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Creativity is not some magical gift reserved for a select few. It’s a skill — a mindset — that can be developed with effort and practice.
In this article, I’ll give you nine no-nonsense ideas to help make you more creative and make your photographs stand out from the crowd.
If you’re tired of copying trends, making excuses, and feeling stuck, it’s time to shake things up and start thinking for yourself. Let’s get to work.
Stop Saying You Aren’t Creative – Because That’s Bull
One of the questions I hear frequently from photographers is: “Where do you come up with your ideas?”
That’s usually followed by:
- “I’m just not that creative.”
- “I guess I’m not creative.”
- Or my favorite: “I just don’t know how to find new ideas.”
Here’s the hard truth: If you think you’re not creative — you aren’t. Period.
Thinking you’re not creative is lazy and a self-fulfilling prophecy. Creativity isn’t some magical trait you’re born with. It’s a habit, a mindset, and a skill.
3 Facts About Creativity
- Every human being is creative.
- Creativity can be practiced and developed.
- Creativity looks different for everyone — and that’s a good thing.
Creativity is something that all of us are capable of, but it requires work and work requires effort. So what do you think? Ready to improve your creative abilities?
9 Tips To Make You More Creative
Idea #1: Stop Thinking You Aren’t Creative
Creativity is a discipline. Even “naturally gifted” people work at it. You’ll never get there if you don’t put effort into being creative.
Idea #2: Stop Being a Zombie and Following the Crowd
- Overpowering the sun with high-speed sync on train tracks? Done to death.
- Colored smoke bombs, gold foil, bathtubs full of milk? Boring copies.
- Angel wings, caution tape, and plastic-skinned Instagram filters? Stop it.
Here’s the deal: Trends are copies. They make you look lazy, not creative. Even if my work sucks, I’ll suck on my own terms — not as a copy of someone else’s bad idea.
Rule of thumb: If it’s trending, go in the opposite direction.
Idea #3: Put Your Camera Down
Yes, I said it. Put the camera down.
- Take a walk.
- Watch visually stunning movies like The Queen’s Gambit or shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
- Study photographers from 20, 50, even 70 years ago.
This isn’t about finding ideas — it’s about training yourself to see.
Be sure to check out: Photographers You Should Study
Learn from Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams hiked with a notebook, not a camera. He scouted locations, made notes, and came back when the light and conditions were perfect. He connected the dots — and that’s what you need to learn.
Idea #4: Find the Beauty in Everything
Beauty isn’t always obvious. If you can’t see it, that’s on you — not the subject.
Practical Exercise: Find Beauty Anywhere
- Choose a boring, everyday location (like your backyard or a parking lot).
- Challenge yourself to create 10 unique and beautiful images.
Why is this important? When you see beauty, ideas come naturally. Train yourself to appreciate the beauty in unexpected places, and you’ll become a more creative photographer.
Idea #5: Never Stop Learning
- About photography? Sure.
- But also about science, art, psychology, and life.
Every bit of knowledge is a “dot” you can connect to another. Creativity happens when you combine dots in new ways.
Cross-Pollinate Ideas
- Music: How do musicians convey emotion with sound? Translate that emotion visually.
- Literature: Take a story or theme and interpret it as a photo series.
- Architecture/Design: Study how space, lines, and geometry create balance or tension.
Assume you aren’t the smartest person in the room. Stay curious.
Idea #6: Mix Things Up
Take ideas, concepts, and techniques — and mash them together.
- Break rules.
- Ignore what “shouldn’t” work.
- Combine unexpected elements.
Many creative breakthroughs come from combining two unrelated ideas into something new. For example:
- Pair unconventional colors like red and purple, even if “rules” say they clash.
- Combine genres — like street photography with fashion or portraits with surrealist elements.
Practical Challenge
Take two unrelated ideas (e.g., “sports” and “dreamscape”) and create a photo concept that blends them together.
Idea #7: Don’t Be Afraid to Reuse Ideas
Reusing an idea is not the same as copying yourself. Sometimes you shoot a concept, and it doesn’t work out. Or you’re happy but know you can improve it.
Pro tip: The only photographer you should copy is yourself.
Build a Series
Revisit an old concept but shoot it with a new approach or a different perspective. Build a photo series around the same idea to push your creativity further.
Idea #8: Remember Your WHY
WHY is the greatest question you can ask:
- Why did you pick up a camera in the first place?
- Why are you copying trends now?
Your answers will hold you accountable. Get back to shooting for yourself, not for likes.
Idea #9: Have Fun but Put in the Work
Creativity takes effort. You will fail. Embrace it. Learn from it.
Shoot to Fail – Don’t Be Afraid to Suck!
Set out to fail on purpose, take risks, experiment, and see what happens. That’s where the breakthroughs live.
Bonus: Exercises to Train Creativity
Quick Prompts to Practice Right Now
- Shoot 10 photos of the same subject from 10 different angles.
- Pick a random theme (like “time” or “reflection”) and create a photo series.
- Focus on patterns and shadows for an hour.
- Take a boring location and make it look beautiful.
- Use only one lens or shoot only in black and white.
These exercises force you to think differently and sharpen your creativity.
Collaboration: Work with Other Creatives
Sometimes the best ideas come when you work with people who aren’t photographers:
- Models, stylists, or makeup artists: Let their vision inspire new directions.
- Musicians, painters, writers: Brainstorm concepts and build something unique together.
Collaboration can spark fresh ideas you wouldn’t come up with on your own.
The Role of Editing in Creativity
Creativity doesn’t stop when you click the shutter.
Post-Processing as an Art Form
- Use tools like Lightroom or Photoshop to enhance your creative vision.
- Experiment with color grading, black-and-white conversions, or composites.
- Push your editing to create a unique style that’s yours.
Overdone Trends (Stop Doing These!)
Here’s a list of photography clichés — contributed by my Facebook group — that need to die:
- Body painting as superheroes
- Sexy girl on a sports car
- The orange and teal Instagram filter
- Fairy lights everywhere
- Powder and flower photography
- Steel wool spinning
- Overdone HDR images
- Living room furniture in a field
- Spot color and heart hands
- Naked models wrapped in caution tape
Enough already. Be better than this.
The Last Frame: Stop Making Excuses
Stop saying you aren’t creative. Stop copying trends. Start thinking for yourself. Creativity takes work, but if you embrace the process, fail often, and have fun, you’ll surprise yourself with what you can create.
I hope you found this information useful. Now go pick up that camera and shoot something! Because – “Your BEST shot is your NEXT shot!” – Joe Edelman
