An Apple a Day Keeps Creativity Awake

Do you find yourself lacking inspiration? Without new ideas? Or just unsatisfied with your average looking images? Pablo Picasso – the famous and talented artist – once said, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” This exercise is designed to help you achieve exactly that, and awaken your creativity.

An old English proverb says, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. So following this principle I came up with a routine for your photographic health. Something to keep you busy so that inspiration can find you working, as Picasso suggested.

Step 1: Photograph an apple

Why an apple? Well, because I found that many times the excuses that we use are linked to the idea that we don’t have an interesting subject, or a nice-looking one, or an expensive one, in other words something worthy of photographing. So don’t procrastinate at the market looking for the perfect red shiny apple that looks like one from a fairy tale, just get an apple. An apple is something we all have access to. It’s not particularly expensive, and as you will see, also very versatile.

The first part of the exercise is to photograph your subject, in this case the apple without altering it. In other words, you are the one who is going to adapt in order to get the most out of it. For now you don’t have to worry about the technical part, so you can just leave your camera on automatic mode and shoot away. Photograph your apple from the top and from the bottom; from afar and in macro; with a wide-angle lens and a telephoto – anything you can think of.

Once you have done this and you can’t think of any other ways to photograph the apple, push yourself to do at least two more. Yes, it may take some time to come up with them, but trust me, those will be the best ones! Why? Because photograph has been around for almost two centuries, and lately thousands of images are done everyday, so most likely the first images you can come up with, are also the same ones everybody thinks about. That is why you need to come out of your comfort zone and exercise your photographic mind and eye.

As you can see, the color and exposure on each one is different. This is because the camera was set on automatic mode. This way the settings adjust to the information it’s receiving. If most of the frame is covered by the warm colors of the apple it sends different information than a frame mostly covered by the white background. This is why the next step is very important.

Step 2: Put your technique to good use

Now that you have found the best angle for photographing your apple, you can move on to the next level – make it professional!

When you had your camera on auto mode it made the decisions by itself. Let’s be honest, with the cameras that exist on the market today, it’s very easy to get a well-exposed photo. However, what I always say to my students is, “We learn photography not to make it good, but to make it our own.”

If you use the automatic mode of your camera, it might come out a good photo, but it won’t be your photo, because you didn’t make any of the decisions. In this part of the exercise you need to put your photographic knowledge – no matter how much that is – to good use.

If you know about bracketing (the process of making the same photo with different exposures) then do that.

If you know about lighting, then play with your lights. Use a direct flash to create a hard shadow for one image, then use a flash and a reflector to soften the shadow, and so on. Even if you don’t have a professional set of lighting gear you can always play with artificial light from lamps and natural light from windows. The point is to use your tools and techniques to make your photo the way you want it to be and not just another snapshot.

Step 3: Get creative

Now it’s all about the finishing touches. It’s always important that you are able to produce a technically good and unique photo of an object/subject. But how about getting a bit more creative? Try to tell a story, to set a mood, or to use the apple as a metaphor, anything goes! 

Once you have your best angle and your light and settings selected, it’s time to decide what you want to say with your photo. Do you want your photo to be yummy and inviting? Maybe cut the apple and plate it on a beautiful table. Do you want it to be about health and nutrition? Maybe add some other fruits to the set.

If you want to push yourself a little bit more then try to tell a story, maybe make a photographic series. Think about Snow White or Adam and Eve, in both cases the apple plays an important role. Do you want it to be conceptual? Think about life and death for example using a fresh and a rotten apple. You can do anything you want just by adding some elements, add some context, and get creative!

Today for me it was a healthy, ready-to-eat snack!

Conclusion and what’s next

Great work! I hope you enjoyed your apple for today. Tomorrow maybe go with an orange, or a dog, or a self-portrait. You can apply this three steps to everything, or stay with the apples and see how far you can get, the important thing is to exercise every day.

How to Pause and Learn to Make Fewer and Better Photos

At the end of each year do you find yourself with thousands of photos and wonder what to do with them all? Or wondering if you should even keep them? This is a lament that I often hear in my photography workshops and have experienced the same problem myself. Sometimes, this is a result of being too quick to click. You see something that excites you photographically and proceed to snap away, hoping that you’ll cover all the bases and that at least one shot will be a keeper. Sometimes this works and you do get one that you like, but often you find yourself disappointed because there isn’t even one that truly reflects your experience.

But what if you could take a different approach to your photography? One where you make fewer and also perhaps better photos? I’ve found that the simple practice of pausing before clicking the shutter can make a huge difference in the quantity and quality of your photographic output and enjoyment. Let’s break it down.

Pausing is the practice of checking in with oneself. When something stops you and you want to make a photograph, take a moment to notice what’s happening and ask yourself a few questions.

• What do I see, smell, and hear?
• What stopped me?
• Was it a color, shape, or texture?
• What am I feeling? What do I like about it and why?
• Does it mirror something going on in my life at this moment?

If this sounds like navel-gazing to you, believe me, it’s not. Many photographers over the years have said that a photograph says something about the creator. Your choice of subject matter reveals a lot about you. By becoming more aware of why you photograph what you do, you will gradually uncover your photographic vision.

If you take the time to ask yourself these questions, you will become clear on what’s drawing you personally to that subject. In the photograph above, of a reflection on a car, it was the three-color harmony and the sweeping, curving lines that drew me in. It’s vibrant and airy and makes me feel like dancing.

The clearer you are on why the more clear your photographic message will be to the viewer. You get to the heart or essence of what’s there and your photograph will have a greater impact, and you’ll learn about yourself in the process.

Focus

Now that you’ve clarified what stopped you in the first place – the concept or message you want to convey – it’s time to focus your attention and look closer. The contemplative monk, Thomas Merton, said, “There are degrees of attention: the glance, the cursory look, the look, the long look.” (Master of Attention)

When you’re too quick to click, you’re only taking a glance or cursory look. Consider how your photography would change if you took more long looks. You most definitely will come to a greater appreciation for your subject.

The image above shows the exterior wall of my aunt’s barn, a structure that is very old and has not been well maintained for some time. A closer look reveals its subtle beauty and rhythm.

Here are some ways to practice focusing:

Look at the details – the colors, shapes, textures, etc.

Sketch the general outline of the scene. Get the big picture.

Jot down some notes on what you see, sense, and feel.

Change your vantage point. Look at the subject from different angles and perspectives.

Identify the essential elements. Each should contribute to the main subject in some way.

Connect

Finally, once you have determined the best way to compose and expose your shot, it’s time to connect and click the shutter. I think of a photograph as a visual record of the relationship the photographer has with their subject. Once you learn to pause and focus, you will have that relationship. Ask yourself a few more questions.

How should I compose this subject or scene?

Should one element take up most of the frame or should I use juxtaposition with several elements?

What are the essential elements?

What should be included the frame and what should be left out?

How is the light and how should I expose the image to best express what I’m seeing?

Should I use a narrow depth of field or have everything in focus?

Will this composition best express what I’m seeing, and most importantly, what I’m feeling?

With the image above, I spent a good amount of time pausing and focusing on an amazing rock formation off the coast of New Hampshire. I did some sketching of the whole scene (the ocean was beyond) and it was quite some time before I noticed the little pebble tucked safely inside this crack. To me, it felt symbolic. This tiny pebble was being protected by the stronger forces around it. I felt a connection and composed accordingly.

Conclusion

You may be wondering who has the time to ask these questions, especially when the moment or the light is passing quickly. That is certainly the case in some instances and at those times you must be ready to seize the moment. But usually, you will have the time. Consider it a practice that is well worth it. Eventually, the answers to these questions will become quicker and more intuitive. You’ll do them without much thinking at all.