Do you ever get into a creative slump? You know the feeling…you take your camera out for a walk (in a manner of speaking) and get five or six images that are, well, uninspiring. You get home, pull them up on the screen and they look just like all your other images, same feel, same ideas and everything seems stale. You keep trying, but it feels like your attempts are forced and you simply go through the motions. This is normal, it happens to all creative people and often you will hear photographers and artists say that they are in a “rut”. Once you identify this you can do one of two things:
1. Wait for it to pass OR…
2. Get active while you are in it.
I have found that waiting for it to pass very rarely works. The reason is that self doubt starts creeping in. You don’t pick up your camera for a few weeks and suddenly, you feel like a beginner again. The camera feels foreign in your hands and you start wondering about whether you should take up golf or something. My view is that even if you are in a slump, get out there and photograph, even if it feels false or “wooden” as I like to call it. When something feels “wooden” it means that things are stiff or rigid. It feels difficult to do, there is no flow, you want your photography to flow like water, BUT thats not always possible.
So, when the slump or the rut comes, what do you do? Do you simply stay at home and wait for inspiration to come and knock on your door and invite you out for a photoshoot? Well, that’s not going to happen. No, the creative process is a fickle mistress. It will elude you when you most want or need it. The best way to counteract this slump is to get out there and perform your craft. Go out and do the act of photography…even if it feels false, even if you feel like watching the game on TV, the act of doing will start unlocking the creative part of your brain and soon (not immediately) you will start feeling that familiar flow. I know that if you are in this slump, sometimes it is difficult to know where to start, so here are some ideas:
1. Try something new
By this I mean, try a new type of photography. I don’t mean try and do a wedding if you have never done one before, that might stop you from picking up a camera ever again hehehe. No, what I mean is this, if you love landscape photography, go out and make a point of shooting street photography for a few hours. Immerse yourself in the art of timing and quick composition that is street photography. Try and apply what you know from landscape photography into street photography. Try abstract photography during your street photography session, mix it up a little.
2. Meet other photographers
Photographers are a unique bunch. We love to sit around and talk about lenses, camera gear, f-stops and aperture settings. These are conversations that are not easy to have with non photographers. Also, non photographers tend to get impatient after standing in one place for 10 minutes waiting for the light or for just the right scene to unfold, photographers LOVE that sort of thing. Try and find a local camera club or a group of photographers in your area that regularly do outings or meetings. Photography is a “doing” thing, so be careful not to get caught up just talking about photography, get out and photograph, with other photographers. In Vancouver, I run a photo walking group called Vancouver Photowalks which has a 2 hour photowalk running a few times a week. I have been astounded at how many photographers have joined this group and how much fun has been had. I have also been amazed at the fantastic images people have posted and how many people have improved radically in their image making. If you are in the Vancouver area, you should join us for a photowalk…
3. Give yourself a project
Decide on a monthly project, maybe for one month you can work on a theme like Urban Decay. This gives you a focus, something to look for when the images are not popping up for you. You could also try a 365 project i.e. take one photo a day for 365 days. Be aware though, you don’t want your project to sap your energy. Some projects require time and discipline (The 365 project as an example) so be aware of what you can commit to.
4. Restrict yourself
Give yourself some restrictions. Try using a 50mm lens on your next photoshoot, only a 50mm. Try and shoot a scene only of there is something red in it. Give yourself a restriction that will force you to be more creative. That way you can explore a new dimension of your photography that can be very creative in itself
5. Show everyone what you do
Post your images up on the internet. Join a photosharing site such as 500px or Flickr. Join some of the themed groups on these sites and take a look at what others are seeing and doing. By sharing your images, you will start to get feedback and thats always a good way to grow.
6. Spend time in a bookshop
Yes, this is always a fun thing to do. Take a few hours on a Saturday afternoon and visit your favourite bookstore. Pick out a few photography books and simply browse through them. Firstly, there are some amazing photo books out there and some incredible images, but also, you can learn a lot from what others are photographing and HOW they are doing it and seeing it.
7. Teach someone
When you are out on a photowalk or in your city photographing, try and see if you can help someone get a better shot. It will be rewarding for them to learn something, but you will also be excited and invigorated to teach something to someone. It is also good to ask someone what they are shooting and see the scene from their perspective, that way you will learn something too.
8. Try a new technique
There are so many new techniques out there and some of them give phenomenal results. So, try something you have never tried before. If you haven’t shot an HDR image, find out how to do it and give it a try. Try a panoramic image of your scene or even light painting…these techniques will teach you more about photography and you will be amazed at what is possible with YOUR camera…yes, the one in your bag. Buying new equipment does not necessarily mean new creativity.
9. Photograph whats around you
Freeman Patterson has a technique that he asks people to do on his workshops. He asks people to stand still where they are and take 36 DIFFERENT images of the scene around them. No moving off that spot until you have made 36 images. This may sound impossible, but think about it, its very possible. You could even try this at your home, or in your workshop, try and take 36 different images of any place you are visiting. Could be close ups, wide angles…anything. Pretty soon, you will be seeing images everywhere.
10. Redo an image
You might see an image in one of those books at the bookstore or online and think that it might be cool to do that. So, do it. Take an image that you love and try and recreate it. I am not saying copy it outright, but look at the theme, the colours, the idea and see if you can emulate it. By doing this, you will be forced to walk through the creative process and by doing that you will immediately get more creativity flowing.
Its up to you. Your creativity is your concern, but you can move out of a creative slump by using some of these techniques. Maybe you have your own techniques for doing this, so let me know what you do when you hit the creative wall, or add to these ideas in the comments, I would love to know how you overcome this creatively!