I love taking photos and I pride myself on having an "eye" but it seems to have left me!
There are three things standing in my way:
- This winter has been so drab and uninspiring. Seriously - overcast and gray.
- I have been so focused on getting quick shots for my Project Life, I am not taking the time to set up shots or look for better light and angles in order to maintain authenticity and capture the story.
- I am not used to the light (or lack of light) in my new house, I haven't found the right space for good - planned - shots.
For the most part it is the unwilling subjects who are making it tough, too!
I have found it all very frustrating. Normally my camera is an extension of me and this winter it has not. It is neatly packed away in the camera bag. I'd even be happy with some rain to add interest to photo subjects, but things have been windy and drab. The reality is, I am most creative when I hit roadblocks, so instead of dreading them, I should accept the challenge and get myself back into taking photos - and then take a few more!
There are a few exercises that have worked in the past:
100 steps | one of the very first photography challenges I ever participated in is this one I return to over and over again. Especially when those steps take me into new territory. I especially employ this technique when I'm in new-to-me places: my new home, my recent visit to Las Vegas,
75 shots | a couple of years back I stumbled upon the brilliant Paislee Press website. Jefra Starr Linn had leant her talent and wrote some articles for the Develop on Friday series. It occured to me that one of my most favourite - and most galvanizing challenges - was the very first one: Find Your Voice. In this case, I chose to remind myself of what my voice was telling me. Sweet.
1 Roll (36 shots) | in the age of digital image overwhelm, the idea of being mindful of every shot and not give into the ease of digital seems somewhat restrictive, but it really does open creativity. You are no longer relying on chance, but more on mindfulness of your surroundings to capture the perfect moment.
Use A Prime Lens | I have become lazy and use my point-and-shoot with it's handy-dandy zoom lens every day. It is convenient and fits easily in my purse. It is too easy and too convenient. I think I'd better dust off my 40D and put it to use. The beauty of a prime lens is that it forces you to think about the composition of the shot. I have a new 85mm lens that needs a workout! Then maybe I'll go through my whole camera case and use all of the lenses that haven't been used lately.
Manual Focus | another lazy habit of using my point-and-shoot is the auto focus nature of the camera. It's time to slow down a little, consider the composition of my shots and maybe, just maybe, get a little more creative with the results.
Of course, while looking for ideas I stumbled across oodles of wonderful inspiration. One of the most helpful sources is (always) Digital Photography School and in particular this article from 2010. As well as Pinterest, which seems endless in it's visual goodness. And there is 500px - sigh. So much!
What was I thinking being uninspired?
How do you get out of a creative rut? Do you have any go-to exercises?
