Sooner or later we all find ourselves in a creative rut that results in boring, uninspired images. This quick tutorial provides seven pro tips for getting your artistic juices flowing in a hurry so that the photos you make will once again be interesting and impressive.
According to South Korean photographer Alex Kim, this lack of inspiration often results from lazy, bad habits. Kim has struggled with this challenge himself, and today he demonstrates seven quick solutions that will provide a big boost in creativity.
Kim's tips are presented in the context of street photography, but they're equally powerful with other popular genres. He introduces the lesson like this: "I'm going to share the most common mistakes that street photographers make that results in a boring photo."
At the top of Kim's list is always shooting from eye level, even though a different vantage point, either higher or lower, will enable you to boost impact by experimenting with unique angles and perspectives that are far more dynamic and compelling. In other words, if you shoot everything at eye level there a good chance that you're missing out on photos with maximum depth, dimension, and drama.
One of Kim's favorite methods for getting out of this familiar trap is to crouch down and shoot from the hip or with the camera close to the ground, and he proves this point with interesting imagery. As he explains, "low angles can make a subject appear larger and more dramatic by creating a presence that's difficult to achieve with eye-level imagery."
Conversely, shooting down from above provides another uncommon perspective that can make photos stand out from the crowd. This approach will make subjects appear smaller and add a unique sense of openness.
So far we've only scratched the surface of Kim's helpful advice, and there are six more bad habits and solutions to consider. Along the way he demonstrates how camera settings, thoughtful composition, and even the subject itself will determine the level of creativity inherent to every image you shoot.
Kim's popular YouTube channel offers many more instructional videos that will result in better outdoor imagery, so pay a visit and put his expert advice to work.
We also recommend watching another game-changing tutorial we posted recently from another accomplished pro who demonstrates how to employ custom vignettes in Lightroom to create outdoor photographs with maximum impact.
English (US) ·