Winter mindset for photographers
I’m writing this at the end of November near London. It is grey and wet outside. It will be dark by 4pm. I do not want to go for a walk with my camera, start a new project or even finish an old one. My creative motivation is at its low point in the year; but it happens every November and I know by now the feeling will pass.
© Emma Davies
If you suffer with the winter motivational doldrums I have a few ideas for you, but above all don’t be hard on yourself. Photography is supposed to be fun, but it can’t be fun all day every day. If you need a break, take one.
If all you need are some new ideas, keep reading for enough projects to keep you going until spring. (And for our friends in the southern hemisphere, please enjoy some of our summer archive; links at the end.)
Beginner’s Photography Course
Emma’s flagship beginner’s course is free by email (there is an optional paid app as well). Join here and get started today:
1. Follow your mood
If you’re gloomy, make gloomy photos. Enjoy dark corners and melancholy. Embrace high ISOs and blurred images. More ideas here: Embracing imperfect photos.
© Emma Davies
2. Stay indoors
During lockdown the AYWMC community tried every conceivable indoor photo project from table-top flowers to photographing folded paper. Browse through the archive here: Lockdown photo projects.
3. Deep-dive into an indoor specialism
Click here for our 4-part introduction to macro photography.
Click here for our 4-part introduction to flash photography.
4. Plan for 2023
If the end of the year is a time for treading water and just making it through, put your camera away, use your phone to capture the key memories and day-dream about what you might do in 2023. In my online camera club (which opens again for registration on 26 January, for one day only: click here to join my once-a-month email newsletter to be reminded) we spend January thinking about a “big project” to do for the whole year. What would you choose to do? A photo-a-day project? Work on one technique each month? Do A Second Year with My Camera?
