Do anything for a long time and you’re bound to feel either bored or burnt out. This includes even the things that you are deeply passionate about. Feeling demotivated or unsatisfied about photography? You’re definitely not the only one. If you do street photography, there’s a good chance it’s also because you’re bored of shooting in your own city. If that’s the case, here’s something that may give you a bit of motivation today.
In the video above, Atlanta-based Evan Ranft shares some insights for those who feel they’ve run out of interesting things to photograph. Familiarity breeds contempt, as the saying goes. Many photographers tend to head out elsewhere more “photogenic” as a result. There’s nothing wrong with this, as he noted. It may even be necessary if you do a lot of landscape photography. However, he also believes that just because you live in a “boring” town doesn’t mean you can’t do street photography. Boring may even be subjective!
A lot of us are still constrained in our towns or cities due to the ongoing pandemic. The challenge Ranft leaves us in his video, however, is to find a way to build our storytelling skills and visual style despite how “boring” things may seem. He even sets an example by taking us on a quick photowalk around Atlanta and sharing his thought process for the photos that he took. It may be challenging to get some photos or visual stories that we can consider as unique or interesting. But, at the end of the day, it will take us closer to being better photographers.
Want more street photography tips and motivation? Join the Photofocus Community today if you haven’t yet so you can chat and exchange insights with your fellow street photographers!
