Howzit my china (that's an old fashioned - if the 1980s are old fashioned -, South African way of saying hello to a dear friend)
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Creative ruts in photography can really get you down.
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It doesn't matter what level of photographer you are, these naughty little ruts sneak up on all of us from time to time.
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In my own case, there was a time, about 6 years ago now when I felt really uninspired, stuck, and generally just a bit 'miff' with my photos (there's another Saffa word for you)
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​The BIG rut​
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I moved over to the UK in 2008 and photographed mostly weddings, which were fun. Each wedding was different, the people, location, and weather - I could be creative and explore ideas in photography all the whilst 'doing the job'.
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This is the bit of photography I love, and I'm going to guess you do too. Being out there with a camera, being inspired, feeling creative, and generally just having a good time taking pictures.
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​But - there's always a but isn't there?​
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The travel, the long hours, and the seasonality of the work started to get me down.
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So I moved away from weddings and went back to portraits. Opened my own studio and started photographing families.
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This is where my biggest creative rut was born...
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​Shoot For The Sale

Turns out that being in the same environment, shooting the same images, day in day out wasn't a good fit for me.
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I was trying to please other people (my clients)
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Unlike weddings, I didn't have the freedom to explore my creative ideas. I tried, but people weren't really receptive.
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So I got more and more disillusioned with my photography. I felt trapped and over the years, saw all my enthusiasm for the craft melt away.

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Shoot For The Soul

Sure, that's a bit extreme, and probably a bit more than you've experienced in your own photography journey. However, you can see how damaging these ruts can be - especially if we don't get out of them quickly.
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I was stuck in that rut for at least a few years.
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And I almost gave up on photography altogether. Eish! - another South Africanism...
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Uninspired
No motivation to take photos
Envy of others' images/successes
Overly self-critical
Feels like a chore
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If we can recognize these early warning signs, then we can nip these issues in the bud.
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In professional photography, there's a saying: 'Shoot for the soul, or shoot for the sale'
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I had been trying to do both at the same time.
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For people who enjoy photography as a hobby, I see shooting for the sale, as basically taking the photos that they've been told they 'should' take. Most creative ruts stem from this.
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It's time to get you shooting for the soul again.
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​Spring Clean

The first thing I ask students on the Authentic Vision Framework to do is have a spring clean of all their ideas about photography.
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You see when I was there in my studio, I was trying to add a whole bunch of new information about how to run a studio, taking these specific types of images, and make it fit with all the other ideas I had about photography I'd built up over my decades with a camera.
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Everything was a mess.
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An overheard comment here, some well-intentioned, but unhelpful advice there. Voices from long ago that were telling me all sorts of conflicting information.
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You've probably experienced something similar.
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Once I stopped letting all these ideas and concepts dominate my thinking, it was like a weight was lifted. I started reconnecting with my ideas, my way of shooting, my voice.
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I felt so much better when I stopped trying to please all those voices
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So having a spring clean of these ideas will go a long way to helping you refocus your photography and develop a clear idea about taking photos that excite you.
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I would like you to try this exercise:
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The next time you're out with a camera, ignore all the 'rules' you've been told over the years. If you absolutely can't, then shoot the opposite of that rule (horizontal horizon -> wonky drunk horizon)
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Take 12 images like that - just go with your gut.
Don't chimp, or look at the straight away.
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Go have a coffee, read a book
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Come back with fresh eyes.
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Look at the images upside down - turn them around, not you standing on your head!
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​See what's hiding there, in your own work, in your own voice. ​
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This will help you clear out some of that junk we've all accumulated over the years and set the stage for next step in rebooting creativity.
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What 'rules' in photography have annoyed you most?
Do you have your own way of getting inspired to take photos?
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Please drop me a line - I'd love to hear from you.
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Have an awesome weekend!
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Alex
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Elliott Erwitt is a Magnum Photographer. He doesn't just photograph amusing dogs though - go check him out!​