Three steps to overcome photography block

Photographers and writers have a lot in common.

Both practice to perfect their technique, both convey stories and emotions through their craft, and both benefit from deep wells of creativity.

Unfortunately, they also share something negative in common: block.

Just as a writer can feel stuck trying to find the right word or form a sentence, a photographer can’t find anything to photograph. The trained eye that can find fascinating subjects in a mundane setting stops working.

Once photography becomes a constant in your life, at some point you will find yourself with a serious case of photographer’s block.

The good news is that there are three steps you can take to get your creativity flowing again.

take out your camera

This probably sounds like the dumbest piece of advice ever. Of course you have to get your camera out!

But let me take this advice one step further: make sure your camera is in your hand.

It’s not enough to have the camera in a bag over your shoulder, and it’s not enough to have it hanging from a strap around your neck. When you feel blocked, you pass up photo opportunities because of a lame excuse: it is too much effort to prepare the camera.

But when the camera is in your hand, it’s always ready. You have no excuse not to take the photo.

Once you take one, your right brain kicks in and you start seeing great photo subjects all around you.

Get out of your comfort zone

Many photographers tend to settle on a subject they like: flowers, people, buildings, food, pets, or children. Let’s say flowers are your passion. Once you have taken 1000 photos of flowers, you will feel quite comfortable with the subject.

When you feel blocked, spend a whole day photographing something totally different: children, for example. Unlike flowers, they never sit still and are not willing to wait for you to adjust the camera settings.

It is almost certain that many of the shots you take will not turn out well. This is to be expected: you are out of your comfort zone, shooting something completely new.

The benefit of this exercise is that it takes your mind off your favorite subject long enough to see it differently when you return to it.

start with your shoes

This technique has worked well for me in the past when I’m just not thinking (or seeing) creatively.

I take photos of my shoes.

I point the camera down and try to find something interesting about the pattern, texture, or color of my shoes to stand out in a photo.

Once you spend about 5 minutes trying to make your shoe look interesting, look up. Suddenly you will see a wide variety of subjects much more interesting than your shoe.

If you approach those subjects with the same eye that you applied to your simple shoe, you’re sure to take some compelling photos.