How 7 things will change the way you approach photographs
In keeping myself motivated as a photographer, I love to look for inspiration from all across the creative spectrum. Today I want to share some ideas with you from the painter Van Gogh that I hope will bring some exciting new ideas for your photography.
I love who I am when I am taking photos. It is one of my favourite things, and I would imagine it’s the same for you.
To have my camera in my hand, exploring, finding beautiful light, and capturing interesting people I meet along the way, is immensely satisfying and massively fun.
However, life often gets in the way (who’d have thought it!), and I get distracted and lose my creative energy.
For example, I have too many conversations with my accountant, or I am doing a lot of admin or rushing around doing the tasks that are super important to make my life function but aren’t conducive to creativity.
- “I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it.” Vincent Van Gogh
One thing I regularly hear from people when they arrive on my photography workshops is how they can’t do things.
It could be: I can’t be creative! Or I can’t shoot on manual, it’s impossible for me!
To me, this is just a habitual way of thinking that is not based on facts. Just because we can’t do something now, does not mean we will never be able to.
- “Seek only light and freedom and do not immerse yourself too deeply in the worldly mire.” Vincent Van Gogh
This talks about how much we need to detach ourselves from normal life, and the endless tasks of our lives in order to create. Being creative connects us to the world in a completely different way to how we normally live.
In ‘normal’ life, we are living on the surface. We are doing a lot, we are being busy, we are jumping from task to task. We are responding. And that’s all totally necessary to take care of our lives.
- “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” Vincent Van Gogh
Photography is an inner game.
Taking good photos has nothing to do with your current skills or your ability to nail sharpness or your exposure. It’s everything to do with what you believe about yourself and what you believe is possible for you.
- “Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all.” Vincent Van Gogh
It’s really easy to get so familiar with our world that we stop seeing what is beautiful and awe-inspiring in the world around us. It’s normal to see your everyday environment and not be inspired by what’s there. Our eyes get dulled to the familiar world around us.
- “Painting is a faith, and it imposes the duty to disregard public opinion.” Vincent Van Gogh
In many ways, I think learning photography now is harder than in the past. And that’s not because there are so many photographers, or because of smartphones, etc. Instead, it’s because of the amount of information out there, and the multitude of opinions.
- “It is looking at things for a long time that ripens you and gives you a deeper meaning.” Vincent Van Gogh
Photography often becomes viewed as a series of technical tasks that need to be learned. To learn the way of the camera is to unlock all the gifts of photography.
For me that couldn’t be further from the truth.
- “If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” Vincent Van Gogh
Completely.
I don’t just mean nature in a traditional sense – the beautiful flowers, people, or landscapes. It’s when we bring the idea of beauty into our photography that we see that we can capture what is beautiful to us, in any guise.
