Many photographers go through periods where inspiration feels out of reach or shooting feels aimless. Knowing how to regain momentum can be the difference between a dry spell and a breakthrough. Finding purpose in your work, even when it’s not tied to a big project, is something that can make all the difference.
Coming to you from James Popsys, this honest video gives you a look at what happens when you feel completely lost with your camera. Popsys shares how, after submitting his latest book, he experienced a sense of being adrift—a feeling that hit hard once the initial celebration faded. He talks about how easy it is to get “book blues” or a sense of letdown after finishing a major project, which is not unlike what happens when a holiday ends with nothing new to look forward to. This moment of drifting is something that’s familiar to many, whether you’re working toward a book or not. Projects—big or small—are what keep you motivated to pick up the camera and get out the door.
Popsys walks through his own experience of finding direction again. For him, that meant focusing on two self-imposed boundaries: shooting close to home as he awaited the birth of his second child, and using the letterbox crop for most of his images. There’s nothing flashy about this approach. It’s about setting a rule and seeing where it leads. He admits he doesn’t know if these images will ever become a book, a calendar, or just a web gallery. The key lesson is that working on something—even if it has no clear end use—gives every outing a reason. That purpose doesn’t have to be grand. Sometimes it’s enough just to have a simple restriction, like an aspect ratio or a color, to guide you.
You don’t need to have ambitions to publish a book to benefit from this mindset. What Popsys gets at, and what’s worth paying attention to, is the power of giving yourself a goal or creative limitation. If you’ve ever stood with your camera and felt that paralyzing uncertainty about what to shoot, putting a frame on your process—whether it’s focusing on a specific subject, a type of light, or an aspect ratio—can clear the fog. This isn’t about chasing trends or creating something to please others. It’s about making the act of shooting feel purposeful again. Popsys is clear that these boundaries are for you, not anyone else. They’re a way to bring a sense of play and curiosity back into your process, and that alone can change how you feel about your work. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Popsys.
