If writers get writer's block, do photographers get shooter's block? Whatever you want to call it, we photographers
are sometimes stumped for an idea of what we should place in front of the lens.
Snapping out of these doldrums (sorry for the pun) is usually just a matter of trying to see something new
or seeing familiar subjects in new ways. Sometimes a fun exercise or two is all you need to get your creative
gears spinning once again.
The following suggestions for exercising your eye come from a variety of sources (and one of those sources
happens to be the brain of yours truly), but one source I must recommend for shooters who could use some
help regaining their vision of the world is the writing of
Freeman Patterson. His two books Photography And The Art Of Seeing
and
Photographing The World Around You
are both excellent sources for subject ideas and techniques to get you viewing your surroundings in a fresh
fashion.
But if you want to go out and shoot right now, here are a couple exercises to try that are based on Patterson's
suggestions. Pick a unit of measurement (e.g. a city block, a meter, a mile, a furlong, whatever), then go
out your front door. Go straight for 4 of that unit of measurement. Then, turn right and go 7 of that unit.
When you get to the end, take at least 30 photos of anything within the ten meters/yards of where you stopped.
Here's another one. Get a hula hoop. Go to a place that might have some fun stuff to photograph in your
subject matter. A few suggestions: a forest, a junkyard, the city dump (but maybe bring a nose plug), a garden,
etc. Now, take the hula hoop, spin around and throw it in a random direction. Take 30 photos of things that
fall inside the perimeter of the hula hoop. A macro lens may help with this one, but you might be able to
manage without.
Now, those suggestions are not likely to land you a lot of opportunities to photograph any moving subjects.
If you're inclined to have a person in front of your lens, but you don't happen to have a willing model on
hand, perhaps it's time to try a bit of street photography. John Brownlow has some excellent suggestions
for street photography, in particular overcoming shyness. Check out his article on the subject
here. Here is the
beginning of his technique for getting started shooting street photography:
Here's how I suggest you begin to lose your fear. Take four rolls of film and tell yourself that
you are going to shoot those four rolls as if you had no fear. Just those four, no more. You are going to
believe that you have a total right to be doing what you are doing, and that people are going to accept you.
Now shoot those rolls, without worrying if the pictures are any good or not. That's not what we're working
on here...
To read further, click the link above and follow some of his ideas for getting out of a creative rut that
may be caused by the fear of photographing strangers.
If, however, shyness isn't a difficulty but you are still looking for something a little more unique than
your city's daily life, start planning to shoot at an event. Is there an upcoming festival in your area?
A parade? A concert you can shoot? Professional wrestling? A hot dog eating contest?
At all of these kinds of events, people will be expecting the presence of photographers and you shouldn't
have any trouble getting either natural behaviour or willing participation in your photography. When present
at such events, I find one helpful technique is to imagine I am covering the spectacle for a local newspaper
or a magazine. I ask myself what images would best capture the spirit of the event and what would best compliment
a story. You may be surprised at how this will get you moving around and interacting with the players of
the events. Whereas you might naturally be inclined to find a comfortable spot and root yourself to it, if
you feel like you have a job to do, you will find yourself more willing to challenge yourself to find the
best possible coverage of the event.
So, start scanning event listings in your local newspaper and online. Also, ask your friends to keep you
abreast of any events that may be of interest to a photographer. That's exactly how I learned about Calgary's
First
Annual Zombie Walk. Without the reminder of a helpful friend, I would never have witnessed the march of a few hundred undead
through the downtown streets. An occasionally good source of event information is
What's on When
(which, I should note, is a good place to check if you're planning a trip with flexible dates. (You don't
want to end up in Edinburgh a week after the Fringe Festival has ended).
Perhaps event photography isn't where your passion lies. Perhaps you don't know where your passion lies.
One option is to begin participating in some competitions. Both
DPChallenge
and
Fred Miranda
run weekly competitions that feature talented photographers and stiff competition. Each week, a new topic
will be assigned and you will have to shoot your photo within the week. The winners are decided by votes
from users of the sites. Above all else, winners will get a shot of pride at having bested a talented group
of peers. But, perhaps an even greater reward is just the motivation these contests can provide. Similar
competitions are also available at
Worth1000
and other sites.
Some of the talent at these sites may be daunting for a blocked shooter and not everyone thrives on competition
with others. An alternative is to check dictionary.com's
Word of the Day
and give yourself some time to produce a photo illustrating that word or a concept related to it.
If there is no shortage of interesting subjects for you to shoot, but you still find yourself a little unmotivated,
perhaps try some new shooting techniques. Do you normally shoot in colour? Try seeing the world in black
and white. Never tried
cross processing
? Give it a go (and yes, you can try it
digitally
if you want). Never use your flash? See how you can get some different results with it. Always use your flash?
See what you can do with natural light. Normally use a tripod? Consider
throwing your camera into the air
.
The idea here is to break out of your routines. The easiest way to get out of a rut is to change your direction,
so do something that doesn't follow the same path you've been taking. Examine your habits then see if you
can do something different or even opposite to what you are used to. If you are feeling uninspired while
using your current techniques, it's probably time to stop living in your comfort zone and try something new.
About the Author
Darby Sawchuk is a travel photographer from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. His work currently focuses on Japan
and destinations in Southeast Asia. His images, articles and blog can be found at www.dsphotographic.com.
Darby can be contacted at dsawchuk@dsphotographic.com.
