Let’s Get Creative Pt. 2
Last week I wrote about a few of the exercises that I use when getting out of a photography rut. The article I used for reference was from B&H rep David Flores and his list of “13 Creative Exercises for Photography”. I use this list often, even if I just want to challenge myself. In the last post I went over the “Two Dozen” exercise where I take 24 images in the same spot with my feet firmly planted. A great exercise to get the mind working. The next exercise I went over is called “Ten of One”. This is where you take 10 images of the same small object. Take these images from close or far. Once again, get creative. The third exercise I went over is “Four Corners”. For this exercise you will choose one subject and place it in each corner, or fourth, of the frame for four different images. Use a larger subject for this one. Now onto a few more that I like.
There is an exercise on this list pretty similar to the “Two Dozen”. It is called simply, “Roll of Film”. This is really designed for those that shoot on digital cameras, but it of course can be shot on a film camera too. Unlike the “Two Dozen” where you don’t move at all besides your arms to take the picture, the “Roll of Film” helps you to take the best image with a limited number of shots. Pretend that you are literally taking pictures with a roll of film. This means 24-36 shots and that is it at your location. When you take pictures with a film camera, there is no instant redo to make it better. There is no screen to view your shot after pressing the shutter button. Doing this exercise really makes you think out what you are shooting. Quality and patience come to the forefront in this one. So, go out there, take time with your shots and take only 24-36!
I can’t tell you enough how much I like this next exercise. When you chose this, you will be really challenging yourself and your photography game will improve faster than ever. This is titled “Nine Elements”. You will need to take your time with this and really pay attention to your shooting location to get the images. In this photography exercise you will create nine unique photographs. There are nine elements of art: light, shadow, shape, form, texture, color, size, and depth. You can take as many images as you want but make sure you hit each element and try to get at least one quality image in each group. You can take a series of images to try and lead up to the shot you want within each element. Write the list down on either a piece of paper or on your phone. This is another exercise to take your time with and enjoy the process. To further your skills, try and get an image with different focus, tonality, quality of light, patterns, and negative space. The possibilities are endless. Make sure you have space on your memory card for this one.
The final exercise that I have chosen out of the 13 on this list is called, “Steps”. When doing this one you can also incorporate some of the other exercises into it. When you go to a location, predetermine a set number of steps ahead of time and use that number to make this exercise happen. Start shooting at your location then take your predetermined number and walk those steps exactly. Once reaching those set number of steps, stop and take a unique photo. You can repeat this as many times as you like. Like I said before, you can incorporate some of the other exercises like “Nine Elements” into this one.
There are an infinite amount of ways to get creative and get yourself out of a “photography rut”. These are just a few of the ones that I like and use. You can use these even if you are not stuck when taking pictures. These exercises will absolutely get you to hone your skills whether a beginner or seasoned pro. You can take your time and enjoy doing these. Practice these and really try to focus on the exercise. Every time you do these, you will get better. In due time, these will become second nature to you. Of course, you will have favorites, but like anything, the harder it is, the more you will learn. Charge your batteries, stock up on memory cards, and grab your camera. Now go out there and conquer these. Once again, enjoy it, have fun with it, and make it your own.
