How to Build a Photography Habit
Some days you pick up the camera like it’s a second limb. Other days it sits untouched, collecting dust and guilt.
If you’ve ever felt like you should be shooting more but just…aren’t, this post is for you.
We’re not talking about forcing it. This isn’t a “Just do It” commercial.
No, we’re talking about how to build a photography habit that feels good and hopefully sticks. One that fits into your actual life, not the imaginary perfect schedule you keep rewriting every Sunday night after downloading yet another day planner guide.
Let me tell you what happened the last time I tried to make a photography “routine.”
I printed out this color-coded weekly planner. Blocked out all the time. Even wrote little motivational quotes in the margins.
Monday: Photo walk, get out there lazy ass.
Tuesday: Experiment like you’re Dexter from Dexter’s Laboratory. You love that cartoon.
Wednesday: Edit one photo in the backlog and post it, You got this!
You get it.
And by Thursday, I’d already skipped two. Then the shame spiral. Then the “well I guess I suck at this” moment.
OK, maybe the shame wasn’t that bad but do you know what I mean?
Eventually, I had to stop trying to make photography this rigid thing I had to accomplish and start letting it show up more casually. Like having a cup of coffee or taking out the trash.
But, you know, way more fun than the trash. At least I hope.
That’s what this post is about: how to make a photo habit that’s more like that morning cup of coffee… and less like failing at a New Year’s resolution.
Why You Don’t Need Motivation – You Need a System
Waiting until you feel “inspired” is a trap.
Motivation is flighty. Habits are dependable.
What works? Creating low-barrier systems. Things that remove friction instead of demanding effort. For example:
- Leave your camera by the door. If you’re brave, I would say in the car but better lock the doors and not live in my neighborhood…
- Start a private photo-a-day project, no pressure to share, this is for you, just shoot one photo a day.
- Pick one location you can shoot weekly (same bench, same alley, same path)
Many photographers don’t shoot because they’re always inspired. They shoot because they’ve made it easy to show up.
Start Small and Make It Ridiculously Easy
If the goal is “go outside and take an award-winning photo,” your brain will rebel. Not today, it will say. Let’s binge Netflix instead.
Try this instead:
- Just step outside with your camera ONCE a day
- Just take ONE photo on your phone while walking to the store
- Just post ONE image from your archive you’ve never shared
Lower the bar. Then lower it again.
I’ve lowered the bar so far that some days I don’t even leave the house. This entire post is filled with images I took around the house. Just life happening, at my house. The point is showing up, not being perfect.
Tie Photography to a Trigger You Already Do
I learned this trick in counseling, but it works for everything.
Habits stick better when they piggyback on something you already do.
Here are some examples you might consider (adjust to your lifestyle and the things you do on repeat)
- Once you start your morning coffee, while it’s brewing, take one photo of whatever’s around. Look around your house, out the window, in the fridge, doesn’t matter. Try to get the shot before your coffee is done brewing.
- After dinner, scroll your Lightroom catalog and re-edit one old shot.
- On your weekly grocery trip, stop for 3 minutes in the parking lot and photograph a shadow, shape, or stranger.
It sounds silly, but these tiny rituals add up, and that’s what we are trying to build here. Not motivation… habits.
Track It – but Keep It Light
You don’t need a spreadsheet or habit app (unless that excites you). But some form of “yes, I did this” can help.
Here’s what I like (pick one or make your own):
- A calendar with ✅ on days I shoot (A calendar made from your photos is even better)
- A physical notebook where I jot one sentence about what I photographed (can talk about light, location, feeling, whatever)
- A shared folder on my desktop labeled “Daily Chaos” that I toss one image into each day
You don’t have to make a masterpiece. Just make a mark.
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Allow Yourself to Miss Days – But Don’t Miss Two in a Row
This one changed everything for me.
Missing one day? Human. Normal. No big deal.
Missing two? That’s when the guilt kicks in and the habit starts to crumble.
So give yourself the grace to skip, and the structure to come back quickly.
There’s not need to dwell here.
Let’s just get out there and take one more shot. Right now. Do it now.
How to Bring Fun Back When Photography Feels Like a Chore
Sometimes, the rut isn’t from laziness. It’s from boredom.
To shake things up:
- Try getting a Speedlight if you’ve never worked with flash and explore new opportunities in the world of flash photography.
- Only shoot with one color in mind.
- Come up with a collection theme. Go out with a purpose. I’m looking for “evidence that humans were here.” That’s the theme.
- Do a photo scavenger hunt with friends or strangers online.
- If your camera supports it, experiment with double or multiple exposures like this next image.
Whatever it is, remind yourself that photography isn’t homework. It’s play. It’s supposed to be fun. I mean, unless it’s your job. Then maybe it’s something else but I think I mostly reach people who see photography as a hobby or passion, and not really a job.
Some of my favorite images came from the days I didn’t want to shoot but did anyway. Not because I forced it. But because I let it be easy.
What does EASY look like for you?
Let me know below, or better yet, commit to one tiny habit this week and come back to tell me how it went.
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