Thoughts on Intention & Insight

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PHOTO CHALLENGE | Take 3-5 photos per week that show your intention through your photography. Viewers should be able to identify what your subject, semblance of your interest, and creativity that only you can create.

There’s no real way to tell someone how to be intentional, other than a few guiding principles that may or may not resonate with you. For me, the time I spend to slow down and think through my creative process or find inspiration and create from there, is one I spend quietly and give time to. It’s not always possible to work methodically and make something amazing every time you pick up a camera, but it’s about creating good habits and building a foundation of tools in your mind that you can use when you go out to photograph. The goal is to promote a strong sense of “seeing”, personal intuition, creativity, and good habits.

Here are a few notes that I hope encourage you to trust your creative instincts and help strengthen your work:

  • Before you move your camera to your eye to take a photo, take a moment to observe: How is the light, where is it coming from? What other angles could you consider?

  • Look around for natural framing to create layers and interest in front of, behind, or in conjunction with your subject.

  • Look at the shapes/colors/textures/movement around you. How do they interact with one another?

  • Get your camera settings where you want them, then move past the technical and focus on the magic and beauty of the moment.

  • Allow yourself to be drawn toward whatever little things catch your eye, stand out to you, or speak to you in some way.

  • Consider your timing when you head out to photograph, if you can, go out early morning or late afternoon to evening.

The benefit of practicing the tips above and developing good photography/creativity habits, is that you get repeatable results and consistency that only comes with practice. Insight, intuition, and creativity always starts with a great deal of interest, a great deal of knowledge. You don’t have to be brilliant to connect a few dots in ways that no one else ever has before, you’re just trusting yourself and what you’re drawn to. And that’s often what creativity is: the simple act of putting together two or more well-known ideas in a way that nobody ever has before. The ideas were there, but only you can see them the way you do. That’s creativity, but it happens best with a deep understanding and knowledge of the field.