Photofocus

Photography by Scott Bourne:

Sometimes you need to just shake things up. You need to reset, restart and re-think what you’re doing. In order for that to have meaning you actually have to do SOMETHING. You can’t just sit around and do everything the way you always have and expect things to change. So here are some exercises designed to shake up your artistic eye and your photographic world. Try any or all of these if you want a change.

1. Buy a big box of crayons, a big pad of paper and start drawing and coloring. Draw shapes and use different colors.

2. Design and dress up in a clown costume. Yes I know it sounds weird but I’ve tried this exercise and believe it or not it opens up your mind in new ways.

3. Study falling water. It can be a waterfall or water dripping from a fountain or a faucet and then make photos of it.

4. Start clipping magazines. Clip photos that move you, interest you or disturb you. Save these and refer to them once in a while for inspiration.

5. Go sit on a child’s swing set (make sure it is sturdy enough to support you) and then swing back and forth shooting the sky and the ground alternatively.

6. Watch a TV show or a movie or a play that you would normally not be interested in.

7. Stare at clouds and try to determine what shapes you see in the clouds.

8. Write a letter to a future version of yourself explaining what your creative process was like now.

9. Make a list of 25 things you really like about yourself.

10. Share these experiences with other photographers, do them as a group and see where it leads.

I’ve shared these sorts of exercises before and those of you who do them routinely tell me that they are helpful. I hope this set is no exception.

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