I would liken this to fly fishing: countless casts, a few strikes and once in a while a great cutthroat trout is landed!

Rx4Photo said:
I don't play golf but I've always heard that playing golf is the ultimate challenge against oneself. For me, photography is a lot like that. I often go out to see just how good I can make a common sight look If I frame it and photograph it just right. Photography also allows me to "stop and smell the roses." Goodness knows we all just move through life so fast and don't often slow down long enough to notice the little things that we take for granted.

Well said.... Countless shots, a few good ones and every once in a while, a memorable composition. Have fun, enjoy....

PAD or photo-a-day is a sticky thread at the top of this forum. It's where NRF members share their photos. Here is the link for the this months PAD: http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=8644

As for your original question; I think the things that give me the most satisfaction when taking photos is when my photos contribute to the happiness of someone else. This could be something as simple as a flattering portrait of that person or just another photo that they happen to "fall in love with" if that makes any sense LOL :D

ohh, Note to myself: Never wait two days before checking my thread...

First of all i would like to thank you for some very brilliant ideas of where to find some motivation!

SquamishPhoto said:
Out of curiosity, what are the kind of photos that you've taken that give you the satisfaction that you spoke of? Was it a particular style or a certain location?

I have mostly been doing landscapes and some night photography, but there is no special style or locations.

As some of you recommended, i will try to share some of my photos. I assume that flickr will do fine, unless some of you have other recommendations.
Yetibudda mentioned something called "PAD", could someone please explain what this is?

Indoors we enjoy man/woman made resourses, outdoors we enjoy God made resources.

maronning said:
Therefore i am curious about what your motivation to go outside and take photos is

The beauty of light is my number one motivator for photography. What you can do with light and what light can do for you. Also, nature, animals, landscapes. Historic things. Last summer I got interested in underwater photography, because what water and the tiny particles in it do to the light is just something awesome.

Yes welcome indeed!Golf your such a lucky guy! Its like a studio everytime you go outside there and so much to shoot! Maronning I think for me its viewing other classic captures from famous artists such as Steve McCurry or Mr. Adams that immediately inspire and dazzle you. Also the trick is to just keep shooting like Nikon advertises "a shot each day". Anything and everything that grabs your attention. I think travel anywhere can bring out your creative side as well as motivation too. A hike, a trip to the zoo or a bigger planned trip will work wonders.

Share some of your work with us on the monthly images thread :)

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I don't play golf but I've always heard that playing golf is the ultimate challenge against oneself. For me, photography is a lot like that. I often go out to see just how good I can make a common sight look If I frame it and photograph it just right. Photography also allows me to "stop and smell the roses." Goodness knows we all just move through life so fast and don't often slow down long enough to notice the little things that we take for granted.

My main (only ?) motivation is airplanes. Static shows, air displays, aeroclubs, museums, any aircraft but preferably Warbirds.

If you have another hobby, use that as your main motivation for a start.

I will agree that sharing this is a big motivation for me. If I just went and took pictures and had them on my computer and didn't do anything with them...then I would get unmotivated. I share them on my flickr page mostly, but that allows me to contribute to the PAD thread and also post on my facebook every once in a while with a post from my flickr page. I like to bring random pictures to use as my desktops at work so people can see them. If I ever get around to it selling pictures and making money would surely motivate me.

Hello and welcome to NRF. first, I want to say that photography allows me to tell stories in a way that is not words. I write a lot (an academic that focuses on conservation and environmental management), and photography allows me to express myself more creatively than permitted in scientific journals. What motivates me is thinking of stories I want to tell and to tell them well.

A second factor is PAD, as it is very inspiring to see how various people express themselves through imagery. I get ideas from viewing those images and then seeing how I might do something or how that technique, composition or technology might help me tell the story.

So, please start contributing to PAD. I am sure you have your own stories and methods of telling them through images.

golf007sd said:
...., one thing that always gets me motivated is new equipment. So if you are lacking motivation, go buy yourself a new toy and you will see what I mean. :)....

+1

Join a photosite where you can share your photos ... Sharing and being admired helps a lot .

Start night photography , start smoking cigars at the same time - long-lasting Cubans preferably. The combination will give you so much satisfaction , you will be dying to get out of the house to shoot something :-)

The photographer is a recorder of history like a writer. We allow others to share moments they may not be able to see in person. We can carry messages of almost any event, good or not so good.

By using the creative tools we can produce beautiful works of art in abstracts or simply nice designs in nature.

And these are the motivators to "go outside and take pictures." Interestingly enough, one of my upcoming projects is a photograph of the sun during the day. So, the experience is one which is always expanding.

Sounds like you need a challenge. An easy challenge to take on, yet perhaps not as easy to succeed at, is looking to photographic styles that you adore and allow that to influence your own work. If you want to get even more specific about it just find some unique individual photog to use as a motivation for your own work. First try and replicate and then try and emulate.

Out of curiosity, what are the kind of photos that you've taken that give you the satisfaction that you spoke of? Was it a particular style or a certain location?

Hello maronning....welcome to NR.

Being at I live in Southern California, the weather is always a factor. With that said, one thing that always gets me motivated is new equipment. So if you are lacking motivation, go buy yourself a new toy and you will see what I mean. :)

Cheers

Hello NRF!

This is my first post here in this forum, and i would like to apologize for my lack of English writing skills. hehe.

I have been been a hobbyist photographer for some years now, and i am enjoying the satisfaction i get when i make a photo that i really like. But sometimes i am having a huge lack of motivation to go outside taking pictures.

Therefore i am curious about what your motivation to go outside and take photos are/is (not sure).