How about a thread with tips on Staying Motivated and Improving Skills. I am sure we all approach the subject differently and have a wealth of information that we could share to inspire each other.
Here are a few of mine:
Creative & Technical Enthusiasm ~ Staying Motivated
1. Read technical photography books
One of the best ways to improve your technical skills is by reading books. Visit Amazon.com, search for a book on a particular photographic topic you wish to learn, and check the reviews and ratings. Look for books with at least 4 out of 5 stars. Take advantage of Amazon’s browsing features to quickly find the best books in any field.
Take your time previewing books in the bookstore or online, especially if cost is a concern. If you can’t understand the first chapter, don’t waste your money.
2. Read online tutorials and listen to or watch podcasts
My favorite way of finding online tutorials is to use Google. If I need a CSS3 tutorial, I’ll search on CSS3 tutorial. I usually find something halfway decent in the top 5 results this way.
3. Hang out with like minded photographic geeks
Along time ago I found out that if I followed the very best skier on the slope some of his skill rubbed off on me. If you spend enough time with people of passion, some of their knowledge will rub off on you. Even geeks learn from other geeks, but if you aren’t much of a photographic geek yourself, a great way to accelerate the development of your technical skills is to join a local photographic club or users group. Contact one of them and attend a meeting as a guest to see if you like it.
4. Subscribe to photographic magazines or websites
5. Take classes
If group learning is your thing, look for college extension courses and other classroom and workshop offerings in your area. Periodically I get catalogs in the mail from local colleges. I am currently enrolled in a lighting class and plan to continue next semester. The local colleges offer class at a very small cost and many of them have full studios.
6. Set Goals
It is easier to stay motivated when you feel like you’ve accomplished something, but how can you know when you succeed if you never set a goal? Give yourself something to achieve.
7. Keep working on your weak areas
Never give up on projects or problems. Put them aside for a while, but always come back to solve them in the end, even if it’s only developing a theory for solving them in the not so distant future. Solving these problems will build your confidence, your knowledge, and eventually your portfolio.
8. Collect the right equipment and tools
Being creative is a lot easier if you have the right tools; don’t make it harder for yourself by using inferior (or just plain wrong) tools. Explore your options, talk to other photographers and find the tools that allow you to create what you want to create, and get the best ones you can afford.
