THE BIGGEST MISTAKE YOU MIGHT BE MAKING AS A PHOTOGRAPHER? THINKING TOO MUCH!
Have you ever wondered why your creativity sometimes suffers, and then all of a sudden it just “comes to you” when you’re least expecting? In this episode we explore the reasons for this, and why you need to trust your gut to get those killer creative images. If you think your compositions suck, it’s likely because you’re thinking, not feeling your way through taking a photo. You’re born with the ability to create amazing compositions. However, to free yourself creatively you need to turn your brain off. So, these exercises are all about playing and exploring without worrying about the technical. The only thing you need to do is create.I have intentionally left out any photos in this post so there is no influence over your images. Let’s see what inspires you when you turn your brain off!
FIVE NON-TECHNICAL EXERCISES FOR CREATIVITY
- Freestyle Photography – This was one of my favorite assignments when I was in photography school (Credit to Felicity Perryman, our art and composition teacher for the idea).
This exercise is going to be uncomfortable and you’ll wonder why you’re doing it… until you see the results. Cover your viewfinder or your image display so you can’t see what’s in the frame. Put your camera into “P” or “Auto” mode, and make sure your auto focus is on. Turn the flash off. Spend a day bringing your camera everywhere. Take pictures just pointing your camera at things in different directions. Try not to put your camera anywhere near your eyes or your eye level. Go with your gut. Don’t think, just click. Feel your way through the assignment. Don’t “try” to get any photo in particular.When the day is done and you have your collection of images, take no more than five minutes to choose your favorites. Choose by gut reaction only.Now that you’ve chosen some favorites, take a closer look at them. Chances are, you probably have some pretty compelling photos in there. Ask yourself why your eye was attracted to each of the images you chose. - One thing. Choose something outside… (it could be a tree, a street corner, a fire hydrant, a mail box, anything you see every day), and photograph that one thing over the course of one week. Photograph it in the morning, at night, when it’s cloudy, when it’s sunny, when it’s rainy. Add an extra dimension and shoot at only 50mm.
- Shape. Choose a single shape (you could chose a circle, a triangle, a square, etc.). Take a day or a week and photograph anything you see that has that shape.
- Paint with your camera. See episode one of Get Crafty Photographers. Embrace the impressionism of intentional camera movement.
- Out of focus. Set your camera on manual focus and move the focus so it is on the closest distance (ie .3 meters or whatever the closest distance your lens will allow). Set your camera on a super wide aperture (ie f1.2, f2.8, f3.5 or wider). Once again, trust your gut and your instinct. Take an hour or a day exploring the blurry world around you. This will help you see shapes and light in a whole different way.
