How keeping yourself motivated in photography?

Sometimes it is very difficult to stay motivated in photography this because an interesting photo moment doesn't happen daily or can last for weeks.

My first and most important advice is carry a camera all the time with you, nothing can help you more.

Last week I was having a beer with a friend in Ghent. The rain pushed us inside a pub until suddenly the sun appeared with a big rainbow. Luckily I had my Nikon F100 with me and could shoot some pictures of the Ghent St Baafs Cathedral surrounded by a big double rainbow. The light and the rainbow around the cathedral were so unique to photograph. When this will happen again maybe in 30 years? I don't know, but luckily I had a camera with me, it was a B&W film on the Nikon F100.

I will develop the film after the 19th of July when my container arrives from Dubai with my film gear, developing material and film scanner. I am really curious how my picture will be. The day I can develop this film with the rainbow picture I will be super concentrated so I don't spoil the film.

Photo art prints motivate me a lot to continue to shoot and come up with some new work. Go out photographing with the idea that each good picture should be printed. The Dubai skyline that I shot in 2017 (see picture below) I printed it one meter by 0.70 meter and framed it. Each time when I look at that picture it gives me a positive feeling to continue and go out for new photo projects.

I do my investigations to find interesting places to photograph or assign myself new photo projects. Actually I am looking for an opportunity to get a skyline picture of Brussels. A complicated challenge because in Brussels they don't give access to rooftops. I never give up and one day I will have my opportunity.

The picture I shot from Ghent took me exactly four years of patience to get the picture I wanted. It is a picture that will be for sale on my website printed B&W on mat fine art paper.

Photography is like running, once you have your running shoes on and are outside you are happy to be there and keep running.

Photography is not always easy, but once you have a nice impressive print in front of you I get a boost and that is why printing is so important. Without print there is no real photography, but just a digital picture that will be lost very soon and never be seen again.

Contact with other photographers motivates me a lot, this by watching their YouTube channel or regular photo tours together with other photographers. One YouTube channel I can recommend is from Paul C Smith Photographer. He is a photographer based in Auckland, New Zealand. I like his style which can best be described as a simplistic and slow approach to photography art form.

I did a lot of photography tours in India with a Dubai based photographer Subodh Shetty. There is no better person I know to discover unique places and festivals in India, discover his work at www.subodhshetty.com. When I look at the pictures from Subodh I want to travel again to Asia and come home with amazing artwork to be printed.

Let you inspire by other photographers, photo books and lets travel to practice our passion as a photographer. Most important print your photo artwork, print it big and frame it. As soon flights are back to Asia I will be there photographing and connecting with people to experience their temples, festivals, food and beautiful landscapes.