Do you feel that your photographic skills have reached a plateau? You’re not alone! Many amateur photographers on the road to going pro reach a point where they start to feel less invigorated by their medium. The passion they once had has dwindled, and nothing feels fresh and new anymore.
If this is you, look no further than these inspiring ideas that will challenge you to move beyond your comfort zone and into new creative spaces.
A good photograph requires correct lighting, eye-catching composition, and an interesting subject. Let’s explore these factors through the following activities.
1. Natural Light
Lighting a subject outdoors is often a game of “shaping” natural light. You can do this by using bounces, scrims (shade), and negative fill (black fabric used to absorb light and create higher contrast). This form of lighting is the easiest and cheapest to practice.
Bring a friend along to help you photograph your subject and play with some black fabric and a white, reflective surface (a large piece of packing foam can work) and begin to shape the light around the model.
Mastering this practice will allow you to shoot under various conditions and in incredible locations. If your subject is backlit, you can simply bounce the light back onto them, and they’ll be correctly exposed. If your subject has light reflected back onto them by a white wall or window, negative fill can help negate that, creating lovely shadows on the face and body.
2. Flash
Many amateur photographers fear flash because they worry it’ll make the photos look “cheap”. In reality, many brilliant photographers have used onboard flash to make beautiful, striking images.
Experiment with using flash at different distances and under different lighting circumstances. For instance, try photographing a friend with full flash at sunset or a moody snowy scene at night and see how the images turn out.
If you have the funds, rent out a remote flash for a day and see how much that can alter both your indoor and outdoor shooting experience. For instance, using a diffused external flash instead of a bounce can create an interesting editorial-style shoot. Being in control of your lighting, whether natural or synthetic, will always elevate an image.
3. Continuous Lighting
Continuous lighting differs from flash as you can alter it in real time, positioning your subject and sculpting the light as you see fit. This sort of lighting is generally thought of as ‘studio lighting,’ but nothing stops you from doing it at home.
Using gels (colored, translucent plastic sheets) and standing lamps, photograph a friend under different colored lights. See which colors work well together and how they change the image’s mood.
Once again, if you have the budget, consider renting a few continuous lights from a local gear house and experimenting with more advanced lighting techniques, such as three-point lighting. This can be done at home on a fairly small budget. Getting to know your local gearhouse employees is also great if you want to keep up to date with the latest trends in gear and lighting.
4. Experiment with Foreground and Background
One of the reasons composition is so important in photography is because it creates depth. Being a two-dimensional medium, depth helps your photos feel like they belong in the real world.
Take a series of street photos where your rule is that each image must have the subject between a foreground element (a windowpane, leaves) and a background element (an interesting wall, a landscape). Once you’re paying attention to all three elements of your framing, you’ll find yourself less often frustrated by unwanted elements when you’re reviewing your images.
Once you’re comfortable with shooting foreground and background, try to break these rules. A flat image is sometimes desired. It is important that you’re always aware of these elements and using them to your advantage rather than waiting for a lucky shot.
5. Shoot Multiple People
Instead of shooting just one subject, try shooting two or three, or even an entire family! See how their body positions can create a range of shapes and compositions. This can be a lot of fun if you can access a white curve due to the lack of other shapes interfering with your experiments. If not, find an uncluttered space in your house that’s well-lit and get shooting.
It really helps to have chairs and props, as well as a range of reference imagery to draw from. Show the models these images before and during the shoot so that you all have an idea of what you’re going for. Chairs and props can help with different arrangements and can also draw the attention away from you, which can result in more natural images.
When shooting multiple people, try to keep the energy where you want it to be. You’re guiding them, and you’re setting the mood. If you want a relaxed, moody atmosphere, make sure the right type of downtempo music is playing. If you want a bright, fun shoot, you’ve got to bring that energy.
Pro tip: Styling becomes very important here. Ensure your subjects are dressed in neutral clothing, and ask them to bring a range of outfits and accessory options to ensure nothing clashes.
6. Use Shadows and Contrast
Combining light and composition, use light and shadow to create unusual compositions in your photos. Light slanted across someone’s face, for example, can completely alter the mood of an image.
To get started, head outside with your subject in the late afternoon when shadows are the longest. Using a bounce to ensure their face/body is properly exposed, begin to experiment with the shadows created by objects around you (a street sign, an awning, etc). Remember to expose the shadows so that detail isn’t lost.
7. Shoot a Still Life
If your photography portfolio is full of images of people or animals, take the time to shoot a still life. Like professional product photography, this is a tricky skill to master, as it requires a lot of art direction. The objects need to match each other in terms of color, shape, and size and yet also contrast each other enough to create an interesting image. Now light the still life and try to find the correct angle; this can take time.
To start out, find five objects that mean something to you. Now arrange them in a well-lit area and photograph them. Warning: you’ll probably hate the first 50 images, so be prepared to do this again and again.
8. Photograph a Stranger
A major part of being a good photographer is having confidence in your abilities and creative decisions. Approaching someone you don’t know and asking if you can take a photo is undeniably scary but can lead to unexpected opportunities and great photographs. Just look at Brandon Stanton, the photographer behind Humans of New York.
Of course, if you’re uncomfortable with the idea, you don’t have to approach strangers on the street. You could ask someone you’ve seen on social media, or you could approach a modeling agency and ask to do an unpaid test shoot with one of their models.
As obvious as it is, it must be stated that approaching people like this needs to be done professionally, and it’s best to have a portfolio of prior work ready to show so that models and agencies know you’re serious.
If this seems like too much, maybe approach a distant relative or family acquaintance. The point is simply to push yourself to be a little braver.
9. A Month in Photos
Some of my favorite photographers, like Nan Goldin and Lina Scheynius, have found that their lives are the most dynamic subjects for their photographs. If you always have a camera on hand, you can capture a range of moments that no one else sees. Your friends, quiet moments, or daily commute can be the setting for some of your best images.
For the next month, take your camera everywhere you go—work, school, the gym. Set an alarm for a different time each day. When that alarm goes off, you have to take a photo wherever you are. This doesn’t have to be a rushed process. Take a walk around and try to find a good frame somewhere close at hand. At the end of the month, look back and see what you’ve collected. You’ll be pleasantly surprised!
I’ve always found film to be the best medium for this type of project, as a roll of film has a set number of images that you can snap throughout a month. The other benefit is that you can’t see the images until the month is over.
Rise To The Challenge
So, the next time you feel a creative block coming along, try one of these activities and see if it puts a spark back into your passion. Sometimes, it just takes a little push to get back on track.
