Motivation is a funny thing when it comes to photography. It comes and goes, ebbs and flows. It can be found in the most seemingly mundane locations, and can escape us just as easily as it comes.

I have been in a bit of a photography rut lately. See, I am one of those photographers that prefer towering vistas and wide expansive landscapes (really, that’s all of us, or at least 99% of us) over more intimate moments. I prefer a more meditative experience, uncluttered by the commotion of the world around me.

These are hard to find when you still have the typical 9-5 job, and live in one of the bigger cities in Texas. Hell, living in central Texas means anywhere you can find these types of scenes is usually 8+hrs away (cough… cough… Big Bend…. cough) and isn’t very suitable for life in the scorching summers. This can affect my motivation tremendously. But, should it?

I find that some of the hardest things to shoot are the areas around where you live. You see it everyday, pass by it on the way to work, or when you are running errands. You see everything, but are you really LOOKING? Are you imagining what the scene would look like at 24mm? Can you imagine the scene at 70mm, or even a more compressed 200mm with some great bokeh and mood to it? This change in perspective could be all it takes to stoke the creative fires.

Take for instance my backyard. When I look at it, I just see my backyard. It’s nice, and arguably the nicest backyard I have ever personally owned, but just looking out back doesn’t stir up anything creative inside me. Nothing is out of the ordinary. Nothing is rare, spectacular or anything like that. Until I shift my view that is.

I stopped looking for subjects, and started looking at what the camera actually captures…. LIGHT! Instead of looking for a subject of interest, I started looking at the light. The way it danced around the flowerbed. The way it was moving through the flowers. The way it highlighted some spots and simultaneously backlit some of the other. I started looking closer at the flowers and picking the apart individually. I let the light decide what the subject is, instead of my eyes.

I concentrated on the light until it revealed my subject to me. I loved how it lit up the edges in a deep purple tone while simultaneously backlighting other leaves by soaking up the yellow rays of the afternoon sun. This created depth and a beautiful color contrast. Mix it with a higher shutter speed to make the ground disappear into the shadows and BOOM, you’ve got a composition!

Perspective can sometimes be the hardest thing to change. Letting go of any preconceived notion of what you are going to shoot, or what you envision shooting, can be most rewarding. Boxing yourself into what you “think” you are going to shoot can blind you to what is available.

The light is not always going to be what you want or where you want it, but if you allow it to, it can reveal a whole new style or look that just may be the boost you need to pull yourself out of a rut and get those creative juices flowing again. It may even give you a new style to chase! All of this just goes to show that you don’t need to take fancy, extravagant, expensive vacations to get beautiful photos. Sometimes, the motivation you need, is closer than you think. You just have to look for it.

Until next time. Cheers!