Motivation in Street Photography
I usually have no problem being motivated to go out and do street photography. I not only love the photographs I get to create, but I really love the process too.
Street photography involves walking, being active, and being outside in the sun and fresh air. These are all things I love.
Sometimes, however, life gets in the way, and my motivation to do street photography goes down. But whenever this happens, I do several things to motivate myself to get back out there and do street photography.
Motivation Comes and Goes
Not going out to take photos has been one of my biggest failures in street photography. That said, no one is motivated to do anything 100% of the time. It’s natural for motivation to come and go.
The majority of the time, however, I am very motivated to go out and do street photography. I’m more likely to have other issues hold me back from doing street photography as opposed to not having the motivation to do it.
That said, I think it’s fine to have periods when I’m not motivated to do street photography, and that’s OK. It’s easier said than done, but I shouldn’t beat myself up over it, even though it may temporarily hold me back from creating the body of work I want to make. In the end, lack of motivation doesn’t last forever; I know that it’ll come back.
What Motivates Me to Do Street Photography
If I’m feeling a lack of motivation to do street photography, I need to expose myself to the things that get the spark of motivation back. I mostly make this part of my daily life, but sometimes I need to remind myself and put some thought into it.
Street Photo Books
The biggest motivation for me to do street photography is going through photo books. I’ve built up a big collection of them over the years. It’s a pain in the ass whenever I move, but it’s worth it.
Street photography books are an immersive experience. I love seeing street photos in large prints and studying the photographer’s frames from corner to corner. I usually take in photos as a whole and get a feel for them first. I think about the feeling they evoke in me.
From there, I usually can’t help but dive deeper and analyze them on more of a granular level. I think about what the photographer did to create the picture. I make mental notes of the colors and layers in the image.
Street photography books are a huge step above social media as a viewing experience for street photography. For one, the photos are much bigger than what you see on a small phone screen. This alone is a major difference, and it makes you appreciate the photos more.
Another thing I always think about when it comes to street photography books is that they’re collections of photographs that the photographer has put a great deal of thought into. The single photographs themselves are often very impressive, but having them be in a collection elevates them to another level that tells some sort of narrative of their project or place. When a street photography book gets made, the photographer works with an editor and gets input from them. The result is a thoughtful body of work.
All of these factors combined together make me excited and motivated. It inspires me to want to go out and create a body of work of my own. This is one of the major reasons why I do street photography.
Street Photography Videos and Documentaries
I get a lot of enjoyment out of street photography videos, particularly on YouTube. I love hearing the perspectives of other street photographers. The photos they take and adventures they go on inspire me to do something similar and put my spin on it.
Some of them are great street photographers. Others excel at creating videos and making them look cinematic. I recently launched my own YouTube channel, and I have no idea how some of these creators make their videos look so good. It’s a learning process for sure.
On the other hand, I do think you can waste time watching YouTube videos rather than creating a body of work for yourself. It’s tough though - as an American, we live in a capitalist hellscape that requires you to work yourself to the bone. As a result, for many years, I would get off work and have no energy to create anything of my own. So for a time, street photography YouTube videos were a good escape for me.
The other thing I’ll mention is street photography documentaries. It’s been a while since I watched any, but I love them as well. The last ones I remember watching were of Garry Winogrand and another one about Vivian Maier. I need to see if there are any new ones I haven’t seen yet.
Documentaries about street photographers really put things in perspective. They show you the dedication it takes to be a great street photographer. They make me want to be a better photographer.
Instagram and Other Social Media
Instagram can be a good source of inspiration. I’ve definitely discovered new street photographers on Instagram who I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. It’s great to see the street photography of your modern contemporaries. I think it’s important to support your fellow living street photographers.
It may not be the best viewing experience because you’re seeing it on a small screen, but still, I think it has some value. Whenever I scroll through Instagram, it makes me want to go out and make photos. Sometimes it makes me think, “I can do this better!”, which I think is fine as long as you’re treating it in a healthy competition sort of way and not letting it consume you and make you a psycho.
On the other hand, though, I think we all know on some level that too much Instagram and social media can be a really bad thing. I need to limit my time on it. I also don’t ever want it to be something that drags down my self-worth in any way. I don’t want to be overly concerned with the number of likes my photos get.
I Strive to Make Street Photography a Constant Part of My Life
The important thing for me when it comes to motivation in street photography is making these things part of my life. I know these things motivate me to do street photography. So I need to incorporate them into my routine.
The more I think about street photography, the more I want to do it and create a body of work. So doing things like going through my collection of photo books helps me achieve that.
