Advice sought - Photographer's Block

chut

chut

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What do you do when you can't think of anything to shoot?

I've been on a photography high for a year now, going back to shooting film after a 14 year break. I was shooting practically every weekend this past year and even went back to processing my own film.

But ever since the new year, I can't seem to think of something worthwhile to photograph. I usually go on urban street shoots on the weekend, or visit some rural town that I've never been to. Lately though, inspiration has been very elusive.

What do you do when you hit a creative wall?
 
Try putting your camera away for a while and concentrate on other pursuits. Suddenly you'll come across something you want to photograph, and you'll curse yourself for not having your camera.
You will then start carrying your camera with you everywhere and shoot lots of wonderful photos. The cycle begins anew!
 
As with any block, the more you think about it the fewer ideas you will have. Dont worry about it, maybe this is the break you need. Take a class, read a book...
 
Carry the camera and don't worry about it. Just make sure the camera is with you all the time. We all have those bouts of uncreativness. Eventually something will jump out of the clutter of your surroundings, your brain will draw a frame line around it, and you'll hear a plaintive wail of "Shoot me PLEEEEEZE!" coming out of nowhere. That's when you know that your dry spell has passed.

On another level you can give yourself an asignment. Shoot a story about some unique aspect of that rural town, what a tourist might find interesting about the place. An old building, a drugstore that still has a soda fountain, perhaps an alley still paved with cobblestones. Old signs. Talk to some of the residents, the shopkeepers. Ask them what they think is unique about the place. Photograph them while you talk with them. Photograph them as they show you these things that they think are interesting. Most of all, relax. Your next paycheck doesn't depend on whether or not an editor likes your pictures.
 
chut said:
What do you do when you hit a creative wall?
Click to expand...

I do not hit a creative wall. Sorry, but I don't. That's because I shoot everything, including those things unworthy of being photographed.

However, I might be able to assist.

I check Google every week. I enter 'events michigan' and the date I'm thinking of going out. That gives me a number of places to investigate - generally there are a few websites devoted to local events, and others that are just event listings. I also take note of anything else I might pull into my net with that search - I might see something that makes me think of something else, etc.

I check the local newspapers for 'local happenings' the same way.

I check the local parks and recs departments, and the local game preserves, natural habitats, all that stuff to see if there is anything of interest to me going on.

I also search for things that would require me to think of a new way of taking photos, something I've never done before. Air show - long lenses, lots of water, tiger balm for a sore neck afterwards. Dance competition, low light, wonky gym lighting, fast movement, high contrast black and white outfits. Kendo competition - same as dance competition, movement is MUCH faster.

I check the local botanical gardens to see what's blooming. Same for local clubs - model railroads, radio-controlled airplanes, kite-flying, whatever.

Local athletics - we have odd things here, like curling, bocci ball, that kind of thing. Yacht club sailing. Fencing. Karate and Kung Fu tournaments. We even have a low-rent 'wrasslin' event here every weekend.

College athletics, local pro sports. Detroit even has a women's pro football team, and an indoor arena football team. Attendance at these things is like zilch - they love to have people show up and take photos, get the word out.

There are always car shows during good weather, ice boat racing during the freezin' season. Beer tastings, boat shows, home and garden shows. Bridal shows are fun to photograph (10,000 bridezillas all under one roof), as are exotic pet shows. Don't forget various fan fests, like Star Cons and Anime Festivals. Tattoo shows and more 'adult' themed events if you're into that.

The local 'free' or 'underground' paper is a good source of events like that. I know one guy who just started going to clubs in the area and taking photos, schmoozing with bar owners, now he's making money being an 'event photographer' at up-and-coming nitespots. Not my thing, but whatever.

There are almost always about a dozen local blues, folk, or other artists performing within a 50 mile radius every weekend, they love the exposure (pardon the pun) so they don't mind you taking photos if they know you're going to publicize them (and I offer them copies too).

Once I got so bored by winter weater, I bought a bunch of decks of old playing cards, dominos, chess pieces and old busted toys at thrift stores and on eBay, set up and did various table-top experiments, then donated the stuff all back again.

Practice lighting techniques using an egg - harder than you think. Take self portraits until your eyes are dotted from the flashy lights.

Make arrangements and get permission in advance to visit an old folks' home and offer to take photos of residents, return with free prints for their walls and loved ones, listen to them talk. They love visitors, and their faces are amazing. Be kind and listen to their stories, they'll reward you endlessly.

Sometimes I just pick a direction and start driving out into the country. I'll see something I feel like taking photos of soon enough.

See what I mean? I never run out of things to photograph - but then, I never (well seldom) turn down an opportunity to do something I haven't done before.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wigwam/sets/

Just go have fun.
 
Hey, Bmattock, that's the best advice I've seen in ages, and I've been around for awhile.
Just checked our local events. Chocolate tasting! Who would have thought? What sort of people will show up for such an event? I'll find out.
 
When writers get writer's block, they are told to write about having writer's block. I wonder how it would go if one were to photograph about photographer's block? How would this be approached? Perhaps photograph a familiar subject in a new way?
 
I find looking at other photographers work helps me get unstuck...online, books, shows.

It may not be the full cure but it helps.

Bob
 
tedwhite said:
Hey, Bmattock, that's the best advice I've seen in ages, and I've been around for awhile.
Just checked our local events. Chocolate tasting! Who would have thought? What sort of people will show up for such an event? I'll find out.
Click to expand...

That sounds like fun! Imagine the kind of shots you can get, people eating chocolate, drips, smudges, people feeding each other chocolate, and etc. My kind of thing for sure.

I like to take some cheap business cards to events like these - get them for next to nothing at vistaprint.com (beware, you'll be on their mailing list forever) and hand them out - they can see themselves on my Flickr account - kind of payback for them posing for me. Just an idea.

And I see you're in Bisbee, AZ, right? I used to live in Chicago, listened to WLS and the Nation of Marvin took a road trip one year to Shady Dells RV Park.

http://www.theshadydell.com/

Dude! I'd love to shoot that place! Look at those trailers! Place is made for a complete Kodachrome workup.
 
I rest...
2008 was a very frustrating year photographically speaking. When you're passionate about something and you're not getting the results you want (or are hitting that creative wall), I've found taking a step back to be quite refreshing.
 
Photographer's Block

Photographer's Block

Excellent advice from Photogdave. As one esteemed photographer said to me that he just goes out and has fun at something other than photography.
Photogdave is dead right.

Good luck,
Gary Haigh
Australia
 
Other suggestions:
a) Sell an unused item of gear, eg a lens, then buy a replacement lens in another focal length or with different characteristics such as a vintage lens. Go out and take photos to see if you like it.
b) try a new film/developer combination - again, go out and take test shots
c) try a different film type - if you mainly shoot B&W then try colour
d) pick up the cheapest working secondhand camera you can find, e.g. an eccentric old folder, and go and take photos with it.

I had similar blocks when i was more limited in my choice of gear and materials - ie those "one camera one lens one film one developer" restrictions meant that i ran out of reasons to take photos of the same familiar subjects. Treating myself to a new (used) lens or if funds were lower trying out e.g. Adox films rather than my usual Ilford films and seeing the results definitely gave me the incentive i needed to get out of the house and start taking photos.
 
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Less thinking, more shooting is my motto of late.

While many of us are attracted to the idea of shooting only "worthwhile" things, the reality of the matter is that photography by its nature needs quantity or quality isn't possible. Way I look at it, the faster I get over the idea that I'm going to be shooting lots of "unworthy" things, the more shooting I'll get done, and the faster I'll have worthwhile shots. Unless thinking is directly about how to do specific shots, the more you think, the less you shoot.

An exercise I've been doing lately is grabbing whatever gear was at hand and a nearby household object and making as interesting a picture as I can in five minutes. No excuses.
 
All pursuits, whether creative, athletic or otherwise, have cycles - peaks and lows. Athletes know this, and this is why they plan for each season, hopefully hitting their peaks when the time counts (i.e. Lance and the Tour de France). This is also probably why summer vacation is part of every educational system. We all need breaks, whether we want them or not. Sometimes, the break forces itself into you, just so you can recover and become better while you rest. Pahinga lang yan. ;-P

Enjoy your "break". It's been a year, my friend. :) And a good one for you photgraphically. It will come back when it and you are ready!
 
A big thank you to everyone. All of the above are excellent suggestions. I will try a combination of them and I'm sure my photomojo will return.

Special thanks to Bill for the valuable shared wisdom. It never occurred to me to consult a free weekly events paper. Why do the work figuring out what to do/shoot when a whole bunch of people already have? That's just brilliant.
 
tedwhite said:
Chocolate tasting! Who would have thought? What sort of people will show up for such an event? I'll find out.
Click to expand...
50% of the population is highly addicted to chocolate; it just takes a second to realise which 50% of the population that is..
 
Bmattock:

On page 8 of My Photos I have an inside Dot's Diner shot taken with a IIIf. Dot's Diner is, of course, in Shady Dell Trailer Park. It's three blocks from my house!
 
First, I try to always carry a camera with me. Then, I just don't worry about it. I relish the "block", since I often find that it comes before moments of inspiration. One thing that really helps me is spending time with music. I find music and photography very complimentary of each other, as I often find myself hearing that "plaintive wail" that Al speaks of sometime after listening to or engaging in music. Even though I'm not a professional musician, my wife is. With her being a professional opera singer, I'm exposed to some wonderful music I never listened to in the earlier part of my life. I do sing in my church choir and play the Native American courting flute, so that all helps me too. In short, I think that engaging in different types of creating (art), can help our minds and hearts open to the inspiration we all wait to receive.

But like I said, I don't get too worked up about it anymore, since I believe that those moments of darkness often come right before the dawn.
 
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