It was a dull and a rainy afternoon and my journey to the historic town of Kutna Hora outside of Prague had been a bust. No blue sky, no photographs. Returning to Prague and stuck in traffic I was drawn to the raindrops on the windshield, and started shooting through the drops on the glass, changing focus, trying different angles. As I drove around town looking for mood subjects, this wet bicyclist passed on the cobble streets of Mala Strana- Old Town.
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Driving through the lush Irish countryside, I was struck by the simplicity and energy of the stone walls. There is an earthy contrast between the rough-hewn gray stones, the deep green of the pastures and the white wooled grazing sheep.
The walls enclose the land, define boundaries between neighbors, and protect the sheep from wandering off.
Climbing carefully on a wall on the narrow verge of a country lane, I composed the image to crop closely, eliminating the sky and letting the walls partition the image into geometric segments. The single wall leads the eye into the distance, while the two sheep lying in the field counterbalance and keep the viewer in the picture.
© David Sanger. Click on image for licensing and fine art prints.
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Sometime the most difficult part of photography is getting out of the front door. All sorts of events conspire against you. Once you get started, creativity can come easily, but it is that first step that is often the tough one. Here are a couple of suggestions of how to jump-start your photographic day and get moving.
Sometimes we get hung up on waiting for the perfect project, or the best day, or for inspiration to strike, waiting for our Muse. These are all understandable, perfectly rational…. excuses. We can wait forever. When I am stuck like that, sometimes I just walk out the door with my camera, get in the car, and drive. If you don’t know where to go, go anywhere, anywhere at all. What you find there will lead you to the next place, and the next. Sometimes you remember an old location or subject you’ve forgotten about. Or some new and unanticipated situation presents itself. When you step out, then new photographic opportunities have a way of appearing.
“Honey, I’m not in the mood.” Another good excuse for not photographing, and this too can be a block. When I am discouraged or depressed and don’t feel like making the effort, simply getting out the door gets me out of that sorry state and engaged with something interesting, something on the other side of the lens. Invariably, getting absorbed with a photographic subject can be the best therapy. The photography leads to feeling better, and not vice-versa.
Sometimes being bored can be what is holding you back. If you have shot one too many landscapes, then mix it up. Try playing with portraiture. Or if sports is losing its thrill, try macro. Heavy equipment? try your iPhone. Stills? Try motion. Shifting to a new and unfamiliar context can be just the challenge needed to get excited again. It can even lead to a new appreciation of your current specialty if you return to it.
Stock photographers can be subject to a peculiar affliction : thinking that every photo must be highly marketable, well-seen, able to impress editors and photo buyers, and generate a good return. Forget it. Aside from being quite unrealistic, such an attitude is really unfair. We wouldn’t expect that of our kids. So make a decision that there is no need to get even one usable image. Give yourself permission. This will free your creative spirit to explore, play and risk new ways of seeing
It’s too bad Nike got this slogan – we all can use it. Thinking about photography, thinking about going out to photograph, thinking about all the reasons why and why not and where and when and what for, really doesn’t help. The way to get out the door is to pick up the camera bag, grab the door handle, open the door… and Just Do It.
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If you have your own favorite ways of getting unstuck, or stories to tell about how the process works for you, please add them in the comments. I’ll collate the most helpful ones into another post.
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Several new features are now available on the David Sanger Photography stock pages. You’ll notice that both search pages and individual image pages are now white-background, completing the conversion described in the November post Black on White.
The images are larger as well. Search result thumbnails are now 100×150 pixels and image previews 324×486 pixels. Also I’ve reinstated direct print sales, now with a shopping cart and Google checkout for easy credit card payment (US sales only right now). Lastly there’s more engagement features – comments on the image pages, a Tweet button, and link to the Facebook fan page.
Coming up next will be more products, links to the Photoshelter archive and special features for bloggers.
I hope you like them. Please add any comments and suggestions, and if you find any bugs, email or DM me on Twitter.
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