Stumped? 4 Ways to Find More Things to Shoot

A lot of new photographers look at the work of professionals and lament, “I’ll never be able to do anything like that!”  Their reasoning is simple: Without the funding to trek to the four corners of the earth and hire talent from the sets of Hollywood, what are beginners to do to get practice and build a body of work? The answer is equally as simple.  Give yourself an assignment.  There are many ways to make this work.

1.

If you want to shoot editorial portraits, find models that are willing to sit for you, and create a reason for your images.  If finding people is difficult, use a website like Model Mayhem to find people near you who are interested in having their photographs taken.

2.

Another possibility is to find or start a collective blog.  The photographers at This is a Photo Blog aren’t all professional photographers, but they do get the opportunity to share their images with at least each other and whomever reads their collective blog.  The photographers at Smash All Your Idols run a similar program.

3.

If you like to be given a challenge, Digital Photography School has weekly assignments with a forum for all the contributors to post their pictures as well as give feedback to others’. It’s a great way to get practice in all areas of photography, and expand your creativity in finding things to shoot.

4.

Making images that are interesting and stretch your creativity isn’t hard, but it does take some practice.  Another possibility is to organize a group of photographers near you and start a weekly photography walk to explore parts of your area that you might not while alone. When you’re with a group, things that may seem mundane on your own can take on new lives and be interesting in new ways.  Moreover, the camaraderie that comes from collaborative exercises may provide other avenues for your creativity.

So even if you’re not Chase Jarvis or Anton Corbijn or even Annie Lebovitz, there are still chances for you to begin to excel at your work.

About the Author:

Thomas Scott is a photographer in Richmond, Virginia. He specializes in location portraiture. He likes bright colors, the laughter of children, a good beer and pretty pictures.  Drop him a line; he also loves to talk.  More information can be found about him at his website: www.punchphoto.com.