Transcripts
1. Introduction : Being a photographer or in
the creative industry is an incredible job that comes
with a lot of benefits, but sometimes it
comes at a cost. How do you stay creative and
on the cutting edge when you're pushed to
do so every day? This is especially true for
in-house positions that require you to create
similar content day-to-day. It becomes very easy to become uninspired
or even burnt out. Hello and welcome, my
name is Fynn Badgley, and as a professional
photographer myself, I've been there many times and through this
process of trial and error, I've been able to
actually create a system that keeps
me from being burnt out while still allowing myself to enjoy
my everyday life. This class is for
photographers who are out there working
all the time, especially for my
in-house photographers who just feel like putting
the camera down sometimes. You're tired, you're uninspired, and honestly, you
could use a break. In this class, you will
find ways to overcome and avoid burnout
in the first place, while being able to
nourish yourself and stay sharp creatively. That way, you can
feel refreshed and rejuvenated at the
end of the day. We're going to look
through what causes burnout in the first place and how you can modify
your day-to-day life to actually see it when
it's coming and take steps to make it not happen. For this advanced
photography class, we're not going to be
talking about lighting, We're not going to be talking about how to take
a better photo. We're going to be talking
about how you can stay sharp in your mind, so that way you can keep
taking those great photos. For the project element of this, we're going to be
creating a road-map, so that way you have a system built into your day-to-day life to keep you from even getting to burnout in the first place. Because yes, recovering
from it is one thing, but avoiding it in
the first place, that is what will
keep you having a sustainable long-term career as a professional photographer, and not only that, we're
going to make it so, you're excited to go to your in-house
photography job day to day because you
have a sharp focus, creative mindset, and you're
enjoying your everyday life. Without further ado, let's take a deep breath [NOISE]
and dive right in.
2. Becoming Burnt Out: How do we even get to
burnout in the first place? For me, looking back, there was a time
where I was shooting very similar content day to day. If you're in one of these in-house roles, you
know the score. You photograph a similar thing
from the similar angles, you know where to
set up your lights, you know where you're going to be taking the photos from, and it's kind of a
rinse-and-repeat system. At a certain point for me, it got rather monotonous. The whole rinse and repeat, I was creatively uninspired. I was defeated, in short, I was burnt out. For me, I didn't
realize it at first, but it took some
tough conversations to really make me notice
that I was burnt out. It was at that point
that I realized, all I was really doing
was waking up, eating, going to work,
coming home, eating, sleeping, and doing that again, and again, and again. I didn't really
have any care for myself or even the work
that I was making. Some of you, if
you're watching this, are in that spot, where you're in the
grind day-to-day. But I'm here to tell
you as living proof, there is a way out.
3. Surrendering to the Grind: The grind can
sometimes suck you in fully where you're
just in it creating, that's all you really think
about and all you really do. But in that, sometimes the idea of
just creating itself, just picking up the
camera seems dreadful. You'd rather do anything else. You're head down,
you're focused but only with as much
energy as you have. You are basically
running on fumes. Surrendering to that
daily grind can actually have you end up
resenting it which then just makes the quality of your work go down which
makes you feel less good about yourself which then makes you resent it more and you end up in this cycle where you're trapped and
you can't get out of it. Especially if you're in a
in-house creative role, this is only going to become more apparent because
you're working with the same team day
in and day out and they can see the change in you, they can see the
change in your work. Here's the thing,
they don't want that, we don't want that, you don't want that. How do you escape? There's a way out, but
what is it? [MUSIC]
4. Resetting and Refreshing: [MUSIC] Even when you're
working in house shooting the same thing or very
similar day to day, there is a way to escape out of that
environment that will actually make you a
better photographer, have you more creative
and delivering higher quality images every single day. Even while working in house, there were ways to escape out of that environment that
will actually make you a better in-house
photographer or just a photographer in general, ways to keep your creative edge. For me, this can mean
going out in nature often, taking in my
surroundings and just being present in the moment. Sometimes turning off my phone, disconnecting all together,
just shutting out the noise. Actually for me,
meditation has been a big help in this way. Really being able to just focus on being present in
whatever moment you're in allows you to be present in the moments where
you're away from work and be present in the work
that you're creating rather than just wishing
you weren't there. This actually
allows you to enjoy every moment of every
day that you're in. Slow down and really
just be with yourself. It might get a little
woo-woo sometimes. But it makes such a huge
difference because I know the change that it's made for me in my life and in my work. I've seen the change
literally in my work. It's insane. But also it doesn't
have to stop there. You can actually turn
photography into its own escape. Even though you're going to
be escaping from photography, you can use the
medium to do that. Because if you're stuck shooting the same subject
matter all the time, sometimes shooting
something out is exactly what you need
to be refocused. For me, I love to go out
with a film camera and just take some photos out
and about with no pressure. No this is for this
thing or that thing. I'm just there with my camera looking at life with my eye, looking for things
that speak to me and photographing that
and then having great images that it doesn't
matter where they go. This isn't for social. This isn't for a client. This isn't for any. It's just to take
photos for you. That's all it's for. But
even with that said, sometimes what I love doing
is executing a huge idea. Having this vision in my head
and bringing that to life. Seeing that come through really gets me excited
to create more. This can look like going
out on the weekend with a couple of models
and some friends of yours and just taking
some great photos, or it can mean
bringing an idea to the agency company that you're working in
house for and be like, hey, I have this crazy idea, but I think it can really work. Can we make this happen? Here's the plan that I have. Let's talk through this,
let's get it going. Then that shows them that you're excited about the work that
you want to be making. Then they can actually
invest more in you because they see how hard
you're trying to create high-quality work for them. Depending on how you're feeling, either or both of these might
be exactly what you need. But photography aside, I also
find it really helpful to have a hobby outside
of the genre entirely. Now, this is something that you don't even
have to be good at, just something that
you enjoy doing. For me, I've been a drummer for probably half my
life at this point. It's something that gives me a certain amount
of physical activity, but also gives my brain space
to get out of my own head. With that, I go long
boarding quite often, at least in the
months in Canada, when it's not snowing outside and I'm not rolling over a bunch of snow and
I just can't move. For those months long
boarding has been a great help and I also
practice muay thai. That's another physical activity that gets me up there,
gets me moving, gets my brain
focused on something different and allows
me to then go back and have this
extra mental space to focus in on my work. Sometimes it is in those different activities
that I actually end up coming up with my best ideas.
Look at your own life. Look at the things that you do that you're not
being paid to do, you just do for you. Things that you've enjoyed, even things that you've
wanted to try. I, for a long time, I wanted to get into boxing, wanted to get into
martial arts, muay thai, and I finally did it and I
found I really enjoyed it. What can you look
at in your own life that you've been doing or
you want to start doing, or even something that
you did for a while, but then fell off the wagon with that you'd
like to get back into. What are these different avenues of exploration that you can dive into and just have
a creative escape? It can be literally
anything. [MUSIC]
5. Remembering to Have Fun: Above all else, remember this is
supposed to be fun. This is actually what
a colleague of mine told me upon realizing
that I was burnt out, that I wasn't really in
the work I was making. I wasn't mentally in. Sure I was creating it, but I wasn't there with it. When he said that, I realized
I wasn't having fun. I was uninspired. I was just
getting through the day. Day by day same
thing, same angles, slightly different
scenario sure, but generally the same thing. If you're in an in-house role, maybe that's the
spot that you're in. It doesn't feel fun anymore. But here's the thing we're
taking photos for a living. We're getting paid to make art, to create these
incredible images. It can be stressful
sometimes, I get it. But at the end of the day, we're artists, this is
supposed to be fun. Just think about
that for a second. Just think about how
cool that actually is. Fun can be found in
the little things. You don't have to completely
reinvent the wheel, but changing up an angle, maybe playing with perspective
in one way or another. Just changing the look,
modifying the lighting, doing something a little different can have
a huge impact. Yes, absolutely. Get the regular angles that you do so you have your
bases covered, but then just sprinkle a little bit of that
secret sauce in there. Throw something in that, is a photo for you, something that really
gets your blood pumping. This is something
that I started doing with even a lot of my
commercial shoots. In my head I have one
photo that I want, one photo out of that
whole particular shoot. I'll go in with something
being like, okay, great. I'm going to get everything
we need but there is one photo that I want for me
and I've even told clients. We've got it all, I want this one. I have this idea in my mind I think it will look cool will you allow me the
space to do this? Sometimes they
absolutely love it, sometimes they don't
but that's okay. It can just go in
your portfolio. It doesn't have to go anywhere, but that photo is
for you and you made that and that's yours. If they like it, amazing
and if they don't, that's okay you still did it. You still went through the
process of doing that for you and because usually you change
something up during this, you do something a
little more fun, it gets everyone involved excited where it's
something different. They're like, oh, what's
this going to look like? What's going to happen here? They're excited.
They're like, oh. Because they've seen all this before, they're like, okay, great and you just add a little extra something
there and they're like, wow, I didn't know
we needed that. That's the thing. You
give them what they want but then you just add in what they didn't
know they needed. That is what will set you
apart as a photographer. If you're working in-house, if you're a freelance
photographer, having that will set you apart. Here's the thing, if you're
on a huge shoot and you've got a bunch of photos to create, usually you end up having
time for one photo. Because I'm not saying one
photo from every setup. I'm not saying one
photo from each, if you're shooting products
from each product, if you're doing a big campaign, not from every setup, one photo. It can be a multi-day
thing you're in. One photo just for you. It's something that has
completely changed how I look at preparing for a shoot
mentally because I know I'm going to get
something I love out of it. That makes me put
more into the work. If I show them that I'm
putting everything into this, they're more likely to give me that leeway to get
that one photo. Sometimes it's in favor, sometimes it's not, that's okay. It doesn't matter, it's for you. All the other photos
are for them. Here's the thing, if
you change it up and give them what they
didn't know they need, chances are your client, the company that you work for, it's actually going to drive
better results to them. Why? Because it's something
a little different. It doesn't have to be
super different even, just a little bit, just a little tweak. When it drives better
results to them, they're going to
love you for it. You're going to change
the game for them. It makes them look good, and it makes you look good. At the end of the day, no matter how hard
of a day it is, you go home and you're like, you know what, that
was a hard day. We got everything we
needed and I got my photo. You sit there and you go,
wow, you're editing through. You finished all your edits
and you have that photo, send it to your phone, you look at it and you
go, wow, I did that. That brings more energy into the next day because
you're excited. This is supposed to be fun. Then you show up excited to
create more fantastic images. Because it's not just about the day-to-day
photographing everything that shows up or whatever. You're not a photo factory. You're not a machine just clicking a button,
we're photographers here. We are creative people. Use that to your advantage. Have fun with it. When you're having fun, it not only shows in your work, but also it creates a better
environment for everybody. I always try to bring a good
vibe to whatever set I'm on. Because you can be the
second best photographer, you can be the tenth
best photographer but if the Number 1 has the
most incredible images, but they're awful to work with chances are you'll get called over
them, because yeah, your photos might be a little different and maybe
there's a little more, but if they can't stand
working with them, they're not going to call
them, they'll call you. Because guess what? You're
having fun with it. You allow them to
have fun with it. You allow them to go home at the end of the day
and be like, wow, that was a great day because nobody wants to go
home and be like, that was a nightmare, I never want to do that again. That's not what you want. That's not what
your client wants. That's not what
your company wants. It's not a good
reputation to have. The more you have fun with it, in a professional
setting obviously, but there are ways to
have fun like that. I've managed to find how to
do that for me in these ways. If I've been able to, I know that you can. Then it'll show. It will show in your work. Absolutely, it will. Others will notice. You'll be able to
see it yourself. Because guess what, you're proud of the work
you're creating. You're not just
clicking a button, you're there making images. You're there making photographs. You're driving
traffic and sales to that company with
your photographs. You put your heart and soul
into them and it shows. That's what it means to
be creatively sharp, to be on the ball. But to do that, you have to
take care of yourself first. You have to learn how to
have fun with photos again. I'm pretty sure
that's why all of us got into this in
the first place. Because it was fun for us. At a certain point you
work constantly all the time and sometimes you
stop having fun with it. But it doesn't have
to be that way. It doesn't have to bug
you down all the time, it can be better. It doesn't have to burn you out. I don't want to come home and not want to pick
up a camera or be going to a party and not want to take photos with
my friends because I've just been tired
of carrying a camera. That's not what I
want to do. These are some ways that
I've changed that. These are some ways that I
think you can change that. You can have better photos, so you can have a better life, so you can be a
better photographer for your company,
for you. [MUSIC]
6. Designing Your Roadmap: [MUSIC] What is this
roadmap look like for me? Because if you're designing
one for yourself, I want to show you what
it looks like for me. For me, one thing that I've realized is hugely important
is getting enough sleep. If you're not getting
enough sleep, your brain, isn't going to be
able to work at the same level and it
means eating healthier. It means actually putting good things into me so I
can produce good things. It means being active. Most days, I'll take a walk during the day, during
the morning, at night, something just to move
my body, get around. My days off, I work
out all the time and it keeps me being able to
be physically active onset. I'm able to actually keep a certain level of health
and energy into my life. These creative
hobbies that I do, I make time for them
because that to me allows me an escape to come back
and be more creative. It gives me something
that I enjoy, that it's just for me. I'll go out and I'll take photos regularly that are just for me. Having a social life is something that I
think is undervalued. I'm not saying go out partying every weekend or
something like that, but just make time
for the people that are important in your life. Show them that
they're important. Show up for you, show up for them because then
you feel full as a person. You go home and you're like, wow , today was a great day. Then you're excited to
get back into work, excited to create some great
photos because guess what? You have a great social life. You've created and
cultivated with great work life and you have
a great relationship with yourself because that at the end of the day
fuels everything else. If I'm making sure that
my workspace is clean, my home space is clean, that I'm able to relax mentally, I get home and I can
unwind and recharge, and I have different
escapes that I can go into whether it means
watching a movie I like, or doing a hobby, or just going on a walk, meditating, calling
up some friends, "Hey, do you want to
go out and do XYZ?" Whatever it be, all these things, having those in your
daily life allows you to be a better person and
be a better artist. Then to top all that off, I think something that
is undervalued in being a great artist and being a great photographer
in-house or otherwise, is getting out and
having new experiences. Take your vacation days, take your weekends
and do something new. It's easy to get stagnant, especially if you're
photographing similar things day
in and day out. It's easy to become stagnated in that because
there's no change. Sometimes you have to insight that change into
your life so go out, experience new things if you want to try
different things, try them because having those new experiences brings you new perspective to your work. That perspective shift
allows you to keep being constantly refreshed because you're
constantly learning. You're constantly in
different environments. Nothing gets old at that point. So for me, this road
map looks like, base layer, I'm
getting enough sleep. I'm taking care of my health. I'm keeping my space clean and organized because that's
how I know I work the best and then from that
got that groundwork. Now, take time for
what's important. My hobbies, being out in nature, connecting with the people
in my life, friends, family. From that new experiences, getting out there,
being creative, just enjoying life
and you're able to then take these building blocks and then have fun
with your work. Bring that enthusiasm into it. Then you're able
to keep building the pyramid to
where you're full. You don't resent your work. You don't need a break from it because you're able to build these little breaks into
your day-to-day life, so you don't come home and need to escape from
everything you're doing, because your life isn't one that you want
to escape from, it's one that you enjoy. The Sunday scaries aren't there. That's the life that
I've managed to cultivate and that's the life
that I want you to have. I think with this road
map you can get there. I did. Here's the thing that
I think is easy to forget. That won't mean that
burnout won't happen. Still can. Right now, I'm actually in the process of recovering from burnout myself. That is because I went through
a long period of working, long, intense hours across multiple different projects
and I was just worn out, and I could feel it because
when you give yourself a little bit of
space to rest when you built that system
into your life, that's what you
start resetting to. I had a couple of days off and that's when I started
resetting and I was like, "Wow, I need to take some time." That's when you know, and that's when I got to get back there so don't be hard on yourself if you are burnt
out because it's natural. We're all people, we have
limits and that's okay. Doesn't mean you're
less than it doesn't mean that your work
isn't good enough, that you're not good enough that you're burdening the
people around you. It just means that you are a person and sometimes
you need a break. Sometimes you just need to communicate that
to people around you and sometimes you just
need to be easier on yourself. I know I'm very hard on myself
a lot of the time and I push myself hard all the time. We can only go like that for so long before you need a break. I think this is a perfect
time actually for me to be calling all of
you guys because currently I'm doing the same in my own life and it's not a process that will
happen overnight. Don't expect it to. I'm not going to lie
to you and be like, you create this road map
and suddenly you're golden, you're going to be great. It takes time. Sometimes, it will probably take more time than you hope, will put it in place
and you'll be like, I'm feeling good and then
you will go for a while, and then maybe you might
start getting burnt out again and then you adjust. You'll learn new things based on these patterns that show
up and you're like, how can we change that
this doesn't happen again? You start making these
incremental changes over time and over time and over time and time and time again, you'll learn more and then you're able to
adjust for the next time. Next time, it either
takes longer for you to get there or it doesn't happen, or it's less intense, that feeling of burn out. Then you adjust
again, you learn, modify your system
and eventually, you're just able
to exist and enjoy your life all the time. Honestly, that's a place
I'm trying to get to. I'm still learning. I'm not afraid to say that.
I'm still learning. I invite you to learn with me, make sure to go down in
the discussions and talk about different experiences with burnout that you're
either having or had, or how this class
has affected that. Talk about how this class
has affected your life, how it's changed
your perspective, your approach to your work. Talk about all of that. I'm
going to join in because there's been a lot of
changes and as I'm learning, I'll keep popping in. That way you guys keep getting updated with different things
that I'm changing up in my life because this is a forever
learning process, but it only gets easier. Take that first step with me and I'll see you on
the other side. [MUSIC]
7. Final Thoughts: If you've made it this far
in the class, first of all, thank you so much for sitting here and spending
your time with me. Thank you for being interested in becoming
a better artist, better photographer,
creating better work, and being better for yourself. That's at the end of
the day, what this is. It's a process that has taken me many years to get at this point. It doesn't happen overnight, but if I can get there, I know that you can. Like I said, I'll bring it down in the discussion down below, make sure to ask any questions you have. I'm here to answer. Let's all talk together
because we can all pull our experiences
and help one another. Heck, you might even give me some information
that I didn't know, something that might help me, because like I said, this is a forever
learning process. Share that road-map that you've
created down in project. If you want to create and
draw an actual flowchart of a mental check in with yourself to see how you're
doing that's amazing. If you want to create a list of things to check
in on or things to do consistently or
things to do every day that help you feel better. Physical activity, stretching, having your morning coffee, having your morning routine. Just these little things that actually bring joy
to your daily life. Spending time with your kids, spending time with your friends, spending time with your
significant other, making time for that,
making time for you, going on a walk, going on a 10-minute walk at the end
of the day, clear your head. Whatever it is, present the
project tab down below. I can't wait to see
what you guys create. If you enjoyed this class, have a bunch of other
ones on Skillshare, covering a whole range of topics including fashion photography, working with modals,
cinematography, product photography, flash, lighting, a whole bunch
of different topics, so make sure to follow along
and I'll be constantly posting new classes and
updates across my entire life. Make sure to follow along there. Also, if you like more
smaller style content, check out my YouTube
where I'm posting a bunch of smaller videos
every single week. With all that said, I think it's time for me to
go on a little walk myself. Once more, thank you for
spending your time here. Let's all take one
more deep breath. As the saying goes, work hard, rest often. I hope you have a super creative
day. Cheers my friends.
Fynn Badgley, Fashion & Portrait Photographer
