Stretching your creativity

Scott's Castle & Wreaths has me really inspired to work on my creativity (this might also be partially due to the headache I keep getting when I pick up my new camera's manual). Does anyone have suggestions of good exercises to start seeing different shots?

For example, Gary suggested during Mousefest that you spend one day using only your 50mm lens. Kiki suggested placing your camera down somewhere (say a trashcan) and try composing the shot without looking through the viewfinder or screen; this helps you not only learn unique vantage points but forces you to really think about what the camera sees instead of what you want to see.

Any other tips would be much appreciated!

 

Practice with it, everywhere!

At home, out shopping, take day trips to local sites and snap away.

Look at reflections around you, textures, shadows, angles;

shoot close and then pull back and shoot a full scene...

change your lighting -

use flash and then turn it off for the same shot (or vice versa)

oh yeah,

and practice

 

Im still soaking in the Walk Around the World meet. As I walked back to the fam I tried to look for creative stuff but I didnt see a lot. Still practicing though!

 

Here's some reading for you...

http://land.allears.net/blogs/photoblog ... _crea.html

http://land.allears.net/blogs/photoblog ... _shut.html

http://land.allears.net/blogs/photoblog ... _look.html

http://land.allears.net/blogs/photoblog ... _rule.html

http://land.allears.net/blogs/photoblog ... ion_2.html

http://land.allears.net/blogs/photoblog ... _watc.html

http://land.allears.net/blogs/photoblog ... efo_1.html

Don't force creativity, like the Force, just let yourself go.

 

Shameless? :

Also check out TMIP's articles at http://www.themagicinpixels.com/index.p ... &Itemid=33

I like them as they are short, precise, well written and have excellent examples. Tim is building a great resource.

 

I have a nikon 50mm f/1.8 and a 70-300mm f/1.4-5.6. I am hoping by my next major trip I'll have the Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens.

Thanks for all the suggestions and thanks for the links Scott. A shameless--but useful and appropriate--plug!

 

You are welcome, Deniz! That 50mm you have is a great one to learn with as you can really see depth of field with it from the widest apertures showing bokeh to hyperfocal distances. Get all that?

 

Thank you Deniz and Scott!

I have an eye for photos but am rediculously lacking on technical side of things. Thank you Deniz for starting this thread, Scott - thanx for the shameless plug...for as much time as I spend on Deb's Blogs I have never taken the time to read your articles before. Great job....I'mm of to read summore~