As a photographer, it's not uncommon to feel uninspired or stuck in a rut from time to time. However, there are techniques you can use to overcome these periods and find inspiration. In this blog post, I’ll share five tips to help you push past creative blocks and capture unique and beautiful pictures. While every method might not work for every photographer, I encourage you to read through the list and experiment with a few approaches that resonate with you. The goal of this blog is to provide practical tips that you can implement right away and it will cover techniques to experiment with, ways to change your composition, the benefits of looking at other photographers' work, trying new perspectives, and the important role limiting your gear plays. By following these tips, you'll be able to push past creative blocks and capture unique and beautiful pictures.

Photography is an incredible hobby that can bring immense pleasure to your life, but it can also prove to be exhausting and challenging, even laborious at times. If you find yourself burnt out, taking a hiatus may be necessary or seeking inspiration might do the trick.

Understanding the Rut

Before I dive into the tips, it's important to understand why you might be feeling stuck in a rut. Maybe you’re experiencing burnout from shooting too much, editing too much, or simply working too hard for too long. Maybe you've been shooting the same subject matter for too long, or perhaps you just feel like you're not improving. Without understanding the root cause of your creative block, it can be difficult to find effective solutions. Understanding why you're stuck in a creative rut is essential to overcoming it. By identifying the root cause, you can find targeted solutions and avoid patterns that lead to creative blocks.

Whatever the reason, recognising the rut is the first step in overcoming it.

Becoming a skilled photographer isn't an easy feat, and it took me over a decade to get there. During that time, I spent countless hours feeling confused and frustrated because I couldn't consistently produce great pictures. But here's the thing - feeling stuck and unmotivated is completely normal for any photographer. The key is to recognise when you're in a creative rut and have the skills to pull yourself out of it.

Fortunately, I stumbled upon some valuable insights that completely changed the way I approached photography. Two significant events - the Covid crisis and a massive wildfire in my area - forced me to document the world around me in a new way. These experiences had a profound impact on my photography and ultimately led me to discover these five powerful tips to help any photographer break out of a creative slump.

If you're struggling to find inspiration and motivation in your photography, these tips can help you get back on track and start producing amazing pictures.

So here are my 5 tips for finding inspiration when you’re stuck with your photography

1. Start a Project

Starting a project is a great way to find inspiration and take your photography to the next level. The first step is to define what you want to achieve and this can be as simple as choosing a different subject to shoot. Starting a new project helps you to see things from a different perspective and it will give you a new focus. It will also inspire you to approach your photography in a different way and that’s something that definitely happened to me. I discovered that I got the same amount of enjoyment and pleasure from street and documentary photography that I got from concert photography and that was a big moment for me. By starting a project and taking pictures of different subjects I realised that I wasn’t limited to what I could do and it opened up a whole new chapter in my photography. 

Looking back, I realise now that starting new projects played a crucial role in my growth and development. While I may not have fully understood this concept at the time, stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new things made me a better photographer. Venturing into uncharted territory not only challenges you, but it also forces you to experiment with various techniques and styles, and it's not about pursuing every style of photography you try, but more about the experience and skills you gain from each attempt. Breaking away from your typical routine and trying something new can inspire fresh ideas and provide new perspectives. For instance, if you're used to capturing beautiful landscapes, try photographing people instead. Alternatively, if you normally shoot during the day switch things up by shooting during the night and play around with long-exposure photography. Dabbling in different subject matters allows you to see things from a different angle and breaks you out of a creative rut.

That’s what I found when I was forced to shoot in a different way because of the Covid crisis. It rocked the world and put a halt to many things we took for granted, including live concerts and tours. Literally, overnight everything stopped and a new chapter began with street photography. Now taking on new challenges isn't always easy, but it can lead to significant growth and development. In this case, the unexpected lockdown created a shift that allowed me to broaden my horizons and strengthen my skills.

I also used the time in lockdown to explore new avenues of photography like property photography. While it wasn't a path I planned to take full-time, the knowledge gained from learning new techniques like bracketing for HDR pictures, shooting twilight pictures, using wide-angle lenses, and using a tripod was invaluable.

Starting a project and learning new techniques is a great way to find inspiration and new techniques add a new element of creativity to your pictures and help you see things in a new light. It can seem like a lot of work but after all the hard work and long hours, I put into the projects I worked on I received recognition at the International Photography Awards so it was time well spent. Ultimately, mastering these new skills took my photography to a new level so why not start a project today and see where it takes you?

2. Set Yourself Challenges and Goals

Setting a challenge for yourself can be a great way to jumpstart your creativity and having goals is one of the best ways to find inspiration for your photography. There’s no need to overthink it but by setting goals and challenges you’ll give yourself something to work towards, which will help you to stay motivated.

I set myself goals during the Covid lockdown to shoot portraits of people through the front windows of their homes and I also challenged myself to document the city I lived in during the lockdown. Nothing too crazy but it forced me to plan my shots and consider different things and again it pushed me out of my comfort zone. I remember sharing a post on my social media asking anyone who wanted a lockdown portrait to contact me and I received an overwhelming response from people eager to participate.

The project started with portraits of families standing at their front windows but quickly evolved into something more significant. I started to document the homeless people living on the streets during the lockdown, highlighting the impact of the stay-at-home order on vulnerable communities.

The result was a series of poignant and moving portraits that went on to receive recognition from the International Photography Awards. Although recognition was never the motivation for these pictures, it was an incredible feeling to receive acknowledgement from my peers and it provided extra motivation to keep pushing myself.

This project also taught me a valuable lesson about the importance of getting outside. It may seem simple, but going for a walk with your camera can be a powerful source of inspiration. Being outside helps to clear the mind and it opens you up to new ideas.

Now the challenges or goals you set yourself don’t need to be big, they can be as simple as deciding to take a certain amount of pictures each day or week, or as specific as aiming to capture a particular subject or theme. You could challenge yourself to take a self-portrait every day for a week, you could capture every sunrise or sunset for a whole month or maybe something bigger like taking one picture every week that captures the essence of that week and do it for a year. 

The size of the challenge or goal isn’t important, the important thing is to set them and that you push yourself to achieve them because that focus will make you a better photographer. By taking risks and trying new things you will find inspiration and it will help you stay motivated. 

3. Look at Other Photographer’s Work

Sometimes, all it takes is a little inspiration from other photographers. Referencing the greats or even photographer’s you just admire is a great way to light a creative fuse to help you find inspiration for your own work. Spend some time looking at the work of others, either online, through apps like Pinterest or in photography books. Pay attention to their composition, use of light, and subject matter and study their style. 

There's no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to photography. Analyse what you like about their work and try to incorporate similar elements into your own photography. 

Everything and everyone is influenced by something so look at the photographer’s work you admire and learn from it. Use it as a tool to help you improve your skills. There’s nothing wrong with taking inspiration from other people’s work and using elements of it in your own work. I’m not saying copy their work, I’m saying reference it and use it as inspiration to improve the pictures that you make. Make a list of Photographers you admire and study their work because you will discover new ideas and techniques that will help you to take your photography to that next level. Studying the work of other photographers will help you to develop your critical thinking skills as well and analysing and evaluating their work will help you to better understand what makes a great picture. 

I genuinely believe it’s impossible not to be motivated to improve your own skills and push your own boundaries when you look at the great work of other photographers. 

4. Learn From an Expert

This is really important advice and learning from an expert or having a mentor can play a crucial role in improving your photography skills and finding inspiration because they can teach you things that you can’t find in a book. By learning from them you can gain valuable insights into the craft of photography and it can save you a lot of time in reaching your photography goals. 

It’s a hard lesson to learn when you’re starting out because you’re either too embarrassed to ask for help or you don’t realise you need it but getting help from experts will propel your skills faster than any YouTube video. I was lucky that I found a mentor in Mick Rock and he would talk to me for hours about his work and what he believed made great pictures. He inspired me and he pushed me to focus on music photography and he made me believe I could do it. I learned more than just how to take pictures from Mick, I learned the importance of passion and simplicity. Before talking to Mick, I had no idea about how little I knew but as the saying goes, You don’t know until you know.

I knew very little to be fair but I learned so much from Mick. At the time I’d only learned bits and pieces of information from online forums, YouTube, and other internet sources, and I didn’t know what questions I needed to ask but having access and time with an expert gave me the opportunity to figure that out. It was Mick who taught me about using referencing as a tool for inspiration when he talked about one of his most iconic pictures of Queen. He referenced an old picture of Marlene Dietrich to create this iconic shot. 

I learned so much from Mick and when I sold my first music fine art print many years later I thought of him and all the knowledge and encouragement he shared with me. It’s a major milestone in any photographer’s journey, selling a print of your work and I believe it may have taken me a lot longer to reach that point without his help. He was an icon in the world of music photography but he gave me time, he showed me encouragement and he made me believe in myself and that’s something you can’t get from a book. That’s the reason for these blogs and why I want to share what I’ve learned. Knowledge should be shared and passed on and sharing knowledge will inspire other photographers to reach their goals and break free from a creative rut. 

If you aspire to succeed in photography, whether your goal is to simply print your photographs, sell your work, win awards, or if you need help to get out of a creative rut, the quickest path to success is with the help of an expert.

5. Limit Your gear

This may sound crazy but restricting yourself to a specific camera or lens can help to inspire you with your photography because it forces you to see things in a different way and encourages you to be more creative in your approach. When you have a wide range of gear at your disposal, it can be tempting to switch between different cameras, lenses, and accessories in an effort to capture the perfect shot. However, this can lead to a lack of focus and direction in your photography and can make it difficult to develop a unique style.

By limiting yourself to one camera or lens, you are forced to work within certain constraints and become more intentional with your photography. You have to think more carefully about composition, lighting, and other elements of your shots, and you have to be more creative in finding ways to achieve the look and feel you want with limited resources. Additionally, using one camera or lens can help you become more familiar with your gear, allowing you to anticipate its strengths and limitations and adapt your photography accordingly. This can lead to more consistent and successful results over time, as you become more comfortable and confident with your equipment.

I really only ever shoot with two lenses despite having a few in my bag and when I was starting out I could only afford one lens so I was forced to practice with one camera and one lens. It really helped me develop my skills and it pushed me to understand the rules of photography like composition and lighting, distance and focal length and working with one lens really helped me to develop my style. Working with one camera ad one lens will teach you to work within your limitations and it will force you to find new ways to express your creativity. 

So what type of lens would be a good choice to practice the one camera one lens technique with?

I would suggest starting with a standard prime lens. A 50mm lens on a full-frame camera, or a 35mm lens on a crop sensor camera, is a good choice. These lenses are versatile and can be used for a variety of shooting situations, from portraits to street photography. They also tend to be relatively affordable compared to more specialised lenses. Once you become comfortable with a prime lens, you can start experimenting with other focal lengths to expand your photography skills. 

I genuinely believe that if you master shooting with one lens you can achieve truly remarkable results and develop a unique style that sets you apart from other photographers. Give it a go and see where it takes you.

Final Thought

Always try to remember that as a photographer, it's normal to feel stuck in a rut from time to time and when you're not feeling inspired, it can be hard to pick up your camera and create something new. Every photographer will find themselves here at some point along their journey, but finding inspiration is essential to your growth as an artist. 

If you ever feel like you've hit a wall and don't know where to go next with your photography, always remember that there are many different ways to break out of the rut and get your creative juices flowing again. 

If you want to take your photography skills to the next level and get one-to-one concierge coaching with me, check out the Perfect Picture Program. In it, you’ll learn all about my SIMPLE system, which will help you start taking great pictures immediately with the camera you already own.