What do you do to get out of a rut?

I'm in one of those slumps. What do YOU do when you're feeling unmotivated or discouraged?

Either buy a new toy, or try a new discipline to put some of the joy of discovery back into it. If you usually do landscape, try portrait, or vice versa. Stuck in the house over winter? Try doing water droplet shots, still life, or abstracts.

I'm stuck in a rut. Any ideas?

Travel

Not really trying to be silly but make a hard left or right and change directions, if you shoot in ambient light shoot with a flash if you shoot portraits give landscapes a shot. shoot in aperature priority or shutter priority. If you mainly shoot people shoot cars or bikes, do macro work, shoot flowers. don't do the sameoldsameold. Give night light trails a try. shoot nude dogs or nude cats LOL

glasllyn wrote in post #16706343
I'm in one of those slumps. What do YOU do when you're feeling unmotivated or discouraged?

Stay busy by constantly challenging yourself with events that require different techniques.

Examples from the same day last year:

I began at a fairgrounds that had a car show. I used a Canon 60D and a Canon 18-200mm IS lens. The camera was set for Live View framing.

S.Horton wrote in post #16708143
Travel

Travel for me too which obviously not always practical but it works.

glasllyn wrote in post #16706343
What do YOU do when you're feeling unmotivated or discouraged?

I just keep pluggin' away, and I don't do anything differently. Just more and more of the same old thing. If I am in good habitat, the subject will eventually appear and present some decent opportunities. I just need to have enough faith in my scouting and my method to wait it out, no matter how long it takes.

One thing I like to do is to make a list of different objects. For example, signs, eggs, cameras, dolls, clocks, watches, dogs, bottles, books, self portraits, locks, hats, tools, shoes, landscape, buildings, churches, .........Then I cut each one out and place the slips of paper into a jar. Shake it up, pull one out and shoot that. That helps to keep familiar with my camera, if nothing else. I'd like to say I thought this up but alas, I "saw it on the internet".

New gear typically drags me out of a rut/slump. But that gets expensive really quickly.

I will suggest this - try taking a photo every day.
Doesnt matter what it is, a sunset, nice car, your cat, dog or a selfie while sitting on the toilet.
Look at the light and shadows, the way they interact.
Lay on the ground, or climb a ladder, look for a different angle.
Shoot something different - make the time to take the picture - dont just drive/walk past.

After a month or so you should be out of your rut

I generally sit around and gripe about being in a rut until it goes away.

kfreels wrote in post #16711067
I generally sit around and gripe about being in a rut until it goes away.

LOL!!

Try something really new to you. Light-paint your car with a fantastic background and get the exposure correct on both. Nighttime street candids in the rain.

What have you already done? Have a gallery we can see?

Ahh the old winter rut, I go through it every year, once spring comes around, Im back to my old self

Buy a manual focus prime! It is great for getting you thinking again. Then just go for a walk. Sometimes I give myself a limit like only shooting at 2.8.
I have 3 now. A voigtlander 28/2.8, voigt 40/2 and Samyang 85/1.4. I now only buy primes and cannot stand using zooms if I dont have to. The bonus of the small voigts is that they are almost pancakes on the 5D2, so the camera becomes a new being, suddenly so much lighter and easy to take anywhere. They are also a bit of a bargain when it comes to cost. I was quite amazed by the IQ as well. Centre sharpness wide open is great, then the corners come in nicely from about 5.6.
I have now all but dumped my mirrorless kit and just take the 2 voigts with me everywhere. 28 is a decent landscape and 40 is a great everything else. These two focal lengths actually really work well as a combo. I was quite surprised. If you go the MF route get a EG-S focussing screen (or the equivalent if you are not using a 5d2). It makes MF MUCH easier.