We've been shooting so many e-sessions lately and I just feel like we are doing the same thing over and over again and I'm starting to get so bored with it! I know it helps to check out other photographers work for inspiration, but we've actually been that busy lately that I haven't had two seconds to even do that. And although the shoots may be in different locations, its not like its drastically different scenery. I actually found myself thinking the other day while we were shooting "what are we going to post on the blog from this - it all looks the same".

How do you guys stay creative? We have another e-session on Monday and I'd love to do something totally different - but I just feel so bored and drained that I don't even know what. Is this a normal feeling? lol.

Thanks for your input and help!

i try to find something unusual about that couple and work off of that. that's how i pick the location of the esession as well.

you know like if the couple likes to bowl - why not do part of it there? you could have a ton of fun with that one... (and make sure you get tons of shots of those clown shoes!)

hahah

it depends on waht they are up for as well. but to me, location plays a big part of the individuality of the session.

For me, this tactic is the exact opposite of what would help keep me creative.
I take inspiration from almost everything *except* other wedding and portrait photographers.
Instead, I look to find inspiration from everything in my life: music, movies, people watching, paintings and sculpture and other art, architecture, interior design, my friends' & clients' stories & faces, poetry, shopping, reading, fashion magazines...

IMHO, inspiration is literally everywhere, you just have to open up and appreciate what's going on all around you.

I don't know if this will help but we ask the client a lot of questions. If it's a couple we ask them about their inside jokes, favorite dates, best memories, favorite quirks...then we try and translate that into their images. We do the same with individuals and families.

Try something out of the ordinary. Think to yourself, what's the one thing I would never do on an engagement, and do that.

When the flock goes left, flock right.

Ideas include; hide and seek, patty cake, go karts, bumper boats, batting cages, arcades, walk through toys r us, walk through walmart, coffee at a cafe on the side of the street, a walk through downtown, re-enact the first date, include things that you would never include like power lines, etc. Of course, if you pose your subjects this may not work for you.

Check this.

I took my last clients to the Fun Land. Do you know how comfortable they were in front of the camera by the time we got to the beach? Think of something that will make the smile from ear to ear....get them in the mood....make them feel like kids again.

Deep down, we all want to be a kid again.

I buy magazines, or get my wife to go get the girly ones haha. I usually get some ideas from those, whether it be different places to shoot, different angles, alot of people find that studying other photographers work can be depressing or saddening for them, so i tend to avoid that as its normal to compare :s

its easy to get tired, we have 3 designers doing stuff here so that when one feels that they are getting too many similar theyll switch it up to another project, whether it be websites, blogs, print etc. likewise for photography, usually you can class them to a different style by how they act together or look/dress etc, if the couple may be frisky get some sexier naughtier shots if they are comfortable with it, more conservative the hugs and holding hands and lots of nice open space is what i go for with couples like that. Its really difficult though as some are really easy to work with and some not so, or one half is the other isnt, so it really varies on where you go, check www.thefwa.com and look for some fashion photography sites or music/band photography sites to get some ideas for locations or posing inspiration.

hope that helps.

forcing yourself to get OUT of your comfort zone helps as well.

Why re-invent the wheel -- stand on the shoulders of others and just copy other photographers images -- it is easier.

Boyfriend likes to tell me that good artists borrow, great artists steal.

I am totally with Carrie--I especially find art (and art photography) totally inspiring and am thinking about ditching a lot of my wedding photog blogs, now that I know how what I'm doing.

The hard part for me a lot of the time is that clients come in with an idea of what they want, and a lot of times it can be really generic and something that EVERYONE in the area does, which drives me nuts. But I really feel like I have to respect their wishes as the client, so I'll go ahead and do it. Usually in those situations, I can sneak in one or two creative shots that I can use on my website (and that they usually end up loving). I figure the more of those that I can show, the more people will want to hire me for THAT kind of work, instead of like ... leaning on a tree or something.

But when I start feeling really burnt out and stifled, which definitely does happen, I try to do a shoot completely for myself, which usually re-energizes me. It's usually not too hard to find a fun or creative friend to indulge me, and if I don't make them pay then they can't bitch at me. Seniors are fun too--more willing to experiment.

Focus on the precious moments as things happen give the couple some freedom, capture them when they express their true emotions. As someone once said " There can never be a perfect picture but a perfect moment". (I also need to learn from this).........................................................

It that way your photographs will not be like still water but like a running stream. Always moving, always changing and full of life ................................................................................
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my two cents...

What is it that Clay Blackmore says..."R&D stands for 'rip-off and duplicate.'"

What I do for creative inspiration is I go out and shoot just for me...whatever I feel like shooting however I feel like shooting. Sometimes I restrict myself to one of my older camera bodies and one of my lesser-used lenses...I force myself out of my comfort zone...like the time I shot all night at 1/4 a second with a fisheye on a 1.6x sensor with a mono-pod and then made a video of all those 1/4 second shots at 8 frames per second... (I promise it's not a rick-roll...but it's best listened to at a decent -- loud -- volume... )

Lots of wisdom there.

Hmmm...were you dating someone else when you met your boyfriend?

One thing I do periodically is force myself to shoot just one lens and see how many different things I can do with it. It's amazing the number of different looks you can get from one lens based just on angle, aperture and a willingness to play. Try Fun with Fifty or Everything Eighty-five day...

No, but he IS in advertising so that might help explain the shadiness!

After I get some shots in my "normal" style of shooting so I know I got what I need, I'll experiment. Sometimes I walk out of the reception and brainstorm a challenge to myself like "motion" or "color" or "details" or whatever, then I go back in and work on that challenge. Sometimes I play the "what-if" game, where I make up "What-if" statements like "What if I try taking a few shots from floor level?" or "What if I try taking a few shots with extreme shutter drag?"

I'm easily entertained this way.