Lately, I’ve been reflecting on my own journey in photography, questioning why progress sometimes feels stagnant. After speaking to a few industry experts, I have come to realize that there’s an awkward stage every creative reaches. A plateau where inspiration seems to dry up, and even slight growth feels like an impossible uphill battle. The more I think about it, the more I realize that this plateau isn’t just about skill or talent but about two fundamental limitations involving effort and money. Both demand deeper commitment, and without that, breaking through the stagnation feels impossible.
The Role of Effort – Seeing Beyond Familiarity
I think we all can agree on one thing: putting in a sufficient amount of effort is important to grow beyond what we are now. As growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum, it requires stepping beyond the familiar and challenging what you know. But how do you even know what’s worth your effort in shooting? The truth is, you don’t. This is because your imagination is limited by what you’ve seen or known. In other words, you can only improve so much by doing what you already know. That’s the reason why I tend to gravitate toward shooting on the street. Its unpredictability, ever-changing nature, and impromptu moments force me to experiment and see differently. The streets have become my training ground, sharpening my instincts and expanding my creative vision so long as I can handle the anxiety from sensory overload.
However, effort isn’t just about showing up with a camera in hand. It’s about being intentional with your work and constantly pushing yourself to try new techniques, experiment with different lighting conditions, and study the masters of photography. The best way to overcome a plateau is to be deliberate in how you practice. For me, that meant setting challenges, like shooting with a single focal length for months or pushing the envelope of a format to the limit. By forcing myself out of autopilot mode, I usually started to see creative breakthroughs.
The Role of Money – Sustaining the Pursuit
To explore new ideas and push boundaries, you need resources, specifically money. Photography, like any craft, requires a certain form of financial investment, whether that’s traveling to fresh locations, taking courses, or simply affording the time to experiment. I’ve often found myself stuck in the work I am producing not because of a lack of inspiration but because of practical constraints. The reality is that financial freedom provides the space to explore, create, and learn without limitations. Without it, it’s easy to fall into repetitive patterns, shooting the same subjects over and over again.
That said, money shouldn’t be an excuse for stagnation. While expensive gear, exotic locations, and professional workshops can undoubtedly help us in breaking through the creative plateau, they are not prerequisites for growth. Some of the most inspiring photographers I’ve personally known create stunning work using nothing more than an entry-level camera and their immediate surroundings. The key here is resourcefulness—learning how to make the most of what you have. If you can’t travel, explore your own city with fresh eyes by taking a different route. If you can’t afford new equipment, master the gear you already own. If formal education is out of reach, dive into free resources or analyze the work of others and implement it into your own workflow.
The Trap – The Illusion of Gear as a Shortcut
I will be the first to admit—and I believe many have also done the same—that I’ve fallen into this trap of believing that upgrading my gear would somehow elevate my work or having that piece of gear would allow me to create that specific piece of work. I don’t blame anyone, as it’s an easy illusion to buy into. After all, putting money into something should yield results, right? To some degree, it does. A better camera might offer sharper images, improved low-light performance, or enhanced dynamic range, which translate into better image quality and a better shooting envelope. But eventually, I realized I was chasing diminishing returns. The last 10% of technical improvement can only do so much and oftentimes rarely translates to a better image. In some cases, obsessing over gear can even hinder the creative process.
The problem with chasing gear is that it shifts your focus away from creativity. Instead of thinking about composition, storytelling, and emotion, we get caught up in how to harness more dynamic range, megapixels, and at times even obsess over which autofocus mode we should be in, causing us to miss the shot. It’s an easy distraction, one that makes us feel like we’re progressing when, in reality, we might just be running in place, producing subpar images with gear as bragging rights. Throughout the years, I’ve slowly learned and admitted that the best way to grow isn’t by upgrading my camera but by upgrading my vision, knowledge, and experience. In short, focusing on the why of my photography rather than the what.
The Realization – Looking Beyond the Technical
At some point, I had to ask myself: Why am I still chasing more? Technologically, we’ve long passed sufficiency. The cameras we have today are more than capable of producing exceptional work. And truly, we can only be so good technically before reaching a plateau. The real question is, what am I trying to say with my images? Instead of fixating on the technical aspects, I started seeking inspiration elsewhere, such as exploring new ideas, storytelling techniques, and concepts that truly resonate with me.
One of the most important shifts I made was focusing on themes and narratives. Rather than shooting randomly, I started working on personal projects with a sense of purpose, such as documenting specific stories, capturing emotions, and creating bodies of work that felt cohesive. This mindset changed everything for me. Suddenly, photography wasn’t just about taking pictures; it was about communicating something deeper—a message and a thought.
Another breakthrough came when I started engaging with other creatives. Conversations with fellow photographers, filmmakers, and even artists opened my eyes to different ways of seeing. Studying other art forms helped me understand composition beyond photography, while reading about philosophy and psychology gave me a new perspective on visual storytelling. Growth in photography, I realized, isn’t just about learning camera techniques but also about broadening your mind and your influences.
The Way Forward – Embracing the Process
Through this journey, I’ve come to understand that the creative plateau isn’t a dead end; it’s a crossroads. It’s a reminder to shift focus from external factors such as gear, money, and technical perfection to internal growth. The solution isn’t always more, but rather, a deeper understanding of what drives us as creatives.
I strongly believe that every artist goes through phases of doubt and stagnation. And the key to overcoming the creative plateau is recognizing that growth isn’t always linear. Sometimes, progress comes in bursts, and sometimes, it comes after a long period of frustration. But as long as we stay curious, keep exploring, and remain open to new ideas, we will continue to evolve.
So, if you find yourself stuck, take a step back. Ask yourself what truly excites you about photography. Challenge yourself with new approaches. Seek inspiration outside the world of cameras and lenses. And most importantly, embrace the process because that’s where the real magic happens.
You do photography for a living, right? Perhaps a new client, perhaps in a new or different industry for you, would nudge you out of that uninspiring plateau. I suspect from your portfolio that you can do hotel restaurant food shots in your sleep. As it gets easier, it's also likely to get boring. But how about doing some executive portraits? Something where you might have to learn a few new skills. Meet some new people. I always found that new business was a great cure for everything which ailed me. Especially if it was something that I was not quite so confident in producing. Unlike a personal project, committing to work for a client requires short term results. Focusing on one thing with a goal in mind is a great solution for any sort of depression. That sort of pressure is good. Sometimes I'd need a new piece of equipment, which is always fun, especially if a job was paying for it. Although from the looks of your camera bag, I can't imagine you need much. Maybe some gells for a new lighting style? I always thought those portraits which turned ambient window light during the day to cool blue light simulating twilight, plus warm flash on the person, looked pretty cool. I can see you developing some new skills for expanding your business.
Yes, photography is how I learn my living and also what I do for fun. Long story short, I have surrounded my entire lifestyle with photography. While it might sound like a dream lifestyle but sometimes when we are limited by the surroundings, it does get depressing which is why I had to resort to personal projects to execute what I had in mind tho in that way I do struggle in a way of balancing my time between doing the actual business stuff and the unpaid stuffs. In an ideal world, I would want to be doing just what I love and not worry about finances.
I do get where you come from, diving into a new territory would spark my interest with experimenting again. Tbh that was what I have been doing all this while, it did spark my curiosity again but after some time it gets dull again once I have mastered it. I guess that's the lifecycle of being a creative. So for now, I suppose looking inwards and finding that meaning of creation and just grind through it would be my goal. As the Japanese say, finding the Ikigai. A reason of being.
Btw, you have an interesting collection of flower images. I love the way you see! and thanks for reading through the article
My life tends to revolve around photography too. Even more so since Covid impacted our ways of socializing for a couple of years. I don't do near the variety of social events any more. I've come to dislike large crowds at art openings, or theatre. But photography is something that I can enjoy perfectly well all by myself. I enjoy the solitude. I understand how it can become your life. I'm not sure it's healthy though. The peaks are higher but the valleys are lower when there's nothing else to dilute the exceptionally good or bad times. Instead of becoming totally wrapped up in photography, I feel like we need another diversion. Cooking perhaps? I've made a few half-hearted attempts at learning to play the piano but I haven't got the discipline to get past the first few pages of the "Learning Piano for Adults" book.
You are so right! I have started exploring more into writing and reading lately. Both of which I have been so bad at. Hopefully I will have enough time to venture into other things in the future. In photography, tho its fun, it has always been the extreme end with no stability. I have heard from my seniors that doing things out of photography may allow us to pull in inspiration from there. Hope its going to help
Zhen, you are a very good writer. You focus on the journey, which most writers miss. Good job, keep writing and scripting and creating and make a video of it. I would add that storyboarding helps tell stories better, and I like your suggestion of using themes. Your article makes me think about teenage adolescence. That awkward stage where you dare to try new things, but you look so new doing it. Not like that more experienced person you admire such as the coach or world famous person you want to try to be like. Addolenscense is an ugly state where you change who you are and grow from the ugly duckling into the mature swan in control of their environment and looking beautiful. If you live in another country where English is not the dominant language, you could feel insecure about writing in English. It is always easier to write when it is in your mother language. You are a very good writer; please keep writing about the journey, and you will go far. Then make a video about it for something new to try. Jim Blankenship Ogden, UT USA.
Thanks Jim, those are one of the kindest words I have received in a while. Yes, life is a journey so is photography and business itself. We learn, we grow, we thought we know everything only to realise, we are still that teenage kid from high school. I suppose staying curious about things and taking risk will keep life interesting.