I’ve been an active and semi-professional photographer for
several decades now. But despite all
that experience, I still struggle—as I’m sure most photographers do—with being
creative and making images that are fresh and that reflect my own vision. Recently, I read a book—The Photographer’s Coach (Kindle)—by Robin Whalley that outlines a
series of exercises to help define the sources of one’s inspiration and vision.
An early exercise helped me identify times when I was most
creative photographically, as well as those times when I’ve struggled to find
my creative vision. This resulted in a
list of conditions when I’m most likely to be creative.
I’m more creative when I have a defined and adequate amount
of time to devote to my photography. I
do poorly when I’m feeling rushed. I
need the time to see a particular scene from a variety of perspectives, perhaps
using different lenses, because I find that although I may know at once when a
scene attracts me, it may take a while to identify the exact perspective that
best expresses what I saw in the scene in the first place.
I do best when my photographic goals are clear. When my thinking is muddled, when I don’t
have a firm concept of what I want to achieve, my
confusion will be reflected in my images.
If I find myself straining to make good images, I rarely succeed.
I work best when I’m alone.
I find that when I’m with others, I’m overly conscious that they don’t
share my photographic agenda and I tend to hold back from expressing myself
creatively. In those situations, I’m apt
to produce snapshots, not creative photos.
It’s also important that I feel confident that what I’m
doing is meaningful and appropriate.
When I feel out of place, when my self-assurance is lacking, I shrink
from making good photos. In those times,
I tend to rush my work and do poorly.
These conditions are mutually supportive. In the end, having clear goals strengthens my
assurance that I ought to be doing what I am in that moment. This is easiest when I’ve allotted adequate
time—be it an hour or a week—for the project at hand and have freed myself from
distractions, either mental or interpersonal.
With greater clarity about the conditions under which I do
my most creative work, I’m better prepared to create those conditions for
myself when I go out shooting. I’m eager
to get out and put these ideas to the test.
If only I weren’t snowed in!
