Morganti Rants - Avoiding Burnout

In this short video, I share how I, years ago, became burnt out photographing weddings and it was so bad, I temporarily lost my love for photography. In my rant, I ask you to avoid the mistakes I made.

What about you? Do you suffer from burnout and know why? Do you have something that works for you that helps you avoid burnout?

Let us know in the comments below!

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Thank you!

[emorywaldrop]

A great video.
I started photographing weddings in the early 70s as a second shooter and assistant. I had one great teacher and several additional mentors. My skills increased exponentially, thanks to them. And so it began, like you, with wedding after wedding, and went on for a number of years. Each year that passed, I felt my love for the craft die. I stopped picking up my camera except for business. I could no longer bear the sight of another silk and satin wrapped bride walking down the aisle. I got to the point where I sold all my equipment, even my beloved Hassies.
Thankfully, my muse never died and would whisper now and again in my ear “ Look there! Wouldn’t that be a grand image?” Then came digital and my love of making images returned. PS. No more weddings. Now I shoot what I want, what I love.
Thanks for sharing a familiar experience. I enjoy your channel.

[alangibson]

Anthony, you're doing great in front of the camera. Stay there more often. Love these videos.

[photonsonpixels]

I like to see how your videos are evolving Anthony. But still delivering value and inspiration for us. Happy to see you in the videos. Keep at it. Thank you!

[timbanks]

Great advice. I run photographic competitions for a club, and after several years it can be a drag, and you do loose the sense of fun just taking images for yourself. Don't get me started on judges either....

[niftytwo]

Thank you for being so open Anthony. My biggest problem is keeping your tutorials information in my head. I’m now taking notes etc & I save your videos so that I can rewatch them as often as I need. I.
Also burn out trying to just learn your tutorials but I keep on learning on a daily basis. Thank you. Neville J.

[anthonyhazlewood]

Wise words Anthony, an even better move is to retire and enjoy photography even more, you can't beat it...

[inseries]

You are a great educator. I love your videos, leaned a lot from them. Thank you

[brettpierce]

This is the calmest rant ever ha ha. Fantastic message!

[mikecrowley]

Wise Words Anthony, and I must say also your Lightroom training Videos are a great help, especially for someone like me. 👍🏻

[AVE_Le]

Hi Anthony, thanks for your tip to stay close what you would like to do the most (without forgetting to stay open for new exciting and interesting possibilities in life)! Looking forward to see your next live creation!

[terada]

Hi Anthony, thanks for that and so true. A good friend of mine and professional photographer burnt out doing weddings and still today does not carry a camera. Almost got there myself and decided I was loosing something important to myself, but now i travel with my wife a lot and produce books of our trips for us. No pressure and really enjoying my photography again. Thanks for your thoughts and insight.

[RicoResolves]

Thank you for opening up to us Anthony. You're a great person and example to fellow Youtubers (and people in general) on how to be approachable and not be afraid to show your weaknesses. Great advice!

[ManoChandraDhas]

Photography has for me been a hobby since I was in my teens, back in the 1960s. After retirement, I decided to dabble in Microstock photography and am an Exclusive Contributor with iStockphoto.com and through them to GettyImages. People keep telling me that I should do more of the images that are in demand, to earn more money. I ignore them all and do what I want to do: landscapes and street photography. Of course, I don't earn as much as I could with my cameras; but then as Anthony says, "We only have so many revolutions around the sun!" Thanks Anthony! I have learnt such a lot from your videos. Thanks!

[r.v.niddrie]

Thanks Anthony for your advice. Love u man!

[EamonAdams]

Thanks for the thought. Yep, it’s way too easy to lose sight of the important things in all the hustle and bustle of ‘being’ busy! Great to breathe the air and just wander about camera in hand...

[Phalcineddie]

I'm quite glad you love instructing photography and photo processing. You helped me make the leap from film to digital with the least turmoil. As for burnout, as a portrait and event (any event but weddings - I can't take the drama) photographer, I'm tied to a geographic locale for the most part. My release is hitting the road for wildlife and landscape photography. It's hard to say which I like best, but if I didn't alternate, I'd soon burn out on the portraiture (tied to sittings, sessions, events, rapid processing) or in wildlife/landscape (0darkthirty getups, on the road all the time, extreme conditions). Alternating between the two has kept me from bogging down into drudgery. I've never liked doing the same thing, non-stop, for very long. This method keeps me going.

[AnthonyMorganti]

In this short video, I share how I, years ago, became burnt out photographing weddings and it was so bad, I temporarily lost my love for photography. In my rant, I ask you to avoid the mistakes I made.

What about you? Do you suffer from burnout and know why? Do you have something that works for you that helps you avoid burnout?

Let us know in the comments below!

Gear used to create this video:




Unsure of how to price your photography? Check the 2019 Guide to Pricing Your Photography:


The links above are my affiliate links. Please read my Code of Ethics Statement:


Thank you!

[davidgreen]

Hi. Another valuable video, thanks. Even hobbyists get a bit 'stale'. For me, venturing into print (and trying to do it properly!) gave my photography a boost.

[Genesis.-]

I have always loved photography but a real job and kids and now grandkids have always been my priority. I loved my job (nothing to do with photography), but now I am retired and I've been taking photos just for me. As I have gotten better at it, I have had offers to take photos for money, and a little push from my sister to do it professionally (that's what she does.) But she stresses over deadlines, always a slave to what the "client" wants and when. My philosophy is that I will not take the one thing I truly love doing and make it a job. My photography is just for me. No stress, no deadlines, just whatever I feel like taking photos of...I walk/hike and take wildlife and landscape photos. Travel and take photos of whatever interests me. I take photos of the family and special events...but never for money. Like you said, we only get so many revolutions around the sun. For most of my life those revolutions have been controlled by someone else; I can't now, as the sun rises higher in the sky, let that happen to me and my photography.

[waynemacleod]

Having retired from a highly technical, engineering career in operations management in a rapidly changing Industrial era, there was always a new technical challenge to conquer so I never lost my love of what I did (on the downside, even though I am very creative on finding new ways to use duct tape, I know that I lack creativity on the artistic side. I think that creative people probably have a bigger need to "love" what they create, when nerdy people are happy enough if it seems functional so may be less likely to burn-out (I can only speak for myself). Thanks for all your instruction that helps me understand the technical aspects of photography and post-processing and pushes me to be more artistically creative, which is a good thing.