Work. Family. Life. How do we make more time for photography? Here are some suggestions to inspire you!
It’s often challenging to make time for photography. Many of us have a job. Or two. We have family, obligations, and more. It’s difficult to find the time. This is especially true if we are night photographers since we often need to travel to dark places and create far more time-consuming images.
Let’s discuss a few strategies. Even if only one or two of these help, then this article will have done its part.
Managing your time
Make a schedule and commit to it
Make photography a part of your schedule. You most likely schedule your work, family, doctor visits, and travel. Do the same for photography.
If you are a night photographer, this is particularly crucial. After all, you will most likely need to travel to a place with reasonably dark skies and interesting foregrounds. You might need to camp or get a motel or AirBnB as well.
Make plans. Put it on your calendar. Make reservations. Make it happen.
Batch tasks
Need to do some photography-related tasks? Try to batch them together. Whether it’s gathering all the photography gear together and charging all batteries or setting apart time to import photos to your computer and process them, set apart time to do these together.
Create a dedicated photography time each week
Just like you might plan other aspects of what you do, dedicate some time to photography each week. If you can put something on the calendar and block out a few hours each week, this will go a long way toward helping you with your photography. It will also create habits that serve you well. Many of us block off time for other things, including watching TV programs. Photography should be no different.
Planning to photograph
If you plan your photography, you’re more likely to follow through with a schedule and commit to it. Planning to photograph also allows you to pre-visualize what you would be doing. This also makes it more likely that you will follow through.
Research locations, weather conditions, and the equipment you will need.
Be ready
I keep some of my photography equipment in my car. No, not my cameras or lenses. Since I’m a night photographer, I keep my tripods in the car. I also keep extra clothes, extra intervalometers and remote shutter releases, extra tripod parts, water, and other handy items in the trunk. It’s out of sight, so it attracts attention. And they’re typically not things that people are looking to steal anyway.
You might not need to do this. But you could keep your camera, lenses, memory cards, chargers, and accessories in a camera bag, ready to go.
Cleaning and charging
I keep my batteries charged, and make sure that my sensors and lenses are clean. Let’s goooooo!
The mindset for creating
You are trying to photograph, right? You’re creating. You’re trying to be in the flow. Think about what sort of mindset would be best for creating photos.
Embrace fun
It’s fun to create. Include others in the fun. Bring your friends along. They can be other photographers, of course. They can be friends or family. Have them find cool things for you to photograph. They can help you when you are experimenting with lighting. Stargaze. Eat. Relax.
Whoever you bring along, though, make sure that they understand that you are photographing, and that this is the main reason why you are going.
There can also be safety in numbers. Depending on where you go, you might feel safer if you have people with you!
Join a photography community
There’s nothing like knowing that there are other people out there who share your interest in photography. Better yet, you can learn from each other, grow together, and even photograph together. Connect with people who share your interests. Support and inspire each other.
Some organizations can be the camera club in your town, Meetup, Facebook photography groups, quality photography forums such as Pentax Forums, photography workshops, and more.
Get inspired from other people
When you are walking for exercise, driving, or relaxing, consider listening to podcasts about photography. You can learn a lot and get inspired. Hopefully they also help you pre-visualize what you want to do.
Of course, there’s a ton of YouTube videos on photography as well. No matter what genres interest you, there’s sure to be someone discussing it on YouTube.
Mindfulness
I’ll mention this just in case it helps. I have ADHD. One of the things that I gain from night photography, and photography in general, is being in the moment. I stay present and focused on what I am doing. It’s also calming. It feels great not to have my mind racing around. This is utterly valuable.
Once you experience this, you are motivated to do it more often. And you are more likely to schedule time to do just that. The large takeaway from this is that doing something enjoyable like photography can be mentally healthy.
What helps you make more time for photography? Share your suggestions in the comments below.
