What Can You Do When You Encounter a Creative Block?

One particularly difficult aspect of being a professional photographer that does not get discussed enough is what one does when they encounter the inevitable creative block. This excellent video discusses what you can do to overcome a creative block.

Coming to you from Taylor Jackson, this great video discusses what you can do to get past a creative block. When you are a hobbyist, the nice thing is that you can step away whenever you need a break. However, when you are a professional and constantly expected to produce work, it can be very difficult to get through a creative block, and you do not have the luxury of simply walking away until you are feeling imaginative again. Personally, I have found that it really helps to have a bag of tricks to fall back on when needed — these being poses, compositions, ideas, etc. that I know will work. I do not use these immediately on a shoot; I always try to find something creative that plays off the natural energy and context of the situation, knowing that I still have that arsenal to fall back on if things are not working out. Check out the video above for Jackson's full thoughts. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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