Habit Free Photography

I often hear students and fellow photographers complain about a lack of motivation or inspiration. They feel stuck. The camera is gathering dust and they start to wonder; is this really my thing? These feelings of boredom and disinterest aren't uncommon but there are ways to avoid them and see them for what they are. Ultimately, we get bored when we aren't engaged with our environment, lack stimulation or feel restricted. In fact, these feelings are an opportunity to wake ourselves up and actively seek new and more meaningful ways to approach photography.

ICM, or Intentional Camera Movement is an amazing technique to engage your creative mind and step away from the norm. Anything goes with ICM. It is a very intuitive and freeing process that takes us away from the more technical and restrictive aspects of Photography. In this case, I also chose the wrong white balance setting to tint my image with hues of Cyan.

When we keep following the same established paths instead of exploring new avenues, we fall into habit. Habits are inherently detrimental to the creative mind. We stop making efforts and we stop putting intention and thought into our practice. Check yourself for that fixed mindset and start thinking differently. There is so much more to Photography than a technically sound image. If you are comfortable with a certain genre of photography, it's time to seek one that will challenge you.

Set that camera on a tripod and turn on multiple exposure. In this case, I set it to 4. For each 4 images I captured, my Nikon D7500 created a 5th frame. There are a few different blending modes to choose from before you begin. The best way to understand these modes is to test them out. Additionally, I had the camera set to monochrome mode.

Photography is pure magic, we are both writing with light and time traveling all at once. No two images could ever be identical as the time stamp will always differ. If you truly internalize this fact, you will find a much deeper sense of connection with your camera. No one else in the complexity of time and space will ever capture what you are about to. That's truly extraordinary and should inspire a sense of meaning and awe to your practice.

There are virtually no limits when it comes to Photography so why impose them on yourself? Fear of failure and fear of change are holding you back. Anything that is within the realm of the visible can be photographed. The possibilities are endless and the only thing stopping you is ... you.

Experimentation is a the core of any creative endeavour.

Curiosity, Creativity and Confidence are three major attributes to cultivate as a photographer. It all begins with curiosity, it is at the root of all skill. If you are curious about something you will seek answers to your questions. Think of a child and how curiosity will shape and guide this child's experience and understanding of the world. Once you've acquired these new ideas you begin to actively create and experiment.

You will fail at first. But in time you will succeed; it is inevitable. This is when confidence starts to settle in and you start thinking, what next? I can do anything!

Here, on double exposure mode, I combined one regular still shot and one with intentional movement. I have to put some thought into this as the camera settings will be quite different from one shot to the next, which is a fun mental challenge This enables me to feel actively engaged with the creative process. As a result, I feel like I am truly creating something unique.

When someone asks me what sort of Photography I do, my answer is: all sorts, any kind, bring it on. I still have much to learn, even after 30 years of practice. I will never know or do it all and in itself, that's a source of motivation and inspiration. I actively seek and pursue different genres, new techniques and novel subjects to challenge myself. And with each new shoot, I gain invaluable skills and confidence.

You can purchase a second hand soft box at a very reasonable price. The Godox IT32 off camera flash is an incredible tool for less than $150. Look for things around the house to use as backdrops. Creating your own kitchen studio set ups is a great way to get your creative on. This will force your mind to switch into problem solving mode, and that's where the magic happens.

The more you set intentions for your practice, the more you find yourself inspired and motivated. Setting intention is giving yourself the opportunity to challenge yourself with clear goals. Feed that inner curious child who craves novelty. There is so much to learn! Here are a few examples:

• Shoot in camera effects like double and multiple exposures and try out all of the different blending modes

• Switch over to in camera monochrome mode to allow yourself a novel view of your surroundings

• Experiment with white balance

• Switch over to shutter priority mode at a low ISO and experiment with ICM techniques starting at around 1/8 of a second

• Learn a new skill like portrait photography or night photography

• Create your own studio at home and photograph food of products

• Seek out opportunities and environments that are unknown to you and offer to do free photoshoots in them. The experience you will gain is priceless.

• Take a class with me!

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