Great article! I always love reading a little bit about how the sausage is made in regard to photo books. My largest struggle creatively has always been being able to make the time to practice the craft. I’m a full time engineer first, amateur photographer second. It’s rare I’m able to get the time for a long, contemplative photo walk.
My biggest struggle is motivation. It rains a lot here and getting out in the cold and wet is challenging. I’ve started attending indoor events like a bike stunt show last weekend - events like that re-invigorates the joy of making photos. Cheers, Ben.
A creative struggle of mine, is finding inspiration to go out and shoot. I know as artists we can't always be inspired, but instead to just get out there and perform the craft and this can allow inspiration in a new creative idea to emerge. Thanks again for the great reads!
Great read as always, Wesley. I am planning to complete my first photo book by the end of the year for a limited audience. So this was perfect motivation to get to it. As many have mentioned, my biggest struggle is time! Cheers.
More than two years into my own book project (on a similar theme, as it happens) and came across you last week for the first time. Everything for a reason! Your posts on the subject have just been so very inspiring – and just as I was entering that 'flagging' stage. The boost that reminded me that the end may be in sight after all. Thank you so much, Wesley :)
I have read many of the comments and see that folks struggle with finding time to work on projects. As a retired photography teacher, I have lots of time. I struggle with finding the right project/ideas to explore. I was quite good at guiding students toward defining long-term (1-2 year) projects, but I struggle personally settling on a single focus. For the past 3.5 years, I have created a weekly 5-6 page newsletter anchored by my photographs for family and friends. It was started as a way to keep in touch with family during the pandemic. It forces me to create new weekly content, but now need something less newsy and more personal. I have read through numerous comments, and it appears that many individuals struggle with finding enough time to work on their projects. As a retired photography teacher, I have an abundance of spare time. However, I often find myself struggling to identify the right project or idea to focus on. While I was quite adept at guiding my students towards defining long-term (1-2 year) projects, I have a hard time settling on a single focus for myself.
For the past 3.5 years, I have been creating a weekly 5-6 page newsletter that features my photographs. This newsletter was initially started as a way to stay connected with my family during the pandemic. It has been quite effective in helping me create new weekly content, but I now feel the need for something more personal and less newsy.
As a person with a full time 9-5 (more often 8.30-18) job, i struggle with make myself enough free time to shoot. Inspired by your project, i started my own "an-image-per-day" photo project (it's freaking hard!), but i still struggle to carry on with my long term projects: with so little time available, it's very hard and anxiogenous to reflect and make decision about them. Seeing other comments, it's a very common struggle!
A book...sounds like a journey. I have tens of thousands of photos from our Vancouver to Mexico rv trip last year. Would love to make a book of that even just for a keep sake. Will have to investigate a little more. Thanks for the post.
My struggle comes from having so many ideas and honing in on one of vision and really going for it without getting distracted by other ideas and thoughts. There are so many ideas that I want to create and capture, but putting together all the pieces and making it come to life sometimes is challenging.
I've been struggling a lot lately with finding motivation and meaning in my photography. I'm sure I'm just overthinking everything about it and making excuses. I'm a big procrastinator and whenever I have any bit of doubt or struggle with meaning or motivation, I just sit on my ass and rot away! Damn, this feels like therapy... :)
Lately, I've been struggling with the notion of "what comes next?" with my creativity. I've been at this for years and still love it, but it feels as if I've hit, not quite a plateau, but some period of quiescence. Not objectively a bad thing, but when I would previously shoot several rolls every week, and now perhaps finish one every 1-2 weeks, I find myself questioning where I might re-find that sense of inspiration. Feels as if my brain is profoundly *ready* for some sort of level-up, but my body doesn't yes know how to express it.
My current creative struggle I believe is mostly being smothered by social media. Not just the waste of time on sm, but all the ubiquitous and trivial chatter. It drains me. Sucks out my creative ambition. I'm not photographing as much. I take less time with the process. I'm behind on getting my work printed (which has always been something I've valued).
Sounds like a great project Wesley. Looking forward to see it come to life
Great article! I always love reading a little bit about how the sausage is made in regard to photo books. My largest struggle creatively has always been being able to make the time to practice the craft. I’m a full time engineer first, amateur photographer second. It’s rare I’m able to get the time for a long, contemplative photo walk.
Currently struggling with TIME and trying to figure out how to hack it so I can make my art.
My biggest struggle is motivation. It rains a lot here and getting out in the cold and wet is challenging. I’ve started attending indoor events like a bike stunt show last weekend - events like that re-invigorates the joy of making photos. Cheers, Ben.
A creative struggle of mine, is finding inspiration to go out and shoot. I know as artists we can't always be inspired, but instead to just get out there and perform the craft and this can allow inspiration in a new creative idea to emerge. Thanks again for the great reads!
Great read as always, Wesley. I am planning to complete my first photo book by the end of the year for a limited audience. So this was perfect motivation to get to it. As many have mentioned, my biggest struggle is time! Cheers.
More than two years into my own book project (on a similar theme, as it happens) and came across you last week for the first time. Everything for a reason! Your posts on the subject have just been so very inspiring – and just as I was entering that 'flagging' stage. The boost that reminded me that the end may be in sight after all. Thank you so much, Wesley :)
I have read many of the comments and see that folks struggle with finding time to work on projects. As a retired photography teacher, I have lots of time. I struggle with finding the right project/ideas to explore. I was quite good at guiding students toward defining long-term (1-2 year) projects, but I struggle personally settling on a single focus. For the past 3.5 years, I have created a weekly 5-6 page newsletter anchored by my photographs for family and friends. It was started as a way to keep in touch with family during the pandemic. It forces me to create new weekly content, but now need something less newsy and more personal. I have read through numerous comments, and it appears that many individuals struggle with finding enough time to work on their projects. As a retired photography teacher, I have an abundance of spare time. However, I often find myself struggling to identify the right project or idea to focus on. While I was quite adept at guiding my students towards defining long-term (1-2 year) projects, I have a hard time settling on a single focus for myself.
For the past 3.5 years, I have been creating a weekly 5-6 page newsletter that features my photographs. This newsletter was initially started as a way to stay connected with my family during the pandemic. It has been quite effective in helping me create new weekly content, but I now feel the need for something more personal and less newsy.
My copy of Noticed is well loved.
I make a book per year of my favorites taken during that year.
Start small.
36 or 48 pages.
Practice the design and layout skills and it becomes easier and cleaner.
Super good info on your project.
As a person with a full time 9-5 (more often 8.30-18) job, i struggle with make myself enough free time to shoot. Inspired by your project, i started my own "an-image-per-day" photo project (it's freaking hard!), but i still struggle to carry on with my long term projects: with so little time available, it's very hard and anxiogenous to reflect and make decision about them. Seeing other comments, it's a very common struggle!
A book...sounds like a journey. I have tens of thousands of photos from our Vancouver to Mexico rv trip last year. Would love to make a book of that even just for a keep sake. Will have to investigate a little more. Thanks for the post.
My struggle comes from having so many ideas and honing in on one of vision and really going for it without getting distracted by other ideas and thoughts. There are so many ideas that I want to create and capture, but putting together all the pieces and making it come to life sometimes is challenging.
I've been struggling a lot lately with finding motivation and meaning in my photography. I'm sure I'm just overthinking everything about it and making excuses. I'm a big procrastinator and whenever I have any bit of doubt or struggle with meaning or motivation, I just sit on my ass and rot away! Damn, this feels like therapy... :)
Thank you for inspiration!
Lately, I've been struggling with the notion of "what comes next?" with my creativity. I've been at this for years and still love it, but it feels as if I've hit, not quite a plateau, but some period of quiescence. Not objectively a bad thing, but when I would previously shoot several rolls every week, and now perhaps finish one every 1-2 weeks, I find myself questioning where I might re-find that sense of inspiration. Feels as if my brain is profoundly *ready* for some sort of level-up, but my body doesn't yes know how to express it.
My current creative struggle I believe is mostly being smothered by social media. Not just the waste of time on sm, but all the ubiquitous and trivial chatter. It drains me. Sucks out my creative ambition. I'm not photographing as much. I take less time with the process. I'm behind on getting my work printed (which has always been something I've valued).