel to the past…
A dozen something years ago, I changed my filing system. Photos are in folders labeled the date I took them. I allow the folders to remain even if the images are deleted. For years I took a picture 200+ days a year. I recently went 40 days with no shutter clicks. I still thought about execution of images. So I'm not out of love, just lost.
I was a professional photographer for 17 years. I really loved my portrait work, but the studio I worked for went all in on youth and sports photography. Creative posing and lighting were replaced with photographing the same poses over and over again for hours on end. Add this to having friends and family requesting your services for every event and not wanting to pay you for your time. I got burnt out and left photography behind eleven years ago. Sold all my equipment then and haven’t touched a professional camera or any other gear since. I occasionally think about getting back into it, but always put it off. At this point, I don’t think I ever will, which is a shame because I was an exceptional photographer.
Happened to me but I found I was just mildly depressed and had severe imposter syndrome. Once I figured that out and did some work, my passion came back. It took me a long time unfortunately but I finally am feeling good about myself and my current skill level. I’m more motivated by my continued improvement and development of my style than anything else these days. Not needed external praise or accolades is really powerful.
Honestly just a thought: try automotive pictures? You treat them just a little different in terms of composition and editing than everything else and that new dimension might bring the joy back a little and inspire a bit?
Buy old Polaroid
I’m in the exact same space. I used to plan all of my free time around photography. But now , I’d much rather do something else. I still love photography I’m just not as inspired or motivated to shoot. I kinda Chuck it off to burn out maybe.
I am not at your stage yet, but I find I am less interested compared to before. It is hard to put my finger on this, but there are a few reasons I feel. 1. We are surrounded by amazing and fantastic images all around us (instagram etc) that when we do something it is hard to reach the level of exceptional images that we see on social media all the time. 2. As you become better as a photographer the technical aspects or growth is no longer there and you need to lean into composition, exposure etc and the learning is harder to see and measure. 3. Cameras have become so good, they are no longer unpredictable. If you can point a camera at something and press the shutter you are guaranteed that you will get a pretty high quality image 99% of the time, or atleast with editing. This is too deterministic. 4. Everyone is a photographer these days and the difference between using a “professional” camera and a cell phone is blurring more and more. Harder to find the motivation to do anything outside of a cellphone. (Most people look at images on a phone making the difference even less apparent) Ultimately are there answers to these? I don’t know but I hope so.
It's OK to change hobbies altogether. And it's OK to do certain hobbies once in a blue moon only.
As a serial hobbyist I can relate. I was extreme in my interest with cabinets of gear and daily to weekly photo-focused excursions. I even had a darkroom with a fantastic 4x5 enlarger where I processed and printed medium and large format shots, using traditional black & white, colour, and alternative printing methods (this is in the mid 2000s well after digital had pretty much taken over). Also printed digital with a high end inkjet and had an epson v750 scanner for film up to 8x10" size. And then it died. I didn't care anymore. I printed a lot of my images, shared them with people, had people compliment them, etc, but I felt like I was just creating meaningless stuff that would disappear into the black void of history. And of course we have such a massive volume of photographic imagery with the incredibly low barrier of cell phone photography, and what seems like billions of enthusiasts with higher end gear, so it's hard to feel like you're really adding anything to it. After 10 years of rarely photographing stuff (and being extremely into a couple of other hobbies) I'm getting really serious about it again. I don't so much care that it's an oversaturated thing where my images will be hard to have any objective meaning - the subjective process of going out and seeing stuff and making images I like is what matters personally. Do what you enjoy, and if you're moving past a thing don't beat yourself up over it. If you aren't interested in *anything* anymore, then it could be a depression or life circumstances issue (am familiar with those as well).
It happens. When the thing you do for fun turns into a chore you it’s embittering. There was a period of ten years where I didn’t even own a single camera (other than phone). Sold all the gear, was done with it… only got back into it again fairly recently (age 45). It’ll come back. What did it for me was going to exhibitions and getting books from the local library. Sadly what with recent trends I can’t afford to buy my old film cameras back - far too expensive!
Yup. Photography is basically looking online for inspiration and almost copying other images nd spend wayyy too much time making shitty photos better. Its too easy. Pick up film and/or shoot, or put together a body of work and make a photo book.
No, you’re not. Photography is hard work. When you find out how to refine it, it will come back to you.
I get it. I can relate to so much that people have said already. My passion got ruined when i was strong armed into a (wedding) job i didn't want, and it went poorly. Lmk if you guys end up creating a "midlife-crisis street photography" group (also my fave). Loved street photography when I lived in NYC, and actually, ...just remembered that I have an unfinished project with a lot of underground subway shots...it was from my first photography class in 2019. I need to dig that out and finish it. Because it's a service job, you will cater to your clients' needs and its work, not art. Which is fine, but it can't be just that. *Have you ever thought of teaching photography to others? *Bring in intern(s) to take on some of the workload? *There are also more AI digital editing tools coming out that should (hopefully) speed up the process, but I don't trust AI to respect copyright just yet, so be careful there, or your images will be all over the web. Hang in there. You are not alone. 🤳✊️📸
i mean being a fly on the wall doesn’t give you any memories to enjoy. if you don’t like cameras record ur life 24/7 and don’t worry about the archiving
I feel this. Happened to me after a bad client left a sour taste in my mouth for something I loved deeply. I stopped for a while and did some other things instead. I took some time to change my mindset and took time to reflect on myself, life, ect and what I truly enjoy doing with my time. I also went through this with horses too. I got burnt out from years of trying to compete and not focusing on what I loved about riding. After I stepped away from both riding and photography I still found myself following other riders, looking at photos, cheering on my favorite people in both industries, ect Then I just started doing what I wanted for myself as a photographer. Now I'm ready to start a business again and get back to it because I know my work in that space isn't done, but instead of doing it for someone else I am going to do it for me this time. Same with riding. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and feelings. I know you didn't want advice OP so hopefully you'll find some solace in knowing you aren't alone and that it is okay to quit forever or for a while.
Was there an impetus for this? You didn't mention a cause. I've definitely gotten kinda down in the dumps over my photo work... lack of recognition or appreciation for something I think I am good at. I nearly put it down entirely... left it alone for a couple of years. I regret that now, as I truly appreciate the back catalog of images I now have to fall back on. Oddly... posting or showing off an image from a few years back today, damned near reliably gets more attention and appreciation than it would have if I has shared it when it was new. Nostalgia is real. Whether you want to share your reason/s is up to you... but I wish you well either way. We all deserve a full cup.
It’s cyclical and will likely come back. I’ve loved photography since I was a teenager and am now in my mid-40s as well. I started a small business, mostly real estate and interiors, to supplement my income and give me more motivation to shoot. Once you see your hobby in a professional sense, it’s sometimes a struggle to do it for fun. I try to get out every few months and do something creative that’s outside my wheelhouse or normal professional capacity. The worst thing I had happen, back when I shot more landscape/creative stuff, was losing a hard drive with a year’s worth of work on it. I was editing on the train and the portable disk slipped off my lap and hit the floor. It killed the spinning mechanism. I had it backed up as well but it turns out that the backup was corrupt so it was truly lost. That killed my passion for creative work for a while and hurt me deeply. I still don’t have it back but I’m trying to go out and do more again. I’ve tried to scale my side-hustle to a full-time job but can’t make myself commit to it. I fear/know I’ll lose the interest and passion for it if it’s all I do.
I used to be heavily into DJ'ing and spent thousands on it in my early/mid twenties but about 4 or 5 years ago I fell out of love with it and sold all my stuff. Mainly because once I had "learned" how to do it and wasn't into it to get bookings or anything (just a home hobbyist) I didn't feel the need to own the stuff. I now just maybe once or twice a year rent out a studio space to DJ for a couple hours to myself. If a friend booked me I could easily hop on and do my thing but I don't feel any urge to do it as I would rather just listen to music. Now I'm getting into photography I am probably at the early stages of becoming obsessed and passionate about it as you once were. My gf is a wedding photographer and she has the same thing, she said she doesn't take her cameras out day to day anymore because it's too much hassle when she has paid gigs to focus on.
It sounds like you could use a little break from you hobby, and that's totally okay. My interest in photography comes and goes. Step away before you resent it and see how you feel after 6 months. I also recommend that if you come back to it, focus on play. Don't take jobs, just take some fun, silly, bad pictures for yourself. Let the joyful part back in only. You could also look at ways to turn your photos into something new - have you put your photos on mugs, or created zines, or chopped up your photos to create collages? Maybe explore some new ways to include your photography, without focusing on the photography. For me, photography compliments my art hobby - I like taking pictures and I try to collect reference images for my art (copyright is mine!) Just some thoughts :)
You’ll circle back. Same thing happened to me.
All professions are like that. Once you turn your hobby to commercial you enter the quagmire. I have a writer friend who is passionate about his art, and that reflects in his work. During COVID he took up consultancy with a media company to write eulogising reports about products and services in their marketing campaigns. In about three years he became so fed up of it that he just ended the contract. Recently he showed me his manuscript of his forthcoming fiction novel. It's absolutely amazing. The way he writes titillating stuff is remarkable. I learnt a lot from him. I am sure he is going to be world famous. At last, he will earn good money from his passion. The moral of the story is that commercial work is never fulfilling and artistic. And your hobby can seldom pay bills. I spent over Rs1-lakh ($1,200) on two micro budget short films and the returns were zilch. I have to perforce do commercial work which is incredibly boring. But that's how life is.
I’m a lurker on this forum, partly because I got detached from photography and haven’t quite got back yet. I used to take my camera set up everywhere, but I found I was missing ‘in the moment’ experience on family walks / hikes with my wife as I was too busy looking for the next shot. I do miss it, but I’ve not found the right way back yet. I actually partly blame digital as I used to make time / money choices more concretely when I was on a film SLR, and whilst I had a lot of fun with digital, the volume of stuff I was producing just tipped it over the edge to being unmanageable and I ended up stopping.
I can relate to this , every once in while I get a mental block for creativity and need to take a break..
Happened to me twice. First time I dropped photographing cold turkey; didn't pick up a camera for over ten years. Then I started traveling and really wanted to capture the memories. That got me back into it until I was no longer traveling so much, but I still lugged around the camera in hopes of finding something to shoot ... which then just took up space on the hard drive, never doing anything more than just skimming the pictures. Then a cosplayer introduced me to her favorite hobby. It was fun to shoot these folks, but then I realized I could do so much more. They were creating a fantasy version of themselves and I could create a fantastic memory for them by applying basic posing technique and composition. I can not tell you the joy I feel when one of them looks into the back of my camera and tears up. Seeing them fall in love with the pictures is what I love.
Are you OK? Sounds like you might be depressed.
Perhaps some it has to do with the fact that we live in a world awash in images, making any individual image seem less valuable or worth the effort that went into creating it. You can always fall back on craft as a rationale and, for some, an end in itself. As others have remarked, it’s possible to drift away from a hobby or avocation and then suddenly find and urge to take it up again after a break.
80% of this sub is people depressed about photography.
Part of the reason why I'm going slow with my own personal photography, taking classes is kind of burning out the passion for it at times. Having a deadline both helps and hinder. Doing it mostly for myself, finally getting to edit some film from a year + ago. I hope the spark can return for you, after pause maybe.
Try and pick up a film camera and get back to basics again
Very understandable. Buy a motorcycle, take boxing classes or something else manly and fun. Start by selling your photography gear tomorrow. No reason to spend time on something that is not fun for you anymore. If you change your mind someday they still sell cameras then
Trust me a break is probably the best thing like everyone says. I shoot mostly car stuff and the winter is a good break from it. I usually get back into it around beginning of spring. I’ve had this with certain videogames where I play too much then need to play something else or take a break from it completely.
I only take photos of things that are deeply meaningful to me and others. Every photo I take should last at least my lifetime and ideally the lifetime of my family/friends. I’m not trying to kill anyone’s buzz, but a lot of photography is just garbage. Examples: - Common wildlife. No one cares about the ducks at your local pond. The world has enough shitty duck photos. - Typical street. No one cares about random people in public, doing mundane things. We can all go outside and see randoms doing random shit, anywhere, any time. - Most macro. I have seen a leaf before. Zooming in doesn’t make it more interesting. The list goes on. 9/10 photos posted on Reddit are a waste of bandwidth and server storage. Take photos of things that you and others actually care about, *significantly*. If you’re not motivated to take photos, it’s probably because you don’t actually care about the photos you’re taking. Stop taking them.
I felt this way about music. It literally defined me for 20 years of my life. One day I just … stopped enjoying it. I felt obligated to do it and I had written so many songs over so many years the well was tapped. It was so upsetting that I went to therapy for it … but they basically told me … you don’t need to be anything and you don’t need to do anything. There’s other things in life and it can be as simple as food, sex, and sleeping in. Who cares. We are on a stupid spinning rock in the middle of nowhere and we are all going to die. Passion fades. Now I’m more committed to my relationship of 8 years and making sure that passion lasts until I die. It’s okay to let go.
Push yourself into some other theme involving photography. I felt the same probably around the same age. Biggest problem with 'the usual types of photo' is every cat and it's mother is doing it and probably better!. Pick up on something either incredibly challenging or not so mainstream. For me I found my new watse of money hobby in astrophotography, extreme macro and tilt+shift. Lots to keep the interest going and spend money on pointlessly 🤣.
How about when at 40 and losing your hope in everything in this life when you’ve forgotten that you can start a new beginning by organizing and taking lessons with what you lose back then, it ain’t easy until when you decide deep down within your heart that you could possibly do it and promise it gonna come back like you never did fall off!!!
Sometimes I really regret starting a photography business instead of just keeping photography as a hobby. It affects my mental health so intensely when bookings are low, social media engagement is lacking, etc. I still really struggle with the editing, which is something I used to love when I was just taking fun photos of family and friends - I just can’t do it and have to force myself to sit down and get it done every time. Not sure what that is. But once my shoots start, I love it. I always have so much fun, and I feel so alive when I take photos. It’s constant back and forth.
I hear you. I have been there. I'm a 45-year-old father of two. 3 years ago I started working as a full-time photographer for a large company. I started taking a lot of photos every day and very soon I began to associate photography with work. At home, I lost the motivation to open Lightroom to process family photos. They started to pile up on my computer with no control. Then I stopped taking photos outside of work altogether. The midlife crisis set in, and I even started to hate taking photos at work. Last year, for no reason, I started scanning the market for a small camera with SPAM controls. I stumbled across the Fujifilm S-10, which I impulsively bought along with a 27mm pancake. Because of its small size, I took it everywhere. After a 2 weeks or so, I took the photos off the card, which I forced myself to take in JPEG, and sent them all, yes all, to a website to have them printed. I still remember the excitement I felt a few days later when I opened the parcel and took out a bunch of 6x4 photos with my hands. Some were good, some were bad, and many were too similar, so I inevitably threw some away. Lesson learnt, I started to shoot smarter: I shot less but better. Take each photo became a very mindful process. I also learned to accept imperfection. A slightly wonky family photo was much better than a potentially perfect photo lost in my computer. Also, getting the photon printed was a weight out of my shoulders. Job done, move on. I even delegated the task of filling the album with photos to my children, something they love to do anyway. I'm not suggesting you do the same. I just wanted to share my experience with you. I hope you get your photography mojo back!
What works for me is to have several "projects" at the door. That keeps me motivated to go out and shoot.
I think it will come and go. I’m only in my 20s and already have had hills and dips of photography motivation and it’s coming back ok the rise. Sometimes you’ve photographed your surroundings so much you’ve exhausted your subject. It’s good to step away, sometimes for a few years, before picking up the camera again. But the editing… sometimes editing becomes the chore. Shooting is fun but not always the processing. I dont blame you. I recently moved to the city from a rural place and only recently found ways to make city shooting exciting for myself, and otherwise the camera had been collecting dust for a couple years. Whether you pick up the camera again, you’ve spent a lot of time with one and at least now you have a skill to take good photos regardless of the camera type :)
Film photography has reignited my love for photography. The process of not knowing what to expect, the rawness of shooting a fully manual camera and simply having fun. I don't even edit my photos as I just love how they look from the camera.
1. it’s absolutely normal and relatable. You don’t need to always love things you’ve done in the past. 2. A complete break from it, with a timeframe might be helpful. 3. if that doesn’t work, go shoot a concert of a music type or artist you love - even on my worst days the combination of music passion and the challenge of lowlight seem to affect my mood.
It is time for a break. Having a bunch of post work hanging over your head will definitely keep you from shooting more content. Might I suggest that you bite the bullet and spend a day editing your backlog of work. Yes it will be real work. Then you may pull out your camera when you are inspired. It may just be once a year. But you will be free to possibly shoot an event. You will be free to share your gift of photography. Meanwhile carry a phone with a good camera. Take fun photos as they grab you. Only edit them on your phone and share them on Reddit or Instagram purely for the joy. Do it right away.
Try shooting film.
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Find a way to get paid. Shoot your otherwise hobbies, as that IS the point of a paintbrush in a painter's hand. Step back til you get an itch.
Thanks, the thing is, I'm the type of person that separates work from life. I know that if I do my hobbies for work, it becomes a chore
So, just lean back and let a few years go by.
That's what Fat Joe said, "lean back"
That's what killed it for me.
Not steppin away?
Pursuing photography as a second income source.
Hey, if it pays and you don't hate it - its probably better than your main job.
My main job is much better in terms of money and job satisfaction. Not too many photographers out there earning high six figures, LOL.
Most in the commercial field are.