stuck in a rut?
There are times throughout the year that I struggle to find enough motivation to take pictures and tend to fall into the doldrums. This is typically due to uncooperative weather and lack of inspirational subject matter, but whatever the reason I find such times disheartening.
To help overcome these times in the past I have formulated strategies that have helped provide a boost to morale, if not the desire to pick up the camera once again.
Following are strategies that may help should you ever find yourself in a similar situation.
Seek inspiration from others
I often find that devoting time to fully appreciate the works of others works as a creative catalyst for myself. Ideally this comes via a visit to a local gallery, but where impractical I frequently find rejuvenation after browsing the work of other artists online.
Whether this be from generating ideas from artists that have influenced in the past, revisiting favorite sites or even randomly visiting the work of others I always seem to find something that spawnsinterest.
Set yourself a project
When the photo gods are seemingly against me, I find it can help to set up a project that will align my thoughts and get me moving once again.
Without the pressure of capturing portfolio-worthy images, following a restrictive assignment can lead to a returning sense of belief and motivation.
Some suggested projects - the idea is to shoot something that is atypical of your regular work and to push yourself out of your comfort zone;
shoot the same scene at various times of the day (from sunrise to sunset)
restrict shooting to a single subject (eg a single tree, barns, animals etc)
limit shooting to s single style (street, ICM, night etc)
shoot only in black and white (or with B&W the end product)
Move outside of your comfort zone
Working closely in hand with the suggestion above, taking a break and shooting outside of your comfort zone may just provide the tonic you need.
Mastering new genres can reinvigorate the interest and passion that may have been lost after years of shooting in a repetitive manner. Allow yourself to have fun and play, to return to the impressionable novice you once were when becoming excited about the craft.
No matter what time of year, no matter what the weather there is always something worth shooting if we care to look for it. If you are in a city perhaps you might want to try street photography for the first time, capture interest in the architecture or even capture the movement of crowds by focusing attention on motion blur.
Such an experience is described in the following video. Brought to you by Thomas Heaton the footage takes you through the photographer not only developing his ICM techniques but discovering an interest to pursue further.
Reassess past work
I always find benefit in reviewing work from the previous year. This not only confirms how far my skills have progressed but reacquaints me with some cherished works that may have just fallen a little short. Fresh and more experienced eyes may see simple changes that might elevate such images, or suggest reasons to re-shoot.
Renovate your workspace
If all else fails I find that reorganizing my working environment can pay dividends. Whether this be migrating to a faster computer, installing a new work surface, or even refreshing the images you display on your walls this all goes to changing your current photography environment.
Look, at the end of the day we all get in a rut at one time or another. For me the key to getting out of this is to acknowledge that fact and to provide myself a path to get out of it.