“Impossible”. It is the first thing you will think when reading the title of this post. It is very clear, if I have no ideas… how will I achieve creative photos? It seems logical, right? Well, in this article I will show you that it is possible. Do you want to know the tricks?
First we must be clear about what creativity is, which according to the RAE dictionary is “the ability to create”, obviously. But creativity is something else, it is to turn things around, it is to achieve an original, different result.
Do you know that we are all born with a torrent of creativity that we turn off over the years? Children have an overwhelming capacity for imagination that we have limited little by little. At the end of the article I will give you more specific tricks, but your first step is to recover a part of that creativity. How?
How to get creative photos (when you have no ideas)
experiment
When you start in this world of photography The first thing you do is learn how to use the camera and the techniques to achieve perfect images. If that’s what you did, that’s fine, don’t freak out, but as long as you don’t obsess. Most of the time one focuses so much on making the photo perfect that it leaves it empty. You control the light, the framing, the depth of field, the composition rules… EVERYTHING! But you look at the photo and it doesn’t tell you anything. It’s boring or so uninteresting that you drive yourself crazy thinking about what went wrong. It’s very simple, you’ve forgotten the most important thing about an image: that it convey something!
Remember that the first enemy of our creativity is our ruthless criticism. Let your imagination run wild and experiment without fear that your photo won’t turn out well. One of the greatest advantages of digital photography is that we can shoot as many times as we want without having to reveal it. That’s a luxury you shouldn’t miss out on! Shoot as many times as necessary until you get that photo that surprises you, moves you or makes you smile.
put feeling
This is not just a photographic advice, it goes much further. The only way to achieve great things in your life is to put passion into what you do. When you work with your heart, everything becomes different, it is transmitted in your creations, you enjoy what you do and it shows. Have fun, laugh, get excited about what you’re doing and you’ll see everything from a much more human point of view. Your photos will reflect it.
Fight against inactivity
You may already know this, but inactivity calls for inactivity and when you stop taking photos, the same thing happens as when you stop playing sports, the desire starts to disappear, ideas stop flowing just like muscles atrophy. Never stop shootingGet rid of excuses. Get Out and Take Photos).
That you cannot go outside because there is a rottweiler threatening you at your door, you have a child to take care of or it is pouring rain? Use the objects you have at home, combine them, give them a thousand turns, let your child fill himself with paint or dress him up and make funny portraits while the two of you have a great time, try taking photos with water, take an object and give him all the crazy utilities that you can think of… Anything goes, the important thing is to stay active and let the ideas flow.
get inspired
Of course the inspiration is not going to come to you sitting on the sofa at home watching television or staring at your camera as if you were in a sword duel. Many times the “muses” surprise you in the most unexpected places, in the shower, in the middle of a work meeting, shopping, at the cinema, on the bus… and what a coincidence that in those moments you never have the camera at hand Or, of course, it is not the right time. A very simple trick is to always carry a small notebook with you and every time the muses visit you, write down everything they tell you for when the time is right.
Another piece of advice I can give you is to immerse yourself in the work of others, and don’t get tired of visiting photographers’ galleries because they can be a great source of inspiration. It is not that you copy their work, but it is true that you can get very good ideas or even realize the mistakes that you do not want to make or the style of photography that does not suit you.
Going for a good walk or talking to strangers who tell you new stories can also be very revealing. Create a “corner to dream”, choose a space where you can see the ideas that come to mind, photos that have inspired you, subjects you want to photograph…
After these tips to improve creativity, I am going to give you some TRICKS more specific with examples so they can help you.
Tricks to be creative when taking photos
- Break the rules: the other day i left you 9 Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Photo Composition, where he commented that sometimes the rules are there to break them. First you have to know them and then experiment breaking these rules intentionally, if you do it this way, your photos will be much more creative. This post can help you: The Art of Transgressing the Rules of Composition in Photography.
- Change the points of view: Shoot from another point of view than you are used to and you will see how the effect is very different.
Notice the big difference between the first and second image. The girl seen from above is much stronger and the photograph is more original.
- Play with fun perspectives. You can use the sun, the clouds… or play with the distances between people to create fun effects.
- Use the motion effect. Capture moving images, ask your models to jump or take multiple subject photos. Your photos will be more original.
- look for gestures and the feelings of the people around you. The poses can be tremendously boring and uninteresting. Let others behave as they are and observe those gestures that differentiate them, that make them unique and arouse some emotion in the viewer.
- make lists of topics that interest you and each week dedicate yourself to looking for images that fit in some way in it.
- Choose one of your songs favorites and create images related to that theme that excites you so much.
- Read this post: 5 Extremely SIMPLE Creative Photography Ideas
- Look for pareidolias, it’s fun and will improve your observation skills.
- in the portraits, use some object such as a hat, a cane, a fan or a colorful scarf that the model can play with. With children you can use a toy, a ball or soap bubbles. You can also let them get dirty with mud, paint or chocolate, then you will have to clean it, but the result will be worth it!
In short: experiment, put passion into it and have fun.
I hope I have helped you, now… let’s practice!