9 Photography Ideas To Boost Your Creativity

July 19, 2023 11:53 am by Carmen Docampo | Discover

Are you looking for ways to push yourself and take more creative photographs? Tired of snapping the same images and not learning something new? If so, this article is for you!

Photography is a lifelong learning process. The best part about it is the fact that you can learn new techniques, skills, and styles no matter how long you’ve been taking photographs. There are so many genres, so many styles, and so many different subjects to shoot.

Anything that challenges you and pushes the boundaries will help you learn and grow.

If you’re looking for new ideas or have been stuck in a rut, keep reading. These nine creative ideas will get you out of your comfort zone and exploring new angles—literally!

Shoot in the Macro World

Macro photography is fascinating as it allows you to freeze miniature subject matter in time. You can focus your attention on the pollen-heavy legs of a bee as it's crawling through the petals of a flower, an ant carrying a sugar grain through a dusty pathway, or a ladybird stalking aphids up a stem. It could even be a spider spinning a web that's gathering dew drops. The options are endless.

Shifting your gaze from what we see daily to seeking out the miniature world is a great way to capture things seldom seen.
Street Photography

Street photography can encompass a variety of different styles.

Photographing people going about their daily lives, a dog leaping to catch a frisbee, or shoppers as they purchase vegetables at the market all make great subject matter. Or, you could capture everyday objects like fire hydrants or cars, street graffiti tags, or expressions of people looking at larger-than-life murals.

When captured well, street photography takes the mundane and turns it into art. It opens your eyes to the beautiful parts of everyday life and challenges you to shoot them in a unique and striking way.
Through the Window

Photography is all about finding frames and angles and allowing people to see something ordinary as extraordinary.

Using windows as living picture frames with an ever-changing scene behind them challenges you to capture a still life that tells a story.

You can photograph from within looking out, or outside looking in. Find a new way to capture your garden, the city skyline, or all the colorful roofs of your neighborhood.

If you choose to photograph from the outside looking in, you can focus on the still-life art display you already have on your tables. If you shoot from outside your kitchen window, you could photograph herbs drying and hanging up, or of a loved one having coffee or reading a book.

Again, the only limits are your imagination.
Styling an Object

There are many famous artists who practiced their techniques by painting still lifes of fruit and other objects. Willem de Kooning's Bowl, Pitcher and Jug, and Pablo Picasso's Still Life with Pitcher and Apples are prime examples.

As a photographer, you should get used to finding new ways to photograph everyday objects around you.

Challenge yourself by doing a flat lay of items that you use in the morning to get ready. You can try capturing makeup and cosmetics, favorite books, or any other objects you can lay flat and photograph.
Architectural Photography

Architectural photography is a great way to capture the buildings you see all the time and show them in a different light.

Almost every city has hidden architectural options, you just need to find them. Challenge yourself to shoot unusual features, different angles, and unique perspectives.
Light Painting

The style of light painting is a fun challenge for photographers as it involves slow motion capturing moving light. You can create words, images like hearts, and even paint complete pictures using different colors.

Drop your ISO to 100, and choose an aperture between f5.6 - f11 depending on how fast you’ll be moving. Then, set your shutter speed to a long duration of 20 - 30 seconds.

If you practice, you can create some uniquely beautiful images.
Self Portraits

Usually, when we think about portrait photography, we picture those 1980s-style studio shoots with a swirly background and the subject staring straight at the lens with a smile that’s bordering on a grimace.

A more modern take is a selfie taken at the right angle as you practice your best model-is-bored look.

While there's nothing inherently wrong with these styles, self-portraiture can encompass so much more.

Seek out the challenge of finding a new way to photograph yourself. Maybe glimpsed through an open window or staring up at the skyline of the city at sunset. Sitting outdoors on a beach or holding a surfboard. Or maybe peeking out from a snuggly blanket as you blow on your hot chocolate. There are so many options to choose from.

Perhaps you'll even choose to do more abstract self-portraits, such as hiding your face with a mirror that reflects the sky.

If you’re inspired by this idea, you can create your own portrait photography portfolio website and showcase your creativity to potential clients online. In doing so, you may create an entirely new revenue stream!
Landscapes

Practicing landscape photography is an excellent way to stretch your limits, especially if this is not a niche you usually focus on.

Try to look for more than just your usual pretty landscapes and focus more on windswept hills, jagged coastlines, or windy country lanes. You can even attempt to take photos at night of the city skyline and branch out to try panorama photographs.
365-Day Photo Challenge

If you really want to push your limits, set yourself a challenge to take a photo every day for a full year. You can choose any subject, but popular options include a daily self portrait, the same view from a window, or your daily dinner.

Of course, you can choose whatever suits you, but try to pick something that doesn't fit in with your usual work.

Use these ideas as a starting point to challenge your skills and grow as a photographer. You may discover that you have untapped talents that take you in a new direction, or that you particularly love a different style. Regardless of the outcome, you’ll still refine your art and grow in exciting directions.