Trade Secrets: How to Avoid Burnout

Featuring Climber & Photographer Boone Speed

Home Base / Salt Lake City, Utah.

Insider Knowledge

“When I became a photographer, I really thought I wanted to work for big companies,” says Boone Speed. “But what I learned is that the money and the fame are fleeting. Don’t get me wrong, I like those things. But doing it just for those reasons robbed me of the joy I had for the content I was shooting.” Boone says he started to burn out and decided to step back and look at why he got into photography in the first place.

“For me, it was originally about the art, and I’d gotten away from that,” he says. “I started doing a lot of editorial work for much less money—climbing shoots for Men’s Journal, a few things for the Wall Street Journal—and it helped me love what I was doing again.”

“Part of avoiding burnout involves switching up your subject matter,” says Boone. “After spending so much of my life around mountains and rock faces, the urban environment is a thrill.”

April, 2010: An impromptu "second line" parade on the Brooklyn Bridge to celebrate the Saints' Superbowl victory.

Quick Tip:

“The key is to take a step back every once in a while, and see what you can do to simplify your life,” he says. “The thing about making a lot of money is that then you’re spending a lot of money. Sometimes you just need to cut back on things and break that cycle.”