Shutter Sisters

Perfect Recipe for Something New

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As anyone with a long term love of photography knows, it’s easy to find yourself taking the same kinds of pictures over and over again.   Glance over your last 1000 pictures and you might see what I mean.  Overrun in flowers?  Same style portraits?  Bricks and mortar?   While there’s no harm in going on a kick now and then to master your craft, you’ll know it’s time for a change when your images start to look the same and you can no longer recognize the gem in that one picture that represents a departure from your tried and true subjects.  May I shyly submit the photo above as a case in point.

What subjects do you tend towards when you pick up the camera?   Ready to cook up something fresh and unexpected by widening your repertoire?  Comments are open for your confessions and links to the images where you strayed from the same ole, same ole with delicious results.

Comments

  1. oh man. you are singing my song. I get in to photo ruts for sure — these days: flowers (generally macros; and even worse, the same flowers…) and my kids. I try, but that’s mostly it! I did branch out a few weeks ago, when participating in a photo challenge with a group of friends and got this one, which isn’t really my "thing" but that I really like.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/11439752@N04/2563564178/

    Blogged it here, in the photo challenge links to the left…
    http://lynlepre.typepad.com

  2. I’ve been feeling this way lately too, and I get in a funk and ignore myself and then pick up and try again. Mostly I’m a nature macro obsessor of course mixed with my own child’s face for fun. Lately I’ve been in this place with life and it has started oozing over into my photography. I didn’t realize it was happening until a few people remarked about the change of scenery with my images. It actually kind of feels good, like I’m stretching my mind or heart or lens or brain or something.

    Here are two examples of some recent photos from the dark side:
    Insomniac:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/camerashymomma/2630301196/

    palm reader:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/camerashymomma/2625989323/

  6. This was one of the reasons I was thrilled to go on vacation recently to Edisto Island in South Carolina. There, I got lots of "different" shots instead of my usual photos of my son in the yard, and flowers, flowers, flowers. ha ha! But I am especially keen on this photo that I snapped at a Brewery in Charleston, S.C. I was taking several photos at the table in the restaurant, and then I had the idea to turn the lens up and shoot the ceiling. I didn’t even look up, so I didn’t know what I got. I just love the lines in this, and I especially love the blurred ceiling fan in the top left corner.

    http://www.mamaofletters.com/Mama_of_Letters/Camera_Happy/Pages/Nikon_D60.html#8

  8. Yes, like any art, you can find yourself in a rut quickly. I usually rent a lens or change my medium to keep myself interested. Maybe even the subject matter too. Like the polaroids on my site.

  14. This is very true of me. I take portraits almost eclusively…and almost all of one subject, my daughter! I am trying to beak out of that rut.