How a Change of Perspective Helped My Photography

It is easy to fall into a rut in any creative pursuit. We can begin to feel that our output is not as good as it could be, that we are not ‘making progress’ - whatever we deem progress to be - or we may just become bored or frustrated and lacking in ideas.

From time to time, I find myself falling into this sort of rut with my photography. This might be due to some of the reasons above or just that life intervenes, and I can’t spend as much time with my camera as I would like, leading to difficulty getting back out again when time allows.

One of the most common reasons that I fall into a rut is that I temporarily lose interest in the images I am making. I feel that I am repeating the same type of photographs and that I am not adding anything new to my work. Going to a new location can be a solution to this problem but since that is not always possible, I have to find another way to restore my enthusiasm for this hobby that I love.

When I found myself in this situation recently, I decided to see if a change of perspective would make a difference. This was inspired by watching some videos by Rick Bebbington, who frequently gives good advice on this topic. I will link below to some videos that I have found most interesting.

The main benefits that a change in perspective brought were:

(a) I stopped confining myself to any genre, at least temporarily

(b) I stopped believing that a new camera or lens would make me a better photographer

(c) I began to take a camera with me as often as possible and photograph life as I found it.

In addition, I began to have regular Shoot What You See sessions where I just take photographs of things that draw my attention, without making any judgements on whether they make ‘good’ subjects.

Advantages of a change in perspective

The lack of judgement on the photographs I make is very freeing. I can just enjoy making pictures instead of trying to judge if they are ‘good enough’. I can develop creatively as I remove the shackles of believing that photography should be done ‘a certain way’.

A change in perspective means I am open to new opportunities and possibilities and willing to try new things. I have photographed many subjects that I would not normally consider and enjoyed doing so. Mundane things have suddenly revealed their beauty to me.

I have stopped looking at new equipment and instead have taken out lenses that were gathering dust in my bag. I have spent time confining myself to a prime lens until I became very familiar with it before changing back to a telephoto lens. Restricting lens use gives more structure to my photo shoot and I can accept limitations.

Photography has become enjoyable and creative.

A video posted by photographer Rick Bebbington gave me the flicker of insight that helped me change my perspective, look at things in a new way and be guided by my own curiosity.

I hope you can find inspiration in a similar way.

Rick has a particular love for photographing bus stops. This one is for Rick!

If you think you might like Rick Bebbington's approach to photography, here are some videos which will give you a taste of his work.

17 Tears With a Camera - Here's What's Actually Worth Knowing

How to Document Your Life (and Why You Should)

I Wanted to Quit photography. Instead I Did This