How to Be More Creative in Photography

What is Creative Photography?

There's no tidy and agreed-upon definition of what constitutes creativity in photography. Unlike other forms of art, a creative photo is one that has some original artistic touch added to it. Creative photography is not, however, an excuse for bad photography. For a photo to be considered creative, there must be an intent to say something. All photographs should tell the viewer a story. The creative part should only help to do that.

• Macro Landscapes
• Focus Your Lens on Your Kids or Pets
• Built Your Own Background

The cool thing about adding some creativity into your images is that you can do it to any genre or type of photography. The absolute best images are the ones that are calculated and creative. So wherever you are and whatever you are shooting, putting yourself into a creative mindset helps you up your photographic game.

How to Be More Creative in Photography

Try drawing, sketching, or painting for a change. 

Get creative with a pen and paper first, and start storyboarding what you'd like to shoot.

You can also spur creativity by changing things up. Maybe there's an old camera body in the bottom of your equipment bag you seldom use or an old prime lens that's getting dusty. The point is that you need to mix up your routine and see where it takes you.

Getting inspiration from other photographers through their online photography portfolios or social media posts only goes so far. Because it's a passive process that your creative mind is disconnected from, it's hard to make the leap from admiring other people's work to actively making your own. It's a starting point, but you've got to make the biggest leap from there.