It happens to every photographer.  There may be one day where you are ready with a camera in hand but you are unable to choose something to photograph.  You don’t know how to photograph it.  There’s nothing to inspire you.  You can’t get an interesting image together.  Maybe you have photographer’s block – if so, here are some ideas on how to remedy it.

Tip 1: Change your genre

Everyone has a genre of photography they enjoy the most, but have you ever considered trying something different?  Say you love Portraiture because you love working with people – well what about trying Photojournalism?  You are still dealing with people but from a different kind of angle.

If you enjoy landscapes how about doing some still life photography but instead using plants?  For example, buy a bouquet and do some still life set ups, or if you like being outdoors, take a macro lens and take some images outside of flowers and rocks.

Tip 2: Change your viewpoint

Look at your current collection of images.  Do you have a preference for a certain style? Do you like wide angled images or close ups?  Do you tend to have perfect square composed images or do you tend to take photographs from an off angle? How about actively changing how you photograph things?

The next time you settle into taking a photograph do something different.  Move closer, or pull away.  Turn the camera to vertical or horizontal; tip the camera so you are approaching it from a different angle.  Does that give you more ideas?

Tip 3:  Play with Photoshop

More and more photographers use Photoshop, even if it is just for a small touch up.  There’s no reason why you shouldn’t play with effects – imagine how you can enliven a scene by changing a colour here or there, or by changing it to black and white, or adding a double exposure.  If you could do whatever you wanted in Photoshop, how would that make you take the photograph differently?

Tip 4: Change your time of day
Some photographers go out in the sun, some like the rain.  Some never venture out in the night, some always do. Experiment by photographing at time which may be unnatural to you.  If you are a day creature, find a night when you can go out and take photographs of passing traffic or the stars.  You will not only get new images but you will have to develop new styles and techniques which will improve your overall photography skills.
Tip 5: See everything as an opportunity
Set yourself a goal.  Go out or stay indoors and pick one thing seemingly uninteresting and make it interesting.  Do whatever you can – take it outside; give it a background, or move closer. It can be a fork or a leaf on the ground – just make it interesting.  A leaf for example – can you put it on an interesting background? Can you float it on water and get the ripples?  Can you zoom right in and get the patterns?

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