When There's No Inspiration.

I've never particularly believed that photography should be a 'forced' practice. It's why so many of us struggle to make it into a living, not everything we lay eyes on will automatically encapsulate us.

But I like to think the mere beauty of life with a camera is having the freedom to find the beautiful things that don't always get noticed. We have always desired to be explorers, but believe that everything has already been conquered. This is not at all the case.

Nature constantly grows and evolves, much like ourselves. There's nothing more freeing or grounding than venturing out into the wilderness and trying to find a picture that you don't believe has been taken before. Don't see things for what you know they are, see them as what they look like and abandon all knowledge of what you know them to be. It gives you an interesting alternative outlook on things and can be quite fun. Stay tuned to your senses, and wait for things to call themselves out to you to be noticed. They will.

Play around with your camera settings. It doesn't matter how professional your setup is, I'm sure there's a setting that you haven't tried yet and I urge you to. From long exposure, to time lapses, aperture, shutter speeds. Get obscure, get weird. It can be the accidental shots that end up being your best work. But unless you get out of your comfort zone, you'll never have the opportunity to capture a miracle.

Take on new challenges! I think there's a lot to be said about making a typically 'boring' picture into something quirky and intriguing. Maybe keep your eyes peeled next time for your typical everyday item. Find it, focus on it, glare at it, stare at it... from all angles! What's it telling you? What else are you able to adjust aside from your subject? The lighting? The angle? Have fun with it and aim to produce something original and truly yours.

Exposing yourself to the works of others can really broaden your horizon. You can decide to like their work, or not. But be sure to ask yourself why afterwards. Getting your own artistic opinion is key for knowing what you want to capture. Feel free to check out your local art museum, Instagram pages or photography websites (even this one)!