Originally published in The Mountain Connection, November 2002.

Photography is one of the things that gives me the most pleasure in life. Its ability to allow me to express myself artistically and creatively is amazing. With the push of a shutter I can capture a fleeting moment in time when the light, color, and subject is perfect. And more importantly, I am capturing a moment that has emotional meaning and significance to me.

For a process that means so much to me and which gives me so much, I often find that I am not out there photographing. I should be out there at the crack of dawn to catch that first light or going into the backcountry to photograph wildflowers. Instead, I often find myself in my office working on submissions to send out, editing slides, or even doing very mundane task such as doing the dishes, repairs around the house, or building furniture. If I persist in this process too long, I find that I start to lose the motivation to go out and photograph.

At first, I thought I was being dedicated as freelance photographer, keeping my business moving forward. But the more I worked on the business the more disconnected I felt from photography itself. I also attributed this loss of motivation to just plain laziness. It takes an effort to get up very early in the morning to get out there. And sometimes you are cold, hungry, or uncomfortable. The pleasure and luxury of being ensconced in bed or in front of the television on a comfortable couch are very alluring.

Luckily, I teach photography at several places in town. One of the classes takes students to an outdoor location to photograph. In these sessions I always bring my own camera and do some shooting in part to show the students my own interpretations of the outing as a jumping off point for discussion.

Invariably, I start to immediately feel a rush as I start to see different subjects to photograph and get excited about "doing photography." As I start to "see" things, I begin to think in terms of how I can compose the picture and what lens and settings I want to use to enhance the image. I slide into what I call almost a zen-like state, where I feel calm and centered and yet excited and very alive. This is why I was drawn to photography.

I discovered that I need the stimulation of other people to feel energized. By being with photography students I pick up the students' energy and enthusiasm and my own motivation and desire to photograph is stimulated. Once I am motivated I may screen out those around me in order to concentrate on that one perfect image. My focus then becomes narrower and more finely tuned. But I need at least the occasional experience of being around others to get me started.

Discover what gets you motivated to get out there with your camera and to start taking images. We all have different ways of working and you need to acknowledge the way you work best. Many people work better when they are by themselves and can focus better. If so, then you need to get time away from your family, friends, job, and other obligations in order to do your photography.

For those of you who like me need the company of other like-minded people in order to stimulate your motivation and passion, photograph with friends or family who also enjoy it or who are patient enough to be there while you work with your camera. Another approach is to join a camera club. These groups often have regular sessions when the members go out to photograph together. Having a scheduled time when you will photograph gives many people more structure and therefore better motivation to take out that camera. Taking a photography class is also a great excuse to get out there.

So whatever you need to do to get that motivation, discover what it is. It is often something very subtle and is tied to your own personality, your style of working, and what gets you excited enough to do something. But whatever it is don't neglect that passion. The things that we are passionate about are the things that define us and make us most alive.