The age old question for the beginning photographer is… what to photograph! You’ve got your new camera and figured out how to use it and now what do you shoot? All dressed up and nowhere to go. Where do you get the inspiration and creativity to start taking photos? Here is a three step approach.
We all struggle with creativity at some point, so beginners aren’t alone in their search for ideas on which photos to take. In the same way that writers have writer’s block, photographers have it too. So how do you get past this? I have developed the three circles approach for my students, which is a simple way to get creativity flowing.
1. Circle number one – close-ups
Begin this exercise at home. If you look carefully, there is a lot to shoot. I like to focus on close-ups because you can’t really shoot landscapes or big subjects in your house. Zooming in helps you focus on the details and aids the learning process. So look around the house for interesting objects. As you zoom in, you’ll see details you wouldn’t normally see. For example, the fine mesh of the speakers of your stereo, the shiny faucet in the bathroom or the draining rack in the kitchen. The ideas are endless and you just need to search carefully and before you know it, you have a plethora of great ideas. Learning to see details and worlds within worlds also helps you hone your overall photography skills.
2. Circle number two – medium planes
With this exercise you take your first step beyond the foreground into the area surrounding your house and garden. In search of larger objects and things to photograph, wander around the garden. Wheelbarrows, garden taps, doors, shutters or a birdbath are all ideas that will make great shots. Here you may want to do an alphabet challenge. Find an object that begins with each letter of the alphabet until you have photographed all twenty-six. This will really test your creativity and imagination. If you can’t find twenty-six objects, shoot ideas or concepts like L for love or F for fun with each concept represented by a letter. The objective of this game is to shoot larger objects or subjects.
3. Circle number three: wide shots
Hit the streets of your local shopping district and go wild. There is so much activity, both small and large, and the ideas are endless; You really won’t be short of inspiration. Here you can focus on one topic. Find things that are similar, like mailboxes, doors, windows, reflections. Try to capture the essence of the activity, big trucks, billboards or church steeples. Slow down the shutter speed so that people become blurry and the focus is on the objects and not the people. I can go on and on with ideas, but the name of the game is for you to go out and shoot.
To shoot you need to go out and practice. Unless you are spending time photographing, you will not grow in your photographic journey. Ideas will flow when you start doing something about it. Happy shooting!