motivation

All posts tagged motivation

Future Presidents Photo Project by Matthew Jordan Smith

Posted by scottbourne on March 30, 2013
Posted in: Tips. Tagged: , , . 1 comment

SONY DSC

Guest Post and Photos by Matthew Jordan Smith

What impact will a photograph have in a hundred years? This question has been on my mind during the past few years. What if a photograph, created today, had the ability to impact lives and inspire people in the future?

A little over a year ago I started on a journey to create a project that would do just that, inspire parents and children to dream big. I call the project Future Presidents. I’ve been traveling the country, going state-by-state, photographing children and planting the idea that they can become a future president. It is my hope that the act of highlighting these children will impact them and other children to see themselves as possible presidents in the future.

SONY DSC

Today, I’d like to invite you to join me and be a part of the Future Presidents project via Kickstarter. I need your help and support. In return for your support I am offering several support packages that range from a public thank on Facebook to a celebrity-style photo-shoot in Hollywood California.

SONY DSC

Imagine an American President speaking one day and saying they read a book as a child that made them want to become the President. Imagine your family seeing your name printed in that book as one of the people who helped make the project possible. This book is for you and our future and I believe together we can make a positive impact on America’s future.

Always Dream Big

Matthew Jordan Smith

_______

This Post Sponsored by:

lynda.com Learn photography anytime, anywhere, and at your own pace—from bite-sized tutorials to comprehensive courses. Try lynda.com free for 10 days by visiting lynda.com/​Photofocus.

Skip Cohen University Professional photo education for wedding & portrait photographers.

The Topaz Labs Image Enhancement bundle. Open up a world of creative possibilities with a seamless, integrated workflow. You don’t need to be a Photoshop wizard to look like one.

Drobo – Not only is Drobo 5D fast, but it’s easy-to-use, expandable, flexible, and protected.

The Photographer’s Idea Scrapbook

Posted by scottbourne on July 31, 2012
Posted in: Tips. Tagged: , , .

Once in a while I cover this subject because I get an email from someone who’s a bit down. They’re bored with their photography or even photography in general and they are looking for something to motivate them to get off the couch.

Some of you are thinking – “How can that be? I live for photography!” Well believe me if you’re into this photography thing long enough it will happen to you. So be prepared.

Years ago, I created an idea scrapbook. It’s taken many forms. For a while it was literally a scrapbook. But I got lazy and sometimes it was a shoebox, still others an entire drawer in my big file cabinet. The place, manner and method of collecting the ideas is unimportant. What IS important is the collection of the ideas.

Here’s how this works. You buy a magazine and you’re thumbing through the pages and BAM! You see a photo that rocks your world. You tear that page out and put it in your scrapbook (or box or drawer or bank vault for all I care) and you move on. When you’re bored or uninspired you go through the scrapbook and the idea is, you become inspired. Sometimes I’ll go try to recreate the photo that moved me. Sometimes I’ll just study it and try to figure out what the photographer had in mind when they made the shot and apply those principles to a totally different shot. It really doesn’t matter how you use the idea – it just matters that you USE the idea.

Fast forward to the series of tubes known as the Internet and this idea becomes even easier to implement. You look at Flickr or SmugMug or Viewbug, etc. and you see a picture that motivates you take a screen grab and store it in a folder on your hard drive called BIG IDEAS or something similar. No – you are NOT violating anyone’s Copyright as long as you don’t publish or republish the photo. This is just for your own use. You look at it – you see something about it that makes you want to get off the couch and you go out and shoot. Not for publication but for enjoyment.

Every time I’ve felt my photography growing stale I’ve used this trick and it works. I hope it does for you.

P.S. you can use this idea even if you aren’t bored with photography. It’s still a great way to get inspired.The Photographer’s Idea Scrapbook

_______

This Post Sponsored by:
Viewbug - Fun Photo Contests
Kelby Training – Use code KTSBA12 to save $20
BorrowLenses.com – Renting Canon, Nikon, Olympus & Sony, bodies, lenses, etc.
SmugMug – Professional Photo Sharing
Digital SLR Store - Cameras, lenses, accessories and everything else.

Moving Ahead

Posted by scottbourne on May 24, 2011
Posted in: Technique & Tutorials. Tagged: .

Copyright Scott Bourne 2011 - All Rights Reserved

Over the last several months, stories have been appearing about me on the Internet – some factual and some not – that have some readers asking questions.

About 30 years ago, I made some serious mistakes. I learned from them, made amends, and moved forward. I believe we don’t have to be defined by our past. We all have the chance in life to overcome mistakes, and that is what I have tried to do by pursuing my creative passion for photography and helping others pursue theirs. I am grateful I’ve had a chance to spend the last 30 years doing something productive.

My love of photography was born out of a desire to make a positive difference. We all sustain hardships, regrets and obstacles in life. I have found great meaning through creative pursuits. No matter what your circumstances, I hope my story can help you see the hope that exists as you reach for your own photographic success.

I want to thank my readers, including so many who have shown their loyalty and support, for your understanding and let you know that I remain ever more committed to helping you pursue your photographic vision.

No matter what happens, tomorrow I’ll have another post designed to help you improve your photography.

I Can’t Do This But I Can Do That

Posted by scottbourne on October 28, 2010
Posted in: Technique & Tutorials. Tagged: .

Copyright Scott Bourne 2010 - All Rights Reserved

There’s a documentary film called “I Can’t Do This But I Can Do That.” Upon seeing this movie I was motivated to consider how this saying can and does apply to photography.

It dawned on me that low self-esteem, combined with the bullying that is prevalent online, might work to stop some potentially great photographers from moving ahead with their photographic pursuits.

If you find yourself doubting your ability to become a serious photographer, try this exercise.

Make a list of things that you struggle with. It could be focus, or posing or composition or post-processing. Okay. So there’s the elephant in the room. All too often, that’s where people stop. Don’t be that person. Do the second and more important step. What do you do well?

It could be any of those same things. Perhaps you’re great at getting sharp focus, or devising great poses or you might be a master at Photoshop. If you’re good at remembering names and making people feel comfortable – write that down too.

Now here’s the important part. Start thinking about, talking about and living in the world of the stuff you CAN do. Concentrate on what you CAN do and not on what you CANNOT do.

I am not saying that you shouldn’t pay attention to improving in the areas where you need help. I am saying that 80% of your focus should be thinking about what you can do and not what you can’t. There’s a way to make this even more successful. Only surround yourself with positive, supportive people. Ask them to stop you dead in your tracks if they start hearing what you can’t do. Ask them to remind you what you CAN do. I bet you have more going for you than you realize.

Good luck.

_______________
This post sponsored by the Digital SLR Store

A Lesson Learned From Coconuts

Posted by scottbourne on February 16, 2010
Posted in: Technique & Tutorials. Tagged: .


While down here in sunny Florida I have been exposed to Palm trees. Very different than the trees near my home in the Seattle area. Palm trees are all kinds of cool. And one of the cool things they do is make coconuts. (Yes I know not ALL Palm trees make coconuts – but the trees at my condo complex do!)

Now believe it or not, there’s a guy here at the condo complex who’s job it is to drive around in what I call the Coconutmobile picking up the coconuts that fall to the ground every day. On some days, after a big wind or rain, there are lots of coconuts. In fact, it’s kind of overwhelming. There are hundreds of palm trees on our property and each of these produces lots of coconuts.

As I watched the man pick up the coconuts and put them into the Coconutmobile, it dawned on me – there is a lesson here for photographers who want to turn pro or who are already pros and who want to grow their businesses.

You see it would be very easy for the guy who picks up coconuts to say, “Wow – there’s just too many of them. I don’t know where to start.” He could give up, park the Coconutmobile in the Coconutmobile garage and go have a drink on the beach. That would be very easy.

Instead, the man just rolls up to the first tree, gets out, brings out his bag, and starts picking up coconuts. He doesn’t seem to fret about which tree to begin with. He doesn’t even seem to have a pattern. He just stops where he happens to be and gathers the coconuts that have fallen to the ground. He gets back in the Coconutmobile and drives to the next tree where he does it again and again and again. It usually takes him about four hours to pick all the coconuts off the ground. When he’s finished, he takes them somewhere, I am not sure where. But I know the next day he’ll be back to do it all again.

As a new photographer, perhaps you’ve looked at all the things you need to learn to master the craft of photography. There’s which camera and lens to buy, learning about exposure, composition, light, etc. It would be very easy to say “Wow – there’s just too much to learn. I don’t know where to start.” You could join the coconut guy for a drink. But if you take a lesson from him, you can accomplish your goals. Just pull up to the first thing you need to learn and learn it. Don’t worry about all the other stuff. Stick with that one thing – that tree if you will – and learn what you can before you move on to the next. You’re going to have to learn all of it eventually, so just go for it.

Move along from one thing to the next learning what you can. Don’t concentrate on what you DON’T know. That would be like the guy picking up coconuts spending his day counting how many he has left to pick up. It’s much more productive (and satisfying) to say “Wow – look how many I’ve gathered!”

_______________
This post sponsored by the Digital SLR Store

Seven Tips For Fighting Photographer’s Block

Posted by scottbourne on December 23, 2009
Posted in: Tips. Tagged: .

Copyright Scott Bourne 2005 - All Rights Reserved

A while back Nicole Young wrote a piece of overcoming creative block. Here’s my version – overcoming photographer’s block.

It happens to the best of us. Sometimes you just get into a photography rut. You find yourself unmotivated. The couch seems more comfortable than usual and the excuses to keep your camera in the bag are mounting. If this describes you, here are seven tips that might get you back shooting.

1. Make a decision – getting past photographer’s block starts with simply making a decision to do something about it. Write it down. Say it out loud. Tell your friends. Post it on Twitter. Let the world know you’re planning to get back in the game.

2. Call it a comeback – changing your conversation will make a difference. And changing it to something positive will help. Don’t talk about getting out of a rut. Talk about making a comeback. Bret Farve did it and you can too.

3. Schedule time – open up your calendar program and schedule photography time each week for the next four weeks. It you set a schedule, you’re more likely to get out there with your camera.

4. Call a friend – sometimes getting another photographer involved is all it takes to get you behind the camera. Especially when that friend is either just starting and very enthusiastic or if the friend is otherwise highly motivated, that could be all you need to get cracking.

5. Look at lots of photos – Go to the library and check out three or four photo books. Browse the magazine rack at the bookstore. Look at the photos being published. Seeing great images can motivate any photographer.

6. Workshop -  If you can afford it, attend a photo workshop. Spending time learning amongst other photographers is always an inspiring experience for me. It’s almost impossible not to get motivated after attending even a mediocre workshop. Just the energy of all the other photographers might be enough to start your engine.

7. Be accountable – set goals and tell a mentor or a friend. Ask them to hold you accountable to your goals. Set a regular time to speak with them about your progress. Knowing someone has your back is always reassuring.

Photographer’s rut doesn’t have to end your love of photography. Give these tips a try and go out and shoot.

Are You A Lazy Photographer?

Posted by scottbourne on August 20, 2008
Posted in: Technique & Tutorials. Tagged: .

It’s easy to get in a photographic rut. You take a class or read a book and get excited and then years go by and you find yourself shooting the same way you did two, three or even four years ago. Have you gotten lazy? When was the last time you got up 30 minutes early to make CERTAIN you got the best light? Did you jump out of the car at your last photo shoot, plop down the tripod at the first place you saw, fire away and then call it a day? Or maybe you just shoot everything with the same lens now because it’s easy.

This post is designed to shake you up a bit and challenge you to get busy. Don’t be lazy. On your next photo shoot, try not to have any pre-conceived notions. Don’t play it safe. Just one time, go for broke. Try something new. Shoot from a different angle. Try a setting on your camera you’ve never used before. Shoot with a really high ISO or use a really slow shutter speed just to see what happens. Get closer than you ever have before and use an extremely wide-angle lens. Try thinking in black and white.

These are just a few of the ideas you can use to motivate yourself to try something, anything, that’s new. Who knows, you may come up with a prize-winning image.