Being a photographer that shoots on location everyday, and then come home and sit in front of the computer for many hours everyday responding to emails, uploading photos, captioning images, updating social media, editing, watching videos, reading articles and on top of that talk on the phone with potential clients, it’s very easy to forget many of the tasks needed to be done.
Sometimes I feel like the only place I can really think is in the bath. The only place no one is going to occupy my mind with random emails, or facebook notifications. No one will be able to call, and no one will ask me anything. It’s the only place I can just think. The bath for me is the place I usually remember so many things I needed to do and forgot. I suddenly remember I had to send an invoice to someone, or reply to a new potential client i totally forgot about.
Take the time to imagineDoesn’t matter how much equipment you have or how much experience you have, you can never fully anticipate what is going to happen on the set of your photo shoots. You can plan, write tasks, even draw mock-ups. But here is something probably no one ever told you before: imagine.
Just sit back, close your eyes, and imagine. Picture your set, what could be done to make it work better. Imagine how your talent/model/client might act and what you can possibly do to make it work. Imagine the final result you’re trying to get.
Stop forcing yourself to be inspired from photographyToo many photographers I talk to keep telling me that they look at fellow photographers work to get inspiration. In most cases it’s not inspiration, it’s just stealing ideas. If you ask me, you should look for your inspiration elsewhere. Looking at other people’s work is great, but to a point.
People always ask me to name photographers who inspire me. There are none. Don’t get me wrong, I love many photographers and their work. I enjoy looking at their work, but none of them inspire me. So where I get my inspiration from? Personally I get it from music. I get my inspiration listening to Queen, Michael Jackson or The Beatles. They make me think, they make me ponder different ideas.
These 5 kind-of-weird tips hit home. For the on the go, the only time you ahve the time to think would be in the bath or shower. Also to stop forcing yourself to be inspired, stop getting inspired by other photographers but maybe from music or nature.
Take the time to ponder.