I'm stuck in a rut. Any ideas?

I'm in a rut and don't like it.

Any ideas?

You see what I have below.

Thanks.

Maybe you need to go Full Frame?

TS-E? Shoot the opposite of what you're shooting now? Go on vacation somewhere photogenic? GND filter? CP? Join a local club? 400/5.6 and start stalking birds? Take up another hobby where you can bring a camera? Video? Panoramas? Get candids of tired people coming up Stone Mountain?

Get some lighting

get some cheap $10 extension trubes and try macro

look up photography gatherings in your local area

check out youtube and other blogs for ideas

Pick some charity clients, and then do some pro bono work for them.

That way, you get out of your rut and you help someone else out.

If you're stalled creatively then I'd suggest that gear is not necessarily the answer. Would you tell a novelist with writer's block to invest in more pens or newer word-processing software?

My solution has been self-assignments. You can work these in a variety of ways, and within the limits of your current gear:

1. Pick a subject or theme at random, or have a friend choose one for you.

2. Return to an old subject or location but shoot it in a different way or from a different perspective.

3. Accompany someone else on one of their shoots but, instead of photographing the same thing they do, photograph them instead (a documentary).

4. Schedule a shoot and stick to it, even if the subject is of little interest or the conditions are less than favourable (i.e. on this date at this time I'll shoot this subject, no matter what).

5. Plan a long-term project. There are numerous types: a 365 project; photographing a single subject over the course of a year; choosing a new theme for each week or month, etc.

6. As Todd noted, do some pro bono work for a local charity.

With a little effort and imagination, I'm sure you could come up with other ideas as well. If not, putting the camera away for a little while and trying your best not to think about photography may actually get the creative juices flowing again.

Get a fish eye! Or an ultra wide.

Finding inspiration

Creativity, nature/nurture Two pages of posts on the subject.

Mike
I see you are an elementary school teacher. (a hard job)
Why not take your camera to work and look for some creative shots around the school. I am not thinking the children (I do not know your school's policy on shooting the children - my wife does it every day though), I am thinking the children's work hanging, the school structure and maybe decaying stuff that is getting old. Then see what can be converted to b&w and what you want in color.
After that, drive around town and look for little things that may have escaped your notice during your regular trips -fences, stairs, windows, sidewalks, etc... This will keep you busy for a long time and is a ton of fun. Remember that your camera can be turned on any angle while doing this which is so much fun, especially when you open the images to see what you did.

Good luck and have fun!

I stumbled on this thread, which shows peoples set ups before and after. There's some inspirational stuff which is well worth wading through.

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=984150

my day gig involves project management. Therefore, I think in steps, resources and process. Photography is no different in terms of reaching 'end game' results. Ending up with quality images (results) requires planning as well.

In the most simple terms, decide on a subject. Let's use small town USA as example. Next, anticipate what might be there, what you might find when you get there and how you wish to present it. Things might change drastically when you get there, but at least you're planning for expected results.

Spec your gear (resources) that makes achieving results possible. Arrive at shoot, size up situation and go to work, (process). As others have mentioned, look for the behind the scenes stuff of interest. Things that can help you develop a personal style.

Example: during vacation last summer, we took a break from the beach and went to Wilmington, NC. My college senior son likes antiques. We spent about an hour in an non-airconditioned antique shop. The images I got there were priceless because of the setting and my son who is away at school full-time. I put this experience in my pocket and will be ready anytime an oppty like this presents itself.

Guess "inspiration" is a blend of planning and 'been-there-done-that' experience as well. Good luck to you and your shooting.

dave

Todd Lambert wrote in post #12202618
Pick some charity clients, and then do some pro bono work for them.

That way, you get out of your rut and you help someone else out.

This. Offer to do some portraits of people facing an uncertain future because of a cancer diagnosis. That'll change your world view a bit.

WaltA wrote in post #12202340
Maybe you need to go Full Frame?

I really hope that was a joke because it won't improve one's photography. There are plenty of lenses for aps-c that give very wide views. There's no reason to "go full frame" to use and get wide angle views. Full frame gives you a bigger optical viewfinder and about 1 stop better very high ISO noise.

Lots of good suggestions.

Yesterday I took a simple picture in a very empty church classroom. Then, when I got home I rotated it 90 degrees. I then grabbed the clock and rotated it 90 degrees reverse.

I have an idea to re-shoot this with people in various poses to give the look of disorientation.

What do you think?

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