A few months ago I was asked: “What do you think is the most important thing to have as a photographer- equipment, skills, or editing?” In reference to what they should invest in as a new photographer.
My response? None of those things. You can have the best equipment, the skill to take a technically sound photo, know how to edit it, and still be a meh photographer. The “glue” that pulls all of those things together is your creative eye. That’s what’s most important to develop! So I thought this would be a great topic to tackle on the blog.
One thing before I dive in- just as our literal eyes are unique, each of our creative eyes are as well! There’s no one size fits all approach to developing it, but there are certain elements that you can incorporate if you feel like you don’t know where to begin OR if you feel like you’ve lost inspiration with your work.
Here are a few things I’ve personally found helpful to develop creatively:
Pay attention to what attracts your eye in every day life
Is it an interesting print on a dress, the way the light shines through leaves, the bright green of freshly cut grass, the contrast of a bright door against a neutral wall, the texture of a wood panel, the symmetry of a stairway between two buildings, the unexpected color harmony of a food truck and the patrons in line...
Each of those very different things have one thing in common- you’ll notice them if they catch your eye. But WHY they catch your eye is important.
If you aren't already in the habit of doing so, take a mental (or literal) note each time your attention is drawn to something. This will help you identify what inspires you! You may find that you’re consistently drawn to certain things, and this will help give you direction when it’s time for you to pick up your camera!
Are you consistently drawn to symmetry? You may want to look for locations that will allow you to incorporate symmetrical framing into your photos. Love natural textures? You may find your preference is for more green and rustic locations as opposed to the city. Love colorful prints? You may want to encourage your clients not to be afraid of wearing prints and/or find colorful murals to incorporate into your photos!
Seems simple enough, right?
In writing, yes. In practice, not always lol. That's why the next step is so important:
Practice regularly
When you practice, you have a chance to see if you’re moved by those same elements you observed elsewhere, in your photos! That can help you to either build on or get rid of them.
What do I mean by that? I’ll use a personal example this time.
I loveee evening light. The way the sun shines through everything and creates a beautiful glow… it’s just so yummy! But after shooting in the evening light for some time, I realized that it’s something I enjoy more IRL, and not always in my photography. That helped me see that it’s not something I need to incorporate in my work!
Once you get in the habit of practicing regularly, you’ll see what truly moves you and what you’ll want to do more of vs what you may not want to do at all.
Pretty cool right? This blog post was actually last week’s email to the Photographers List! And this week I’ll be sharing Part 2 of this series because I have a bit more to share on the topic. Interested in receiving it? Join the list!
Let me know what you thought of today's post and if there's anything specific you're interested in learning more about- I'm all ears! I have a list of topics that I'm happy to add to :)
-Danni