Create a self assignment

Want to really boost your creativity? Give yourself an assignment. Think of something that you like or dislike. Then go out and photograph it. Photograph it from different angles and at different times of the day. Look at it with a different point of view. Photograph it out of context. Perhaps something about it looks unusual or different when compared to other similar things. Accentuate likeness and differences.

Here is the nice thing about a self assignment, you're the boss. You are not trying to please a client and you can spend as much time and resources as you wish. Give yourself a time frame so you don't put it off each year till your 90th birthday.

This is where you unleash your creativity. Use whatever equipment and skills you have to the fullest.

Here is the first step; just pick a subject. It's that easy. Perhaps you like flowers or dogs. Maybe you think tennis balls are unique or maybe you want to make a statement about empty plastic bottles. Once you start thinking this way it will be hard to narrow it down to just one subject.
Once you do stay with it. Don't change your subject or theme. That will force you to think of different possibilities. Before you know it you will have an entire body of work on that theme. My first self assignment was in 1994 "The Sensual Guitar." I thought it was about time I gave myself a new one. Smoking Statues.

I was in New York over the summer to give a lecture at B and H Photo Video. While I was there I took photos of the skyscrapers with the 15mm fisheye lens. When I go back I'll continue that self assignment. Maybe I'll call it "Concrete Redwoods".

This creativity will flow into your daily photography because you'll start to look at everything differently. So what will your self assignment be?