At its purest, photography is a beautiful art form. Every once in a while, many of us forget that, though.
Luckily, it only takes a little push to get back on track when that happens, and that’s why we wrote this article. To rekindle your spark for photography by reminding you to always find joy in your projects and to challenge and inspire your artistic vision!
How do we do it? By encouraging you to think outside the box and try your hand at creative photography projects. Ideas covered below include experimental photography techniques, conceptual photography, alternative perspectives, storytelling, and editing. Additionally, I’ll share a resource that can help you transform your favorite images into stunning metal prints.
Keep reading to learn more!
Table of Contents
- Creative Photography Projects: Experimental Techniques
- Give Conceptual Photography a Try
- Creative Photography Projects: Exploring Alternative Perspectives
- Photographic Storytelling Can Unleash Your Creativity
- Creative Photography Projects: Experimental Editing
Creative Photography Projects: Experimental Techniques
Photo by Michalakis Ppalis via Shutterstock
Stepping out of your comfort zone and playing around with experimental photography techniques is an excellent way to feel inspired as a photographer. You will have tons of fun learning how to shoot these unique images, and as a bonus, your photos will be more visually appealing and grab viewers’ attention.
Popular techniques include light painting, double-exposure photography, long-exposure photography, time-lapse photography, and lens manipulation. If you have never tried any of these techniques before, we recommend starting with long exposures. They are easy to practice and only require a camera and a tripod.
Many videos on YouTube can teach you how to capture all the creative photography techniques mentioned above. Alternatively, you can sign up for a photography workshop or course online or in person.
Give Conceptual Photography a Try
Photo by RugliG via Shutterstock
Conceptual photography is a relatively new genre in which photographers manipulate photos to sculpt a specific visual narrative. Conceptual photos aim to convey an emotion or message to the audience in a clever and original way. This type of visual storytelling is particularly popular amongst graphic designers and marketers.
You can also use it in your creative photography projects, though. If you have a cause or idea you are passionate about, conceptual photography can help you transform it into a visual metaphor you can share with friends, family, and clients. Surrealism, abstract compositions, and fantastical concepts make wonderful conceptual photos.
Once you have created your image, the next step is deciding how to display it. Personally, I love metal prints! They pair well with conceptual photography because they enhance colors and definition while adding a gorgeous metallic shimmer that makes photos stand out.
Shiny Prints is my go-to resource for customizing and ordering high-quality metal prints. As their name indicates, Shiny Prints only works with metal, so their expertise ensures you get an incredible print. Don’t believe me? Check out my video above to see proof!
The folks at Shiny Prints have extensive experience in fine art printing, compositing, and photo retouching. Add to that a complete understanding of color management, high-quality inks, and impeccable aluminum sheets to print on, and you have a combination for success!
As you might imagine, companies like Shiny Prints are customer-centric, so you’ll have the support you need from the moment you place your order until your print arrives at your doorstep. On top of that, Shiny Prints offers its products at competitive prices, so your print won’t break the bank. What’s not to like about that?!
Creative Photography Projects: Exploring Alternative Perspectives
Photo by Aerial-motion via Shutterstock
If you lined up all of your photos, chances are that most of them would have a similar look and feel. That’s because many photographers (consciously or not) tend to have a certain style and perspective that defines their work. With that in mind, exploring different perspectives is a great way to challenge and inspire your artistic vision if you want to break free of that mold.
Simply shifting the perspective from which you shoot can dramatically affect your photos. Take the picture of the boat above, for example. The birds-eye-view perspective tells an entirely different story than if you had tried to shoot the same scene from the shore.
Macro, aerial, and underwater photography are some of the best ways to capture unique perspectives we rarely see. Photography gear that can help you with your creative photography projects includes drones, macro lenses, underwater camera housings, GoPros, and tripods.
Photographic Storytelling Can Unleash Your Creativity
Photo by De Visu via Shutterstock
Taking on a larger creative photography project like a photo series also helps photographers connect with their imagination and improve their skills. Constructing a photo series will force you to put on your creative thinking cap before, during, and after shooting. If you don’t, you will end up with a hodgepodge of random, unconnected photos that will leave people wanting more.
Documentary photography is especially well-suited for photographic storytelling. It allows you to capture real-life images of stories, events, or social issues and share them with others. And who knows, you might even be able to get your work published online or in a magazine!
If you don’t want to take on such serious topics, making a travel photography photo series is a fun way to document a trip. You can then showcase those memories on metal prints or compile them into a photo book.
Creative Photography Projects: Experimental Editing
Photo by Avesun via Shutterstock
Finally, we have to discuss photo editing. Post-processing software is more powerful today than ever, and you can harness it to make breathtaking, creative photography projects. While most people can make simple edits that alter and enhance images, why stop there? Try some experimental editing techniques next time you launch your favorite photo editing program.
For example, you can build a photo collage by combining multiple images into one surreal or abstract composition. Alternatively, you can use different editing techniques or add vintage effects to your photos to create a timeless aesthetic that evokes nostalgia. Some programs, such as Adobe Photoshop, even let you blend two photos into a brand-new picture.
I also suggest experimenting with all the new AI tools that editing programs have integrated into their platforms. It will differ from person to person, but some are incredible time-savers that will change how you work forever.
Disclaimer: Just so you know, some of the cool stuff we mention comes with affiliate links, meaning we earn a commission if you buy (no extra charge to you!). Plus, we occasionally feature sponsored content, but rest assured, we only shout out products we genuinely stand behind.
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Hero photo by Geobor via Shutterstock
