Creative Block

Slaphead

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Since my last major photographic outing - a car graveyard - I've really had creative block. I carry my humble D40x, kit 18-55 and 55-200 virtually everywhere, but at the moment there seems to be nothing that grabs me enough to pull the camera out - It's not like it's difficult, I just undo the bottom of the bag, pull camera out and shoot.

Anybody else get this? And if so what do you do about it?
 
Oh yes. I know VERY WELL what you're talking about. I get this at least several times a year, mostly after a nice spree of taking photos (like I feel quite far down in a slump just now, after I'd taken so many - and many I consider quite good, too - photos during my weekend in Stockholm). Suddenly, my immediate surroundings seem to be all void of anything photo-worthy (which may also be so since I seem to HAVE photographed every blade of grass and every leaf on every bush already).

Remedies?
I work on old photos.
I finally wash the windows of my house.
I don't touch the camera.
I begin to find everything photography-related boring ...

Then I get the chance to go to a new place.
Take the camera along ... and get new motifs.
And if then (big "if") some photos look good in the end, I might (big "might") be on the way up and out. ;)
 
I get it it quite a bit, Got it going on now, I want to get my camea out and shoot something like a macro or a night shot but I'm just drawing a blank as to what.

What am I doing about it....burning countless rolls of film on mundain things......It's not working too well at the moment.
 
Since my last major photographic outing - a car graveyard - I've really had creative block. I carry my humble D40x, kit 18-55 and 55-200 virtually everywhere, but at the moment there seems to be nothing that grabs me enough to pull the camera out - It's not like it's difficult, I just undo the bottom of the bag, pull camera out and shoot.

Anybody else get this? And if so what do you do about it?

This is easy.

Leave the camera at home.

I guarantee you'll very quickly see something that you would have loved to photograph!


(There's a certain amount of seriousness in the above. Sometimes having a camera with you at all times and feeling that you should be using it can actually dampen your creativity. I like to carry a camera most of the time but it's there 'just in case'.)
 
This is easy.

Leave the camera at home.

I guarantee you'll very quickly see something that you would have loved to photograph!


(There's a certain amount of seriousness in the above. Sometimes having a camera with you at all times and feeling that you should be using it can actually dampen your creativity. I like to carry a camera most of the time but it's there 'just in case'.)

There is truth to this, I left my camera home several times last week and generally did see just that, something that made me regret the decision...day before yesterday it was a cardinal in the tree across the street, the day before that was a crayfish. Sadly it did not help me, that's not to say it's not going to help someone else but...
 
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Hey, thanks for all the comments guys.

LaFoto:
What you've said rings true, I'll have a look at some old photos, and, given my current passion, probably convert them to B&W - However cleaning windows simply does not appeal to me. Perhaps dirty windows could make a good photo subject - Well that's my excuse anyway ;)

Moglex:
Sometimes having a camera with you at all times and feeling that you should be using it can actually dampen your creativity

So true - Exactly how I feel sometimes - It's like I'm all dressed up but have nowhere to go.

Battou: Film costs money - at least us digital shooters can delete. That shows true determination through the bad patches. Hope it gets better for you very soon.
 
hmm I would drop the camera and focus on something else for the time being - time is not right for shooting, maybe you have some books you were reading, or a model to put together or something to paint, make, draw.
What ever it is find it and have a try at an older hobby and spend some time away from the camera. Take it out with you or leave it at home either way don't think about shooting.

In time thy shall think about shooting again and the bug will be back.
Or sometimes if there is a bit of kit you really want try working extra hard to get it (something that expands or allows you to do something new like a macro lens)
 
You could do what writers do. Perform exercises to stimulate your creativity. Like, pick a song. Any song. Listen to it once with the lights off and your eyes shut. Then listen to it again and write down three words that keep coming to mind. Then, go for a walk around your neighbor hood or for a drive and intentionally look for photographs that express those three words.

I've tried doing that in other applications and it works pretty well, although the inspiration usually has nothing to do with the actual exercise.
 
I get the same thing. I just keep carrying, and keep shooting and hopefully out of a couple hundred photos I can find a few that are good. At the least I usually get something that I can mess around with in pp and have some fun with.
 
Look at other people's photos, you might see something you want to try or give you some inspiration. Flickr has a great page which shows "interesting" photos from the last 7 days: http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/

Also try learning a different aspect of photography, like lighting, for example, if you haven't already, head over to http://strobist.com .. you can spend hours there (check out lighting 101 and the "on assignment" sections).
 

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