At one time or another, some of us feel a lack of inspiration or motivation to photograph new things. Some people address those times by going out with only one lens. Others force a change in perspective by switching to monochrome. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Ritva’s color challenge from last week, for example, is another way to spark fresh ideas. Today, I’ll offer another challenge that will hopefully unlock new inspiration in your photography.
We will practice being “stuck in place.” So, gather all your gear – lenses, tripod, lights, filters, cell phone, and whatever you use on your photo journey – and let’s get stuck in one place. Ideally, you should carve out thirty minutes to an hour to do this. Here is the one rule: you can do anything with your camera and lenses, but you should limit how far you move from where you are “stuck.” You can move 10–15 steps in any direction to capture new images.
I have done this a few times — and the photos in this post are from the last session. After experimenting outdoors, I decided to come home and look in my own backyard – literally!
As the header image shows, that is the main view I have from our back porch. As beautiful and tranquil as it is, I am certain there are other things I can photograph besides the amazing wildlife I see. Until now, I hadn’t taken the time to see what was right under my nose. That is when “stuck in place” comes into play.
I could try an ICM (intentional camera movement), for example. However, just as I was photographing a bird on a feeder, I shifted the camera a little to the right and did not refocus. For this image, I went with intentional blur while keeping the camera still. I liked the light play. To my eyes, it felt like waking up under a tree and experiencing the first rays of light. After capturing this image, I added a radial blur to intensify the light coming through the tree branches. Exploring my surroundings and looking for things I had not seen before gave me new ideas to keep going.
Another example always staring me in the face is one of the bird baths we have around. I watch birds drinking from them or bathing in them, but I never explored the beauty of a floating leaf as in this image. For someone unfamiliar with the bird bath, this leaf appears to be levitating. I intentionally filled the frame to keep out the bird bath structure.
We always hear others telling us to look up and look down. Well, when I looked up, I noticed the intricate play of light and shadows coming from the lattice work that covers our back porch. All I had to do was position the camera at an angle to capture what you see. It tricks the eye into thinking those could be steps. They are not. The support beam is in the lower-left corner of the image.
Finally, one more example. This useful doormat sits at the back door I use to get to the deck. Another close-up revealed textures I had not noticed before. I also caught the symmetry. It had been there every day, but I never paid attention to it.
So, that is your assignment for the week. Capture as many photos as you want, but please do not post more than 5 images from this creative photography exercise. It is not quantity that matters here, but rather your unexpected compositions and discoveries. Pick a place to stay put for thirty minutes to an hour. What I have found whenever I do this exercise is that my creativity starts flourishing after I exhaust the obvious compositions. I look forward to your wonderful responses.
Challenge Requirements at a Glance
- Pick one spot — indoors or outdoors — and stay there for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Limit your movement to about 10–15 steps in any direction from your chosen spot.
- Bring any gear you like: lenses, a tripod, lights, filters, or just your phone.
- Look closely for compositions you usually walk past — the goal is fresh seeing, not new scenery.
- Share up to five images from the exercise (quality over quantity).
Ritva’s challenge last week got us all looking at single colors. I loved the variety of colorful responses I saw. I hope you will join this challenge, too. Please don’t forget to use the “lens-artists” hashtag in your posts to help people find your wonderful challenge entries.
Next week, Tina will feature a new challenge. It will go live at noon EST in the USA. Tune in to find out more about the challenge then. Please see this page for more information about the Lens-Artists Challenge and its history. If you don’t want to miss any future challenges, please consider subscribing to the team members’ websites. Here they are:
- Tina of Travels and Trifles.
- Patti of P.A. Moed.
- Ann-Christine of Leya.
- John of Journeys with Johnbo.
- Anne of Slow Shutter Speed.
- Sofia of Photographias.
- Egídio of Through Brazilian Eyes.
- Ritva of Ritva Sillanmäki Photography.
- Beth of Wandering Dawgs.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring Abstracts, Landscapes, Lens-Artists, Macros, Teravista, Texas. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
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PR
That’s wonderful! I don’t have any problem in taking up this challenge – provided the “stuck in place” rule is not for home 😬..I have to take a thousand (with a pinch of salt 😉) pictures of every scenic place, therefore making it impossible to travel with other people 😂..
Wandering Dawgs
Egidio, thank you for this inspirational challenge. I like how you captured everyday things in creative ways. I would have never guessed what the image of the lattice work was if you hadn’t told us. The dormat is great, too.
margaret21
This is inspired! It’s easy to feel we can only do fresh shots somewhere fresh.. You have shown with your well-observed shots that this is not so. I shall enjoy this, staying right here, not far from my front door.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Margaret. That’s the beauty of the challenge. You can do it anywhere you want. It’s just an exercise in creativity.