We all get stuck in a creative rut every once in a while. Although it’s perfectly normal, it can still make us frustrated. In this video, Jordy Vandeput from Cinecom.net shares some advice on how not to lose your creative flow. He talks about his ways of staying inspired, but reflects on another important topic: how much does gear matter in this process?
These photo-tiles turn a bathroom into an apartment block and bring the outdoors inside
Unless you develop film at home, the bathroom isn’t really a place you’d connect with photography. But creative guys from Gyva Grafika brought photography into a bathroom in a really unique way. They used photos and tiles to “bring outside – inside.” They turned the tiles into an apartment block by adding photos of facades on them. This way, they made a tiny version of a Soviet-era concrete apartment block inside a toilet.
Here’s how to get some creative angles even when shooting in tight spaces
Shooting from tiny spaces like the oven, microwave or mailbox gives you some unique angles, but it can be a challenging task. In this video, Jay P Morgan shows you how to put all the gear you need in those tight spaces, yet get the shots done quickly and without trouble.
Artist creates photo manipulation word games that will make you smile
Graphic Designer Randy Lewis creates quite an unusual and fun series of image manipulations. The artist takes simple, everyday objects and blends them together, creating something new and unordinary. The result of his creativity is a series of clever and witty images. They’ll make you look twice, and they are certain to put a smile on your face.
Does gear really matter?
Does the gear you use matter? Well, as with most questions, yes… and no.
As someone who makes their living from using a camera should I be worried when I see how easy is it for “normal people” to take amazing photos?
We live in a golden age for people who love using cameras. I think it would be hard to get a camera these days that takes a bad picture or video in even semi-decent conditions. Even my iPhone produces amazing photos and video considering how small that lens and sensor is.
I was recently at an Australian Cinematographers Society meeting and I got talking to another, more mature, cinematographer and a young film student. The film student was telling us that he had a really great idea for a story to shoot, but he couldn’t do it because he didn’t have the money to rent a fancy camera. Almost as one, both I and the other cinematographer asked him if he had a camera on his phone (and, let’s be honest, who doesn’t these days). Both of us told him the same thing: take the camera you have and go shoot your story.
Getting creative with speedlights – 5 simple DIY setups
As some of you already know, I recently developed and released a brand new lighting workshop called Creatively Simple Lighting. In that workshop, one of the core foundations of what I teach is how to get creative with simple lighting and simple lighting doesn’t get any simpler than when you use Speedlights. At their most basic, Speedlights can simply sit on top of your camera and illuminate whatever is in front of you. If you want to get a little more creative however, the first thing to do is to get that flash off your camera and step into the vast world of off-camera flash.
Off-camera flash is where it gets interesting and it’s very easy to throw a cheap softbox on your speedlight and take some pleasant yet fairly basic shots. So how do we make it a little more engaging without spending a fortune? Well, as part of my workshop I wanted to prove that all the setups I was teaching could be achieved with a couple of Speedlights and some very basic modifiers. The following article is the result of me dusting off my Speedlights and playing with some homemade modifiers to see if I could create some engaging and creative effects without it costing me a penny.
How to fight creative jealousy… and get back to work
I’m sure we all feel jealous of other artists sometimes, more or less often. But jealousy is an emotion that doesn’t do us good, and it just blocks us from improving. Photographer Sean Tucker discusses this topic in his latest video, and it’s something we should all watch and think about it.
In this video, Sean talks about what causes jealousy and gives you some guidelines how to recognize it. He also shares the ways to deal with it and to get rid of it – so you can get back to your own work and personal development.
The 7 Habits Of Highly Creative Photographers
How creative can you become as a photographer?
Are you pushing your limits or not even close to reaching them? When I read Steven Covey’s Book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, I wondered what those habits might be for us photographers. Effectiveness is important in photography, but given its artistic nature it’s all about creativity in the end.
Creativity is a sport. Everyone starts out in the Little League, some make it to the Major League and others end up in the Champions League. But what is it that raises your game? If you want extremely great photographs, you have to be willing to make it an extreme sport!
Luckily, a few tweaks here and there will already make your photos much more creative. No matter how far you want to take it, these 7 habits will pave your way.
How a photographer made windmills look like dandelions
It’s the first day of spring, so flowers and photos of them are all around. But are you up for some different flowers? How about dandelions made of windmills? Photographer Jamie Seidel took and edited a fantastic photo where he made windmills look like white dandelions. It took 700 photos, so he also created a timelapse video. He has shared the details of this shot with us, and if you’re willing to try, here’s how to do it.
Using Household Items to Create Stunning Foreground Bokeh
We all love to spend money on the latest and greatest photo gear, whether it be a $120 reflector with a hole in it (I’m just jealous I didn’t market this myself haha 😉 ), or a $500 tube with LED’s inside! We love to spend money on our passion. But sometimes, you can create some fantastic looking shots for next to no money at all. I present to you, the wonders of the humble cling film!
