Blog # 7
I got knocked off course
It’s been 8 years since I started out with photography and street photography. Little did I know back in 2016 that this path would become a very significant one in my life.
At the time it was just an innocent hobby with great learning and experimentation that eventually would lead to a dedicated street photography Youtube channel. Something I never foresaw.
Recently I’ve been thinking about two things; Firstly, how I managed to stay dedicated and motivated to the craft of Street photography for all these years.
Secondly why street photography. I recently had an out of body experience where I came to think about Street photography as a bit weird. More on this in next month's blog.
Let’s look at the dedication and motivation that is required to maintain a hobby. Especially a hobby that is as solitary in nature as street photography.
Street photography is not a group hobby or sport that you can do with others. Well, you can but I bet 99% of street photographer go about it alone.
For me photography was something I have always been around growing up and been fascinated about. I wanted to get back to it and it didn’t take much convincing – I jumped right into it.
It did help to have a friend who was also passionate about it, so we started to nerd it out as much possible while hanging out and having fun.
For me staying motivated wasn’t hard in the beginning as I was learning so much at a rapid pace that it kept me occupied and super motivated long enough to find the next thing and the next thing after that I wanted to learn and master.
Street photography provided something I could focus on, something I had to “solve” as I tend to get bored quite easily but as I grew more experienced, and my skillset got more developed in many different directions staying motivated was not something I worried about.
Status: It’s complicated
Over the years I developed a particular style that I really loved. Yes, those high contrast and silhouette photographs. Still to this day I have the urge to go out and make crispy silhouette photographs particularly at night.
Fast forward to late 2022 and start 2023 something happed I hadn’t experienced before – well to the degree it presented itself.
I suddenly lost all motivation to do street photography – it felt mechanical and same old same old. Same looking photographs same boring places to go to. I didn’t feel challenged anymore.
Where did this come from?
I tried to push through it many times but I just ended up resenting it the more. I had a severe case of street photography blues.
I didn’t want to pick-up my camera or the thought of going out on the streets just felt daunting.
I never experienced this before.
Eventually I allowed myself to take a break. I didn’t really have another choice. I wanted to understand what was going on, so I started to analyze the root cause – once a consultant egh.
I quickly found out that it was connected to creating content for my Youtube channel especially the street photography POV videos I did in the beginning. I felt a lot of pressure to produce bangers during the POV’s to show the audience.
The reality of getting a “banger” typically a 5 start photographs is very rare. I would be so lucky and talented if I could produce them on a weekly basis.
The second underlaying reason was that I felt stagnant, like I reached a plateau and street photography for the first time wasn’t challenging me enough.
This led me to not finding the natural motivation, the inner drive that I have for things I really love.
Looking back the break and experience I went through has been good for me as a street photographer and became a defining moment in my Street photography journey.
Been a year since the break
As I’m writing this in September 2024 almost 1 year since my “Street photography crisis.”
I’m in a very positive mindset and my love for street photography has been reignited tenfold.
Most days I can’t wait to go out to do Street photography. It feels like I needed the break to regroup and reassess how I do Street photography and remember why I love it.
The most significant change I have been through have been a “mindset reset”. I perceive street photography differently now from back then.
Essentially, I’ve come to realize that street photography can be done and expressed in many ways which is both personal and unique to the individual Street photographer.
And that’s okay to be able to express it in multiple ways, formats and using different tools.
I slowly started to make fundamental changes that felt necessary which eventually also affected my Youtube channel. A direct response to my lack of motivation or drive.
I set out to find a format where I could express my thoughts and feelings on various street photography topics in a way that felt more authentic and honest to me and hopefully my audience and fellow street photographers. That resulted in my VLOG styled videos.
During this period, I also reduced my social media consumption significantly and started to find inspiration elsewhere e.g. photo books and old documentaries on Street photography.
Since then, I’ve pivoted toward candid street photography, something I haven’t been super interested in, but slowly I started to love it.
Perhaps because of the challenge candid street photography presents. Its much harder to do Street photography and fill the frame with a 28mm lens than a comfortable 50mm or 85mm lens – my safe space for years.
Candid street photography has been a fantastic journey and I've documented it through my VLOG episodes. Check it out on the channel.
Horizons broadened
My sudden lack of motivation kickstarted a series of changes for me as street photographer, it shook the ground I once stood so firmly on.
I believe its was a change that needed to happen for me to continue my street photography journey hopefully for years to come.
Dare I even say that I have broaden my horizons so much more than I thought was possible.
Maybe that’s the reason I love the art of street photography because it gives me endless possibilities of learning, having fun and staying motivated to hit the streets again and again.
Comments