A Tibetan monk smiles and looks on at two dogs baring their teeth at each other. Bodhnath, Nepal.

Short of photographing a war or a riot, we normally don’t think of fear in relation to photography, yet it is something that most photographers find themselves faced with at one time or another. It comes in different forms for different people. It may hold you back creatively or it may hold you back professionally. You may use it as an excuse without knowing you’re doing so. How you deal with it depends firstly on whether you even recognize that it exists and that it’s affecting you. At one extreme, fear may stop you making photographs. At the other, it may drive you to produce some of the best work of your life. I think we’d all prefer the latter over the former but in actuality, the reverse is what we usually get.

To begin to understand how we can move towards producing truly great work, we first need to consider a few situations. You may recognize one or more of these as affecting you now, or having affected you in the past. Chances are, something like these will also affect you in the future. The points in the list that follows are all taken from real life situations and are examples of fear at work.

• Following the same set of photographic rules of composition without ever trying to break them.
• Creating a website and Facebook page to promote yourself professionally, and hoping the buyers come to you instead of vice versa.
• Getting a bit of publicity about your work outside the photographic world and then promptly going and producing mediocre work on your next two jobs.
• Incessantly buying new equipment or software.
• Spending all your time reading photography blogs and posting in photography forums and not actually getting out and shooting yourself.
• Having an idea for something that’s different to what you normally shoot and not following up on it.
• Blaming your failures on the wrong light or wrong lens or some other external factor.
• Becoming bored with your own photography.
• Worrying about the reaction of others to your own creative work.

The above represent just some of the possible manifestations of fear when it comes to photography. There are others. Identifying your own fears and those issues which are affecting you can give you valuable assistance in moving beyond those barriers. Critically and subjectively (as possible) look at your recent work and see whether you are holding yourself back. If you do recognize any of these factors, make note of a few things.

• When does the fear first become obvious?
• Does it exist in some photos but not others?
• Is a little publicity or pressure causing you to rush and make mistakes?
• Are you clinging to the belief that good photography alone is enough to give you a successful business?
• Are you in a rut?
• Do you photograph the same thing over and over again without any real passion?
• Have you been relying on the same techniques for every photo?

Identifying the factor that affects you is the first step to overcoming it. Sometimes it’ll be easy. Sometimes it’ll be hard. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of getting up and doing it. Pick up the phone and call an editor. Shoot black and white environmental portraits instead of frame-filling closeups. Spend a week or two just shooting as much as you can without looking at any photos and let them sit for a few weeks before importing them into Lightroom.

Once you work out how fear is present, you can take steps to overcome it, or to inspire and drive you to produce your best work. Use fear as a motivational tool to push you to new heights. Consider the following reasons for fear and some suggestions for overcoming it.

• Too much pressure? – Shoot some personal work and don’t show anyone.
• No inspiration? – Broaden your horizons and look at other artforms.
• Making novice mistakes? – Slow down while you’re working.
• Worried about failure, either artistically or commercially? – Work with a mentor or photographer’s consultant and identify your strengths and weaknesses.
• Scared of being rejected? – Shoot to please yourself not others.

Schedule some time, whether it’s a few hours or a few days, to consider how fear affects your photographic life. Go where you can be undisturbed and be as objective as you can towards your art. Identify any areas where a change of approach or a change of mindset could make a difference. Very few people are happy to produce work in any artform that is not exciting to them. The true amateur does it because they love it regardless of whether or not it’s a job or hobby. For most of us, something we love doing is also something we want to excel at. Use your fears to help you on the path to excellence.