How to find ideas of taking pictures

How do I find ideas to take pictures of things. I struggle with this all the time and I don't know what i can do to find cool things to take pictures of.

Look for what interests you. Don't worry about whether it's been done before (its ALL been done before) and just do what you want, work out ideas, explore. When you find something that draws your eye try to figure out why it did so and present that to the viewer. Look at the work of others (all sorts of stuff, not just what you like at first glance), set aside the images that you liked and then look for something similar to work with. Use the idea of what you liked in their work with your own subjects.

You are correct, it has all been done before. I think that is one of my problems. I know that this park or that bird has been photograph, so I wonder to myself, why bother taking pictures of it.

A lot of contests, like groups on facebook, have themed weekly contests, that give you ideas. Like, animals. macro,flowers,bugs,babies,landscape,etc etc. Also challenge yourself, See the big picture of your surroundings then look closer and closer for small things along the way.

Look what is around in your local area and keep your camera at hand, you never know when an opportunity will pop it's head up.

For me I found a Bird Of Prey centre 30 mins down the road and popped along as it was something I hadn't shot before, I'm now an annual member of two centres and find I spend most of my days off there as looking at the shots I ahve taken before it's always fun trying to improve them and learn from the mistakes you made before, last year was a wildlife centre so trying something new....

Don't be afraid of repeating shots you have taken before, the light is normally different (or at least it is here in the UK where cloud tends to be a very common occurance of varying degrees so it changes the parameters your trying to shoot with.

At the end of the day shoot what makes you happy and see what you come up with, don't worry about what others think but it is always good to post shots for crit to see where others think the shot can be improved, some crit you may agree with, others you won't but for me any advice is always worth while as we can all improve and elarn something new

It's a common problem unless you push yourself out the door and go shooting. I'm going off in a day or so to shoot the local butterfly show, Macro mind you and I'm a sports shooter mainly. I get a few really good macro shots at this show every year and it's an opportunity to shoot something different. So think of the opportunities around you rather than how it may have been done before.

If you think of it as "finding something interesting" to photograph, you'll always come home empty handed. Anyone can take a picture of something 'interesting' but it takes a good photographer to take an interesting photo of something ordinary.

In other words, start looking at things differently. A sidewalk is about as plain as you can get, but throw in a hopscotch grid or maybe a dropped ice cream cone .... get down on your hands and knees ... perhaps the cracks might look like a road map or .... I think you get the idea.

The world is full of photographs just waiting to be taken, you just have to see them.

Graflex 4x5 wrote: If you think of it as "finding something interesting" to photograph, you'll always come home empty handed. Anyone can take a picture of something 'interesting' but it takes a good photographer to take an interesting photo of something ordinary.

In other words, start looking at things differently. A sidewalk is about as plain as you can get, but throw in a hopscotch grid or maybe a dropped ice cream cone .... get down on your hands and knees ... perhaps the cracks might look like a road map or .... I think you get the idea.

The world is full of photographs just waiting to be taken, you just have to see them.

I was about to say basically the same thing.. An exercise I read about a while back forces a person to look for the interesting or unusual shots..
1. Stand outside your front door. Look at your watch.
2. Start walking, in any direction you want.
3. Walk exactly 10 minutes and stop wherever you are.
4. From that spot, within a 10-foot circle, find or create 10 interesting images. They can be anything: point-of-view, depth-of-field, macro, wide-angle, lying on the ground, looking up at the sky, tilting your camera - whatever.
5. It isn't always what you shoot, it's how you shoot it that makes the difference...

DestinDave wrote:

Graflex 4x5 wrote: If you think of it as "finding something interesting" to photograph, you'll always come home empty handed. Anyone can take a picture of something 'interesting' but it takes a good photographer to take an interesting photo of something ordinary.

In other words, start looking at things differently. A sidewalk is about as plain as you can get, but throw in a hopscotch grid or maybe a dropped ice cream cone .... get down on your hands and knees ... perhaps the cracks might look like a road map or .... I think you get the idea.

The world is full of photographs just waiting to be taken, you just have to see them.

I was about to say basically the same thing.. An exercise I read about a while back forces a person to look for the interesting or unusual shots..
1. Stand outside your front door. Look at your watch.
2. Start walking, in any direction you want.
3. Walk exactly 10 minutes and stop wherever you are.
4. From that spot, within a 10-foot circle, find or create 10 interesting images. They can be anything: point-of-view, depth-of-field, macro, wide-angle, lying on the ground, looking up at the sky, tilting your camera - whatever.
5. It isn't always what you shoot, it's how you shoot it that makes the difference...

Are there public parks, botanical gardens, a zoo, old farms, old cemeteries, rivers, passing traffic, car shows (or show and shines), or cracked sidewalks in your area. All can be great subject IF you look at them "differently". Check out Dewitt Jones web site. It is all over "seeing" what is right there before you.

Country gal wrote: Look for what interests you.

Don't go out and do photography. Go out and do your life, and take photographs while you are at it. What's another hobby you enjoy? Start photographing that.

Dewitt Jones "What's Right with the World" video.
A great 22 minute experience.
www.viddler.com/explore/bethechange/videos/1

Wow. I just went back and viewed it again. If this doesn't inspire you, you may as well put your camera away.

I agree that what you shoot is maybe the most important decision in your career, and it should start out as something "personal" or something you enjoy.

Here's a excerpt from an interview with Magnum photographer, David Hurn, on just that subject. I usually give it out only to advanced students as it can stifle those who are beginning --- they end up putting too much weight on their photographic decisions. But, I think it might help you decide WHAT to shoot (along with Dewitt's video linked above):

www.mlkstudios.com/pdf/On_Being_a_Photographer.pdf

Matthew