Looking for a pick-me-up for your photography? Alfonso Calero shares six inspiring tips to add a healthy burst of creativity to the way you go about making images.
01 TRUST
The only person you need to please is yourself. Don’t let anyone tell you how or what to shoot. Once you have an idea follow it though to it's conclusion. Trust your vision!
All images shot on a misty foggy morning in July in the lower mangrove creek area of the Hawkesbury River, one hour's drive from Sydney. Photos by Alfonso Calero.
02 SHOOT LESS, SHOOT BETTER
Shoot without looking at the preview. This will force you to be in the moment. This will also force you to concentrate more on your idea not on technical data. Also, try to imagine that each shot is precious. If you slow down and think about what you're doing, the number of images you shoot might go down, but the quality of your images will almost certainly go up.
03 CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Before you take a shot, walk around the subject looking at it from different angles. Bend down, lie down, climb up, tilt your head. The shot will appear if you look for different angles. Watch how the light and background change as you move around.
04 PRE-VISUALISE
Seeing a photo in your mind's eye, long before you raise a camera to your eye, is known as previsualisation and it can be an incredibly powerful tool. Keep a notebook handy and sketch your ideas when you have them. What do you have to do to turn your idea into reality? What are the challenges and how can you solve them?
05 BE READY
While pre-visualisation can be useful tool, sometimes the best images are completely spontaneous. Of course, half the skill is recognising the special moments when they arise, but it also helps if you have a camera with you when you do! Carry a camera with you at all times and be on the lookout for photo opportunities. Even if you don't see anything that particularly inspires you, try to get in the habit of shooting every day. Regular practise will improve your creative and technical skills.
06 START A PROJECT
Create projects for yourself and work until a series or cohesive body of work emerges. For example you could pick a series of similar objects and photograph it once a day for ten days. Surf the internet for ideas or visit your local bookstore. Merge your hobbies with your photography. Google and the local library are great sources of inspiration and research.
Alfonso Calero graduated from the Sydney Institute of Technology with an Associate Diploma in Photography in 2001 and has been professionally photographing fine art, food, portraits, landscapes and travel subjects ever since. He is the owner of a travel education and tours company that delivers workshops every Saturday morning in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Fremantle. One on one or small group sessions are also available. He also takes groups to Japan, Philippines, Spain and Tasmania once a year for 5, 10 and 14-day photography workshops.