HOW TO FIND YOUR CREATIVE EYE - SLOW DOWN
There is something different about a great photograph isn’t there? You’ve probably got one (or more if you’re a seasoned pro) in your collection. But I’m betting you’d like to have more right?
There is a certain “je ne sais quoi” about “great” images. Most of us understand that it has nothing to do with technical mastery of the camera (although that is important) we instinctively seem to know that what elevates a good photograph to greatness lies in the realm of creativity.
I know that many photographers complain they just don’t have the “creative eye.” But here is a little secret. Seeing creatively is not a gift that some have while others never will. I believe it is a skill we all have - just some of us have fallen out of touch with it. So how do you get it back? The first step is deceptively simple.
SLOW DOWN.
Yup. That’s it. Slow down so you can see. Seeing takes time. Think of it this way… how well do you see a scene when you travel past it in a car? Compare that to how well you see a scene when you walk past it.
Most of us don’t give ourselves the time we need to see creatively. We arrive on scene, pull out our camera, fire off a bunch of shots and move on. We might as well be in a car!! How can you expect to get great images when you didn’t give yourself enough time to really observe the scene in any detail?
So here’s something I’d encourage you to try the next time you take your camera out. Give yourself permission to slow down and give your creative eye a chance to process the scene before you. Pause and let the details of your surroundings really fill up your senses. Then tune into what moves you… and let your creative eye guide where you focus your camera.
I guarantee you have a creative eye… you likely just haven’t given it the time it needs.