Photographer’s block is just as serious as writer’s block! Anyone with an artistic or creative nature knows exactly what I am talking about. Painters, in their minds, run out of things to paint and photographers point their cameras aimlessly, not sure of what they should be photographing. When these things happen it is time to get the ‘k’ out of funk and have a little fun!
Look at your photographic journey and plot your highs and lows. What did you do to break through the low points? Everyone is different, some put the camera down and never pick it back up, and others push through. The challenge of getting through is to think outside of the box and not take yourself so seriously. Easier said than done, right? Time to explore ways to have fun!
If you are anything like most of the circle of friends I hang out with, you have bought gadgets, gizmos, and props that seemed fun at the time. You put them away and have never tried them out or have forgotten about them. When you are in a low, why not break out some of those gadgets and props?
Combining creative tools provide interesting results
Photographing landscapes become surreal
Dahmen Barn in Palouse
I have two. Took me two, maybe three years to pull them out to play with. They have gone on countless trips and sat quietly in my camera bag. They are heavy and I know they are there. Once I started using them, I realized how much fun it was to try to capture those upside-down images. There is a knack for focusing on the subject inside the crystal ball. A couple of cautions, they are like magnifying glasses and if the sun is shining through, you can start a fire! True! And they get really hot, be careful when handling them! Finally, mine rolled off the little tripod and hit a boulder and landed in the gravel; the ball did not break, but it was scuffed up!
Fun with crystals
Crystals throw colorful light patterns on your subject
A giant poppy becomes dreamlike with colors
Hold them at an angle to the lens to refract light and prism-like colors onto the image. This technique takes a steady hand or tripod, and patience and practice to achieve the results you might be looking for. The focus on the subject has to be good, but you are using one hand to hold the camera and the other is moving the crystal around. Amazon has a nice selection of reasonably priced refracting crystals. Each crystal has its own unique color pattern or prism. I suggest using a tripod when attempting this!
Specialty lenses
The Lensbaby Obscura is a pinhole style lens that gives you a vintage look to your images.
Lensbaby Edge provides a slice of focus where you want it.
Using a fisheye lens will accentuate naturally formed curves in architecture and nature.
Using a fisheye lens will accentuate naturally formed curves in architecture and nature.
Creative lenses like Lensbaby lenses are a lot of fun! Like the crystal ball, the creative lenses take practice. The lenses have blur effects, sweet spots, and pinhole-type imaging. Some comment that they can mimic the effect in Photoshop, but personally, I like creating it in the camera.
The twirl effect is fun
The twirl effect was applied to this Pacific Coast Iris.
By trying different blend modes the effects change. Darker color blend.
By trying different blend modes the effects change. Difference blend.
Pinlight blend mode
Speaking of Photoshop, teach yourself something new. The Twirl Filter has been around for a while, but recently it has become a popular tool to try. There are several YouTube videos and articles on the internet that guide you through creating a Twirl Effect. This is the article I used to create the twirl. Once you create the effect try changing the blend modes. This is a great creative tool to get you motivated!
Toys
Traveling with a toy will lead to great adventures. Nature Boy visits Devils Tower.
Groot being his usual mischievous self.
Toy photography is a subject all of its own. Photographing toys to create storytelling situations has become quite popular. Personally, I love the Lego Minifigures! There are many different characters and themes ranging from Harry Potter to Marvel to the Muppets. They come in “blind bags” where you can purchase random figures or purchase them individually from eBay or Amazon. I enjoy the Marvel characters and I found a Groot figure that is so much fun! It does not articulate, but there are many situations you can put him in and the facial expression is priceless!
Intentional camera movement
ICM with bamboo at McKee Botanical Gardens , Vero Beach, FL
Fall colors are a great subject for ICM – Acadia National Park
Waiting for the DC Metro, though ICM would give a nice effect.
Intentional camera movement (ICM) is another way to create abstract images with the camera. I slow the shutter to about 1/20 or lower, depending on the light, and move my camera vertically or horizontally as I depress the shutter. This works well on a grove of trees, especially in the fall! It blends the colors and creates lines out of the tree trunks. Aspen trees are especially nice because the white tree trunks contrast so well with the bright golden yellow leaves.
Have fun!
The main goal of getting out of a funk is to have fun! It is OK to make mistakes and learn from them, or even laugh at ourselves! We are our own worst critics, but if we stop pressuring ourselves, our creative brains return stronger than ever! The next time your creative brain takes a vacation, try something new and different!
Editor’s note: We welcome this post from Pam DeCamp, an award-winning fine art photographer from southern Ohio. Her photography experience has ranged from photojournalism, sports, performing arts, fine art, to macro and wildlife. Travel photography is her passion and she enjoys planning trips with friends to various places across the country and internationally. She has traveled to all 50 states, 10 countries and three continents. Pam enjoys teaching and hosts workshops at her studio and in different cities. Visit her on her website or on Facebook for more information.
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