Photo Emergency! What to Shoot When Inspiration Runs Dry 

If you want to be part of a small group of photographers all inspiring each other to become better, then the next Focus and Frame Cohort might be just the ticket for you. No egos, no gatekeeping, just a team in your corner helping you on your journey through photography. Next intake is open and the cohort starts w/c 12th August Click here for more info: www.thephotographiceye.info/focus-frame-cohort

I looked at this video, got off my ass and went out for a 45 min walk here around my home where Iv'e taken the same pictures over and over again. Just came home with some of my favourite pics in a long while. Thank you so much! ❤

I discovered this when I was about 15 in the 1980s. Bored went around the garden and took a photo of a padlock on the gate. Still to this day one of my favourite photos. Just the colours and texture of the metal and rust against a dark wood. My Mrs thinks I’m weird because it doesn’t have someone in it smiling at the camera in front of Big Ben, but I enjoy the photo.

I sat with Richard Avedon once, showing him my work. He said he liked the photos, BUT he wants to see proof sheets (The old days when you put the film on an 8x10 paper and copied the entire roll before deciding what to print.) He wanted to see how you worked up to that ‘great’ photo-the thought process involved. Even digital can be done this way - the idea is the same.

In April 2023 I was, after a blood test, as pre type 2 diabetic. It was a shock, but it was the shock I needed to change my life before it was too late. I did act on the advice and changed to a healthier, more balanced diet. And, I began to walk more because I knew that exercise was so important. I'm nearly 70 so vigorous exercise was out, and walking was in. My health is slowly improving, but so is my photography. My thoughts about what I photograph and where and when have also changed. Through walking and looking more I'm seeing things that I hadn't noticed before. I'm stopping more and just looking. My photography is changing and it is becoming more personal. For many years I used to take photographs that I felt would be acceptable to others and it got harder and harder to find subjects. I love landscape, always have, but there were days when I would come home from the countryside with nothing to show for it. It was awful because I had lost my direction and forgotten what it was about photography that I loved. I've slowed down now and I'm looking more and listening to my own thoughts and I feel my photography is changing. It is a good feeling.

I've always used the Wayne Dyer approach: "if you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." With that approach you can make the banal, mundane and prosaic beautiful. I did a series of photographs of cemetaries and cemetary art, but used unusual and unexpected angles and compositions. People were delighted, enthralled and disturbed at the same time, yet they didn't quite understand why. Most important, I shot what I liked without worrying about what the viewer would think.

I love using the alphabet challenge when teaching young people, I tend to explain the looking for literal letters but leave it open for them and every single time they develop it in to letters for actions (J for Jump), directions (U for Under) and even emotions (S for Scared). The more limited the location, the more the young photographers look beyond the literal.

This video opened my eyes to a world that I've never seen before. After watching this, I would look anywhere for a scene that I could photograph, doesn't matter how small or mundane that scenery is.

This exercise is awesome. And I am now using it in daily life observations. My challenge is “Seeing”. Ben Longs techniques have helped tremendously. As a Cybersecurity tech, my world is fast pace and chaotic. My photography and my drawing slow me down to better see. And therefore be better at my job. Really enjoying your presentation style and your method of storytelling.

Always liked photography but I'm a carer, caring for my dad. I don't go to fantastic places so what's the point. Then I saw this video. Yes that's it, the weird quirky picture I took when out walking my dog. I took a picture of a tree because it was old and looked like it was reaching out to me. It doesn't have to be in Bali or the south of France. It's all about awareness and perspective. Thank you. 💕

A quote to help with awareness. I'm always mentally photographing everything as practice. - Minor White

ive always approached photography this way -- shooting the mundane and presenting it interesting, entertaining my viewer with and amusing or clever take on something youve seen your whole life, not categorizing my role as a photographer into professional/ameteur, streel/wildlife, worthy/not worth the shot -- and ive become astounded recently at the number of people that don't think this way at all. Im glad there are videos about this out here so more people can learn the fun way to shoot.

Holy cow - you are one of a kind. Photographer? - Well, you choose it as your topic. Philosopher - way too practical-minded to go into academic dreamland with no practical outcome. You are - what I call - a highly intelligent, way above the rest - person, who is driven by curiosity, looking for the details, fascinated by anything that relates to forms, lines, textures, and shapes, and enjoy your ability to use light in a way that it increases the value of these object by moving and searching for the angle at which this happens. Bravo - if you were a singer, the audience would say - he is one of those who brings the house down. Thank you!

This is perhaps the best photography video I have seen on RU-vid.

I am so glad that I bumped into this gold channel. It has taught and convinced me to hone the skill and love the hobby as opposed to be attached to a better gear etc. This also convinced me that a basic sony ZV 1 and iPhone that I have are enough to take great photos. Not for anyone, but to the roots of why I fall in love with photography - it's taking pictures of moments just for myself.

I think the most important advice that no one seems to talk about is that not every genre of photography is for everyone, I have tried city photography but it's just not something I care for, macro is something I love but that doesn't mean it's for everyone, I encourage everyone to try every type but it's okay to not care for a specific type and to put less time in it

I've never been at a loss for things to shoot and like you, am often fascinated by what most people would find boring (or more likely not even notice). Finding the interesting in the mundane is one of the keys to producing art. If it interests you, then it's "photoworthy" and unless you're 100% sure that there's no way you'd ever consider doing anything with it, record the image and don't look back. Something about the scene caught your attention so roll with it (and don't overthink). When you view it later on a large screen, then you can determine if it's worth editing and printing (or posting if you insist), but you rarely get a second chance to get that image (memory's cheap and time spent curating/editing is time well-spent).

I found myself taking many more photos and getting better photographs since I switched to digital back in 2006. With no thought of monetary expense I became much more free. Love your channel Alex.

More people (including yours truly), need to hear this on a regular basis.

When I was hiking the Narrows at Zion National Park in Utah, I'm hiking through water and I'm surrounded by stunning scenery. I pulled out my phone and took a vertical picture of the landscape in front of me very quickly. I didn't want to hold up the people behind me. Later when I went back to look at the picture, it's the best picture I have ever taken. Now I'm finding myself getting into niche forms of photography interests and by no means do I consider myself a photographer.

Thank you. I have told myself this for more than a decade and have finally redirected my vision photographically. Your reinforcement is appreciated.

Thank you for this video. Lately I felt like everything that I used to like somehow lost meaning, like I lost myself in 9-5 work and constantly thinking about doing stuff for my self instead of actually doing it. This 12 minutes were truly motivating.

Many is the time that I've been asked or even asked myself "why are you taking a picture of THAT?" This video explains why better than I ever could. Thank you as always.

Impromptu unofficial TED talk. This is a really good listen. I've only recently gotten into photography as a hobby but I gained quite a bit of inspiration from this. If that was your intention you have definitely hit the mark 🎯 ✌️.

I find your videos very inspiring. Just recently i have challenged myself to shoot in my local village, whilst walking the dog. An example-my neighbor has some interesting notices on his garage door and has caught my eye for several months and decided to take a few shots one early morning. Very mundane, but it has kept me busy shooting and in the darkroom. When i shoot something nice, i`ll print it up and give it to my neighbors for free . So not only does it keep you aware of your surroundings, you also get your work seen. Win win.

Thank you for your advice! I just got this problem a few weeks ago shooting street around my home town. I become seeing less details and less inspired to shooting something. Recently I just shot an abstract image just because I wanted to experiment with different focal lengths to change some aspects of my photograph and it turned out well and I love it.

I've been a photographer for the better part of 20 years now and have hit a slump to figure out what to shoot for myself, I'm gonna take this advice and run with it. I'm also going to pass it on to the younger photographers that I work with. Thank you for this, it's greatly appreciated.

Exactly. I have told people, get your camera and sit down somewhere- anywhere, and look about you for subjects and patterns to shoot. You will find something.

This is a great and informative post! Each day, I take a half-hour walk during my lunch break, bringing with my my 20D, 7D, or even my old 300D. I have only a finite number of routes I can walk in a half-hour, and this has forced me to look for different ways to shoot the same things. It's great practice.

I retired from commercial photography in 1980, aged 30, because I was killing myself with work. Some years later I did the same in another creative line of business, but this time I picked up a camera again and went to spend six months in the Australian outback to get my sanity back. I came back from that with my visual world distilled into four simple ingredients: light, colour, form and texture, and I’ve been putting those four elements into pictures ever since. Some of these images sell, some don’t, but I get immense satisfaction from making them all.

One thing I like to do, go out with my camera and only one prime lens. You'll have to work more to get an intresting shot, move around, and by accident, find the right spot you didn't see before ! It's an intresting way to approach photography !

Jeremy Parr this video has inspired me to go out and take more photos thank you for showing this it your truly Jeremy 😁📸

I am a beginner and have been looking for a good photography video for beginners. This video is by far the best I've found. It's given me new found inspiration to continue with my goal of becoming a real photographer. Thank you! Subscribed.

Through the covid lockdowns I got inspired by the photo art of Maarten Rots. I would walk around the house and take photos of corners of the ceiling or door frames etc, trying to capture the visual impact that he could present from the most unlikely places. Sometimes I thought of repainting the house, just so I could get some of his colour palette. If you don't know his work I recommend chasing him up.

I loved every moment of this video, loved all those photos you have shown us as a great examples. But loved the passion that comes from you foremost. That was really inspiring. Thank you

Never knew how many things actually come in the shape of alphabets. I knew about some geometrical shapes, but this discovery is mindblowing

I always bring a camera. Some days I just bring a shitty old digicam but the stuff that comes out just sort of fills me with joy. There's always something to shoot. I once heard this notion that if you are a writer and don't know what to write about, you just make a frame (director style) and point it at anything and write what is happening within that frame, even if there is nothing to write about. Zoom in, zoom out, turn it upside down, maybe stand on your head, etc. Anything to get anything. This is why I love my twin-eye reflex camera (Yashica). It mirrors what you are looking at, which sort of allows you to focus on the composition more.

its nice finally finding a video that gives solid advice. thanks for this.

Absolutely love this. I love your take on parking decks and Eggleston. I love the view of the seemingly mundane. To me it's hypnotic and immersive.

This video was quite profound, and not just for photography, I think this is an amazing exercise in general awareness and mindfulness

In my artist's statement I always say that I love to find 'the marvelous in the mundane'!

I love Eggleston, I'm glad you brought him up!

I like provocative conversation, because it is easy to forget these things. Thanks for the tips.

I did the Alphabet exercise a few years ago and loved it. it makes you look at the world differently. As for Q, it was easy. A bass Drum with the foot peddle did the trick

Well, this has woken me up. I love the way you plant ideas that stick in the mind and nag at you - “go on, go on, go and do it, try it, see what happens”. Essential viewing for bewildered photographers.

Thank you for this. I know all of this in my heart and mind, but it is good to be reminded. Much obliged.

I've already photographed many of the places around Edinburgh you've used to illustrate this video, usually while taking the long way home after work with my camera in tow. Having seen your work, I think it's time for me to go and look at things with fresh eyes - and at a different time of day!

Best video about Photography for begginers and every level. This is so deep in many wonderful ways that is not related only for photos.

This video is the best 12 minutes I have spent today. It made my day worthy of living. Thank you.

I've never thought that there were boring things to photograph; however, I did not know about the letter exercise. So when I was looking at the pictures, going by a child's mind, I could find oh so many letters in there :D

I needed this. I often find myself wanting to photograph something, but I'm stuck at work. I need to just photograph something while I'm there.

Im just picking up photography again afters years from not taken and pictures. Im still learning and finding idea and adive. Thank you and I love the videos

All good advice, but I think that the most important one is the one to stop thinking "this frame won't be interesting" (I was doing that all the time). To grow as a photographer one needs to take those dull/poor photos to learn how to capture the great ones.

Finally! "What to shoot?" was always my biggest problem. I'm really glad I found your channel. 👍🏻

What great advice! I’m retiring in a few weeks, and intend that “alphabet exercise” to be one of the first things I try. Thanks! (And, those pepper photographs were amazing.)

I always had a thing for the wood vs steel aesthetic, it could be a steel mesh on a wood fence, or a tangled up steel cable on a wooden post, it just makes me so happy. And I recently found out that I like photographing padlocks hehe

I used to think there was nothing to photograph here in South Dakota until I started thinking outside the box and changing my perspective. I also took the time to look at what other photographers were doing with seemingly boring subject matter and found out that much of it is not as boring as it might seem.

Thank you for this video. I'm glad RU-vid recommended this channel to me

Something random that I photographed looked good to me, but I don't know why and thanks to you I understood why... it was shaped like a letter... I hadn't even stopped to think that it was shaped like a letter, much less looked for it, it was just instinctive

I’m always looking every five minutes I can’t help myself even if I’m not going to look and need to eating I still can’t take five minutes away I’m always thinking is there gonna be something to make a great photo, even the smallest things you wouldn’t think about to the point where I barely have time to sit down, and if I don’t tell myself to stop, I won’t to the point as where I go without food sometimes then I burn out and take a break for long periods of time. I don’t think about photos, but I always have my camera ready just in case 🥳🎉

I like the " look behind you" photo. Sometimes the "wonders of the World" are great but it seems they photographed by the world and his dog, so I turn 180 and photo what's behind everyone else.

Big fan of Eggleston and frankly any photographer who doesn’t need to fly 9000 miles to be inspired. Our historic downtown is 2 blocks. It’s an endless source of fun for me. At night, in the snow, in the summer sun, in the predawn winter.

Fantastic approach to the topic. Thank you.

All true. I'll add the implicit 'being present'. I'll also suggest that some sort of self-awareness in relation to the practice is fundamental - for me it comes from my politics (broadly conceived). One other thing that doesn't usually get mentioned is 'Flow' or being in 'The Zone'. In a past life i was an international athlete... and now i find that i can experience that strange transcendence - that elusive Flow - while engaged in shooting. There are preconditions for that state, and they're worth taking into consideration too. Thank you for another thoughtful video, and all the best from wintery New Zealand.

I am very inspired by your focus on encouraging people to find an image which resonates initally ONLY with the photographer. Not every viewer will 'get' the purpose of an image or video, but they all at least 'get' the opportunity to try and find out. In the most basic sense, a photographer is simply a person who records images, a topic you covered expertly in the Vivian Maier story. There need not exist a viewer of said image. Also, had that picture NOT been taken, there is nothing to see or feel at all, by ANYONE. I have only ever found the process inwardly rewarding. Were I to give somewone the opprtunity to see what I saw in that specific window ot time, space and light, and they tend not to enjoy... Why would I care? I enjoyed the process of finding an image in that place in time, space and light.

Well told. Someone had to speak to the throngs of snap shooters (Flickr) and hopefully they listened and learned by your visual examples. Some decades ago a book was published on the subject of letters. I was asked to contribute three images to the book and never thought that it would become the examples you have shown here. Carry on!

Best ever lesson that I have watched The advice is super duper helpful I want to watch and learn more from this channel Thank you

I've never had a problem finding things to photograph. But this is a fun and useful list!

I was on the way for a shoot to the village centre with my bike, but never got there, because what i saw and observed on the trip draw my attention, so i ended up in a high school, where they had an opening day. Anxiety turned into relaxation during the day, and i became more aware and had a lot of fun shooting scenes. When you are able to bike or walk to your destination, you have more time to emerge into your surroundings, and see things that you weren't able if you drove by car.

As someone who's been staring through a viewfinder since the age of five back in the '90s I got to say this is excellent advice. Whether you are new to photography or you are seasoned everything here is a great piece of advice and a wonderful reminder of some of the best parts about being a photographer.

Excellent video Sir! I have been doing this exact thing for years. I can always find something to shoot anywhere, even though I am not poking!

Since becoming totally engrossed in photography I see images everywhere I look! Maybe it’s because I’m always searching for my next creation. My camera is almost always with me…if not, I use my phone! Great video! Thanks for sharing your thought!

Great video about photography and not only about gear!

Just what I needed Alex. I am going to use these ideas right away. You always hit the right spot. Thanks so much. ❤❤❤❤

Great video. Got me off my chair and outside with the camera. Worth a subscription.

I actually learned something from this video. Thank you!😇

I would get down low, but I may not get back up😅 But the other points brings enthusiasm and joy ❤

I never leave positive comments, but I really enjoyed and completely agree with your video. Brilliant. Thankyou!

Took me 1:30min to give thumbs up. I’ll try it this weekend to find letters around me!

Great teaching in profound and life-changing way

Beautiful video. I take my camera with me everyday even when going to the supermarket. But lately I was in a slump and it depressed me. But this video gives me new perspective. Cheers friend!!

As a newbie to photography, what a fantastic video, this is going in my saved folder.

I needed to see one of those videos again. Exactly when i needed it

I couldn't wait to get my camera out during the whole video. There was so much around me to photograph!

Thank you! This is the content that i needed to watch 😊 Your words really inspired me to take pictures since i am purely a green horn, i mean i have close to zero knowledge about photography but i will try and try, do mu best to improve. The content really helps, thank you😊

I saw a painting of a underground car park in the window of a gallery in Manchester a few weeks ago. I thought it was interesting that this piece of artwork would take valuable space and it got thinking for a while. Then I watch your video and you say go take a photo of a car park.

If there's nothing else to shoot, I always shoot the messenger :D Great tutorial, thank you!

I have never thought I had nothing to photograph. Too many people don't actually know how to see. I've even taken pictures while at the ER.

Thanks for creating this video I know it must have taken a really long time to put together. But is definitely very inspiring and well help me get out and take more unique photos

I have a habit of finding things that I think would be better at a different time of day but shooting them anyway. Sometimes I'm surprised at how they turn out.

Great ideas. Thanks for sharing!

I tend to run into problems with photographing eye-catching things where I live. Occasionally, I find something striking to get a picture of in my town, but it can be difficult. Traveling to other parts of the Midwest and using high and low vantage points helps to get shots that would otherwise be boring at human eye-level.

Thanks for this. Inspired to take my camera with me today.

We should also consider our future desires, perhaps things we take for granted now will become precious to us once they're gone.

I GET SO F*****G angry when i come to youtube and try learn something about photography and i get a mediocre content creator telling me the same thing about the rule of thirds over and over, but this video here , is exceptional , its what i needed its what i was looking for and it actually teaches something. god bless you , you should be payed for this tutoring , i hope my like and comment and subscription helps you.

What a great video! love this topic and these tips✨

Back in 1979, I read Freeman Patterson's book, 'Photography and the Art of Seeing' to help me in the discovery process. Thinking out of the box probably is the best way to describe it, such as jumping up & down to capture a chaotic forest, think pollution with garbage on the street instead of shapes & forms, etc. Then, there is Lee Friedlander: America by Car that can inspire composition with near emptiness. Although the downside is that we may become a generalist, instead of a specialist. Imagine taking family member portraits at home as a natural light then Fine Art and surreal photographer next. On Social Media, it is similar to multiple photographers taking photos of the same model, or inventing a new style, such as documentary style wedding photography in the past. 🙂

good insights principles can overlap into cinematography (documentary work) informative and useful ideas and video.

I never complained. I just waited for the right moment.

The art of seeing the unseen.