It’s complicated, really. Taking a beautiful photograph is a tangled web of technical learning, rules, familiarity, excitement, anxiousness, and let us not forget – emotion, which sometimes prevails over all. Being a photographer is emotional. I don’t know any photographer who takes pictures to see if they can get them technically correct. Most will tell you that they work to capture connections between people, to document relationships or personalities, or to share something beautiful or interesting with the world. We freeze moments that are so valuable to our hearts that we couldn’t stand the thought of time ripping them away from us. We hope to still evoke an emotional response in twenty, fifty, even a hundred years.

Having your camera in hand changes how you see the world. It forces you to look at things as if they are a picture; to compose a shot in your mind before you ever raise the camera to your eye. This is the ultimate test for photographers. Does what you produce and create measure up to what you envision? The answer to this question determines how we judge ourselves. Good enough, terrible, defeated, over the moon. Even our judgment of ourselves is emotional. All of this emotion and all of these expectations can be difficult to sustain.  In fact, it can be so heavy that it negatively impacts the emotional connection you have with your craft.

If you are feeling emotionally drained about your images instead of emotionally charged by them, it may be time for a creative reset. These are just a few ideas that can help:

1 | Please put your hands in the air, and slowly step away from the camera.

No, you aren’t being arrested. In some ways, you might actually be setting yourself free. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Let your eyes and your mind reset. Taking a break from photographing will help you remember why you were drawn to it in the first place.

2 | Make a collection of images that you have taken that create an emotional response inside of YOU.

Creativity is sometimes a frame of mind. Being visually inspired by yourself is an excellent reminder that you are an artist. We are inundated with images from amazing photographers thanks to forums, Facebook, Instagram, and Google+. It’s too easy to compare yourself to others. Acknowledge your own creative work.

3 | Start a personal project.

Do “a day in the life,” a P52, or a 365. Do anything – as long as it’s different. I started a personal 365 project on January 1st of this year. There is a woman inside me that would like to pull out my hair, scratch out my eyes, and scream, “What were you thinking?!?!?!” But, the photographer in me (who is equally as tough and scary) is taking a long deep breath and saying, “Thank you.” I have no rules for myself. I can shoot whatever I like. Some days being creative is difficult, but I can tell you that I am getting better. I am creating more emotional images. I am holding myself accountable, and I am growing. And look at all of these moments that would have gone uncaptured!

4 | Shoot something new to you.

If you are a portrait photographer, try macro. If you shoot mostly still life, give portraits a try. Something new and different provides many challenges. Angles, lighting, emotion, and tests of patience are all ways that a new genre can push you forward. Putting new energy into your images will connect you to them.

5 | Slow down and take a deep breath.

Life is busy and hard and there is NEVER enough time. I can’t do anything about that part. I can, however, offer this: Be present and mindful. Taking a relaxing deep breath before you begin to shoot will relax your body and your mind. Don’t think of anything else when you are shooting. Just shoot. And enjoy it. Your internal calmness will likely have a powerful effect on your work.

I believe that what you nurture will grow. Allow yourself to reset as an artist. The photographer in you will thank you. How do you emotionally recharge yourself? I’d love to know! Leave a comment below…[