How to Keep Photography Enjoyable

Throughout your photography journey, for one reason or another there will naturally be periods where you start to disengage and fall out of love with the subject.

Therefore in this blog I’ll be sharing a number of tips I’ve found helpful over the years to help keep photography enjoyable.

Light Setup

At the very start of your photography journey, you will naturally want to take every piece of equipment possible out with you in order to give yourself the highest possible chance of gaining the best shots.

However, over time you’ll start to notice actually this will become a bit of a hinderance, and it will directly impact how you enjoy taking photos and also the subsequent results. Not only will you feel the weight on your shoulders (literally), you will find yourself spending more time conflicting over what lens to use, therefore directing your focus elsewhere.

My advice to anyone these days, especially as a beginner, is to keep your setup as light and simple as possible, allowing you to focus on what really matters, and what you really want to enjoy doing. Choose one lens, take it out and roll with it, you’ll thank yourself in the long term.

No Goals

This can be easier said than done, but I’ve learnt over the years that you will enjoy photography a lot more when you go out to shoot with no specific goals in mind.

By this I mean aiming for a very specific shot, or visioning a perfect photo in a direct location. By doing this, you only drain the fun out of photography when you don’t come away with the results you wanted. The beauty of photography, especially street photography, is that you act and react accordingly to the events unfolding in front of you, who knows what you might stumble upon, and that what makes it so enjoyable.

Forget Pressure

Following on from this, by just going out with the camera to shoot in freedom, this allows you to release and forget all pressure on yourself. Especially early in my photography journey, this is a point I can relate to more than most. Photography is a long-term learning process, and it’s something you adapt to and learn from day-by-day.

Your views on success will change over time, however it is what occurs at that specific stage of your journey what matters most. Go with the flow and grow from it, don’t challenge yourself too much straight from the off.

Shoot with Friends

Sometimes meeting up with like-minded people can be incredibly helpful and beneficial. Not only can you share your experiences and learn from one another, you also gain new friends and connections in your life. Shooting alone of course has its benefits, however at times for a more enjoyable experience, meeting up with others and enjoying their company can also be a great way to keep in touch positively with your photography.

Mix Locations

Last but not least, to help keep photography enjoyable, try to mix up and vary the locations you choose to shoot within. Of course this can be an obvious point in hindsight, however as I learnt it wasn’t until I started photographing different areas and locations that I felt I was adapting and enjoying more of what’s around me rather than the norm.

Naturally, I’m not saying you need to make your way across to the other side of the country, instead it could be something simple as walking in a different direction, or having a joyful stroll around the local park instead of the seaside.

At the end of the day, where you go isn’t the focus, just as long as you’re enjoying your time photographing, that’s what really matters.