Guest Post by Todd Abbotts with photography by Joe Farace
“writing about a writer’s block is better than not writing at all” ― The Last Night of the Earth Poems
If you pursue any creative process long enough you’ll most likely experience some kind of “block”. Writers, painters, graphic designers, photographers; all creatives can fall prey to this swirling black hole that eats your fresh ideas and new material. Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick, likely quit writing novels altogether after a prolonged bout of this malady.
How I Made this Photograph: From Joe: Car photographs don’t have to be horizontal! Not many people even know what a TVR automobile is, so it’s always a pleasure for me to find one of these unusual cars and make a photograph of them. This TVR Vixen was photographed before a car show started. (Having your own car as an show entry is one way to get early admittance.) The camera used to make this image was an EOS 1D Mark II N with an exposure of 1/200 sec at f/7.1 at ISO 200. The lens was an EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS at 109mm.
Breaking the Block
I’ve just emerged from my own fight with this dragon, and thought it worthwhile to share some of the tools that I used to re-ignite the creative flame:
It’s only kinky the first time. In other words, try something new. If you normally shoot landscapes, grab a family member or friend and try a portraiture session. To address my photographic dry-spell I began shooting at night; moonscapes, street scenes, night sky, etc. It took me out of my comfort zone, and forced me to reevaluate the basics of making quality images.
Turn the lens inward. Because life happens and sometimes it’s messy, nothing dampens my creative energy like one of life’s emotional stressors. Work issues, relationship drama, financial strain, all can hold your mind hostage to the current crisis, while stealing motivation to create. Ironically, immersing ourselves in our creative passions can often free us to discover potential resolutions to stress. For me, just being aware of the distraction can lessen its impact on my photography.
Explore the work of others. For photographers, it’s never been easier to immerse ourselves in the creations of our peers. All it takes is a smart phone and an app to start using Instagram, Facebook, Flickr, etc. Virtual treasure troves of inspiration and creative challenges. Of course, museums, art classes and galleries, while ‘old school’, are every bit as effective if not as convenient.
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