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09/15/2006 11:15:40 AM · #1 |
I often get comments on my creative (if not often irreverant) thinking. So, I figured we could start a thread to get some creative juices flowing. Let's answer questions about thought processes that go into creative imagery and concepts.
I'd like everyone to join in and ask questions.
I'd love to especially invite  scalvert and  Art ROFLMAO, as (IMO) they are masters of outside the box thinking.
Mor to come, putting together some thoughts now, but please ask away.
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09/15/2006 11:38:39 AM · #2 |
As far as what you see of my creative eforts, you will see I mostly deal in parody of existing ideas.
I spent a lot of time in my youth writing "Weird Al" type songs to the tune of popular music. Weird Al has been a personal hero of mine forever and I often mimmick him in most of my art.
For instance, let's take the cheese image. That was a direct parody of the "Got Milk?" ad campaign. You've seen the ads. Hunks or babes, most of the time scantily clad, with milk on their lips. That concept came together easily for me. Didn't score well here, but oh well ...
Now, I have an image in the Self Portraits challenge that portrays me as Atlas, the primordial Titan of Greek myth, who holds the world upon his shoulders. That concept didn't come as easily to me. I had to milk it come. I had an excersize ball and I had been thinking about using it in a self-portrait shot, but what to do with it?
I picked up the ball and started posing with it, no camera, just me. Once I held it behind my head, the idea popped into my mind, nearly instantly. I quickly ran off to Google and come up with this.
Oh yeah, I can do that, I thought. So I set up the camera and started posing with the ball, running to the camera after each frame to chimp the shot, making sure I had something to work with. Once in Photoshop, I had to test my skill with layer masks and adjustment layers to be able to place a globe on my shoulders, but having a physical prop to work with made the job so much easier. If I hadn't just brain-stormed physically with the ball, I never would have had the idea.
Atlas Image
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09/15/2006 11:41:14 AM · #3 |
| This sounds like a game for a long car ride. You are right you three are outside the box and inspireing thinkers but i always just assumed you were MAD!! i'm not sure what goes on in your heads but keep those pictures coming. |
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09/15/2006 11:42:32 AM · #4 |
Wonderful idea!! I've been struggling with how to connect better with the viewer and I'm sure the problem is a lack of creativity.
I'm not sure how many others here work in the corporate environment, but I think it's about the biggest creativity killer I can imagine. By the end of the day I cannot even come up with an idea for dinner.
Message edited by author 2006-09-15 11:43:09.
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09/15/2006 11:48:14 AM · #5 |
Originally posted by Nusbaum:
I'm not sure how many others here work in the corporate environment, but I think it's about the biggest creativity killer I can imagine. By the end of the day I cannot even come up with an idea for dinner. |
Exactly the reason you should learn to "play" in your mind. I equate creativity as only a form of mental play. Myself, I look at things, and then twist the concept in my head. It's fun for me and it breaks monotony if I'm bored.
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09/15/2006 11:56:19 AM · #6 |
| Hmmm... this is a Pandora's Box, wrapped in heavy chains, locks and Teletubbies gift wrap. It may not be safe. You sure you wanna open it? |
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09/15/2006 12:02:37 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by scalvert:
Hmmm... this is a Pandora's Box, wrapped in heavy chains, locks and Teletubbies gift wrap. It may not be safe. You sure you wanna open it? |
Yes indeed, scary as it may be :-)
Why don't you explain how you came up with some of your awesome ideas.
Especially this photo:
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09/15/2006 12:09:23 PM · #8 |
I run the Destination Imagination program for several school districts. It's a world wide creative problem solving program focused on teaching our children creative thinking skills, teamwork skills, and many other skills needed but not taught in schools. Last year we had around 800 kids in just my region participating. These kids are our future and I can't begin to tell you how exciting it is to see the creativity they demonstrate. Anyhow....
One of the very first things we tell teams is that the first 5 things that pop into your mind are the same things everyone else will come up with -- you need to push for the 10th, 14th, 20th idea and build upon it.
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09/15/2006 02:14:52 PM · #9 |
Most of mine are based on messing with the title of the photo or the challenge ... often I'll have the phrase first and try to compose a photo to match. Perhaps the classic was this entry for the
Neon Challenge:  and this related shot from the Light Challenge: 
Sometimes I use it to try and make people think a little. Here are a few others which might not fit the DPC mold ... challenge topics are listed, but you'll have to check the titles yourself ... : )
Framing:  Hidden Faces:  Chocolate: 
Wacky Foods:  Lines II:  Darkness: 
Metal:  Take Two:  Shadows III: 
Your Shadow II:  Candy:  Garbage: 
Message edited by author 2006-09-15 14:28:51. |
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09/15/2006 06:30:10 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:
Why don't you explain... this photo |
Alrighty then... the challenge was Lens Cap. What a boring topic! There is nothing exciting or appealing about a lens cap, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that most people will just put the cap somewhere and take a photo of it. Most of the entries scoring below 6 were exactly that, and such a scene doesn't leave much to compel the viewer. Either the cap will look like it's awkwardly inserted into a situation where it doesn't belong, or the image will just be boring.
My first step was to think of any unusual places or situations that a lens cap would logically be seen in... falling off a cliff, at the bottom of a lake (or toilet, I suppose), dangling from a camera held by a gorgeous model (maybe with glossy red nail polish and lipstick), swiped by a raccoon or pack rat, maybe carried off by a wild bird. I try to avoid situations that are too contrived, especially with toys or pets in the scene, because they tend to look amateurish IMO.
Out of this group of ideas, I decided that a pack rat would make the most interesting concept... the lens cap would be stolen by a mischievous animal and put to good use. This type of shot has an advantage over a beauty scene because a single frame can imply an entire story for the viewer to piece together like a puzzle. I only had one teensy problem: no mouse. A lens cap in a mouse hole without the mouse would be dull, so I asked around and found a neighbor with a hamster. Close enough.
Now, a lens cap in a pile of debris isn't very appealing, so the "home" would have to be decorated. The more little details for viewers to discover, the better. A big lens cap made sense as a table, and I spent a few days thinking about other small objects that a mouse could use as human-equivalent furniture. That's the key for me... spend all week thinking about the challenge, narrow down the most interesting or visually appealing concepts, then think about just that shot for a while. I rarely shoot until the last day, and then I PS right up to midnight (sometimes missing the deadline in the process). If I think of a really good concept or subject that doesn't meet the challenge, I'll write it down and wait for the right topic rather than waste it.
Anyhoo, back to the mouse... the biggest hurdle for me was the lamp. I wanted to have something "functional' in the shot to add realism. If there's a working lamp/computer/TV, etc., then the scene is more believable than just a bunch of staged, lifeless objects. Unfortunately, the image quality had to suffer for that lamp. The mini light bulb was pretty dim, so I had to keep the surrounding lights even lower in order to see the glow. It became a bigger problem when I picked up the hamster and saw how dark it was. Fortunately, the voters will often forgive some technical faults if you can capture their imagination. ;-) |
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09/16/2006 07:23:06 PM · #11 |
Wow, a lot of prep and thought. And, that is why I believe you have so many ribbons under your belt.
It's become quite easy to pick an scalvert shot in a challenge, because of this attention to detail that spills from your imagination.
I, personally, never would have thought to have the light working :-)
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09/16/2006 08:04:32 PM · #12 |
Something I personally find helpful:
Walk around Wal-Mart
They have a million helpful things there. For my gold entry, I just went around looking for anything gold I could find. I ended up with some buttons and some gold thread, and then the idea just came to me!
Message edited by author 2006-09-16 20:06:16. |
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09/16/2006 09:27:32 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:
Wow, a lot of prep and thought. And, that is why I believe you have so many ribbons under your belt.
It's become quite easy to pick an scalvert shot in a challenge, because of this attention to detail that spills from your imagination.
I, personally, never would have thought to have the light working :-) |
Lets be real here. The lamp wasn't needed. Shannon is just a perfectionist. It was there because HE needed it to be there. :P |
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09/16/2006 09:54:26 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by scalvert:
My first step was to think of any unusual places or situations that a lens cap would logically be seen in... falling off a cliff, at the bottom of a lake (or toilet, I suppose), dangling from a camera held by a gorgeous model (maybe with glossy red nail polish and lipstick), swiped by a raccoon or pack rat, maybe carried off by a wild bird. |
I would have a hard time even getting this far. To start with nothing but the idea of a "Lens Cap" challenge and end with an idea of a lens cap being "swiped by a raccoon or pack rat" is probably a greater creative leap than I could have made. I would like to know how you thought of that. Cuz I don't think I ever would have... I think that the answer to how you (Scalvert) thought of it is probably the core/heart of the creative process.
This is a good thread. I hope that it continues for a while before dying.
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09/16/2006 10:28:53 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by Keith Maniac:
This is a good thread. I hope that it continues for a while before dying. |
Gonna try to keep that from happening. I got a PM from Art ROFLMAO yesterday saying he would try to post some this weekend. I, for one, would love to get some insight on what goes on inside his head :-)
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09/16/2006 10:43:33 PM · #16 |
I want to start adding some material here for us to discuss. I've been doing a bunch of research for interesting articles on creative thinking and would like to discuss some of the material in structured way.
So, let's start here:
An Intro to Creative Thinking
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09/16/2006 10:57:55 PM · #17 |
I think part of what creativity is maybe just something you have to have in many cases. Your brain just has to work in that strange and quirky way to create concepts and associations that have intersting side effect like coolness and amazement by others.
Now, you can train yourself in some manner to do this. Look at enough pictures (art, stock, ads, whatever) and you'll start to put things together that you didn't see before. I think of things now that I wouldn't have thought of before, but they're mostly in the realm of technical tricks.
Shannon, and others, have gotten beyond the technical. They are more focused on the creative process because the ligting a setup knowhow are already there. Tips and tricks that have been learned over years of experience.
I often have creative ideas like this. I mostly lack the time and patience (and whatever) to carry out these ideas as shannon does. For Scene-It, I wanted to go by a house with a Delorian, ask them If I could use it for a pic. Take a long exposure with the car in it (one flash), cover the camera, put me in a puffy oarnge jacket, and some lighter fluid lit on the ground behind me (2flash) cover camera, get out of shot, uncover and let flames expose a bit. Poof, top 10.
Problem with that is, time, social skills (convincing a dude that he really wants a print or family portraits for the use of his prop), and a suitable location (more time). If I were a college kid, I'd like to think I'd be producing more things similar to Shannon's stuff than the "found" and studio stuff I do mostly.
Back to creativity: Think of the first thing that comes to your head when looking at the challenge. Think: "Will everyone else think of that?". If so, it's not necessarily very creative. Now think: "what spin can I put on that concept that can make the image POP?" Now you've started. If you take an ordinary concept with some small wow factor, then you usually get a minor 6+ image. If you take a WOW concept combined with WOW execution, you get a top 10. I consider my ribbon to be in the first category, and was bumped higher than low-6's by the Challenge description.
That brings us to Challenge Titles, and Challenge Descriptions.
Considering these for DPC is always key. Most of the time, I miss the mark. Most often there is no way to please everyone in a challenge, you have to learn to recognize the more open-ended descriptions that allow for creativity before you get too creative.
Lens cap, while seemingly limited, was actually open-ended.
Image without subject, while seemingly open-ended, was very narrow, and very wide at the same time. That's one of those challenges where if you have an incredible shot that doesn't fly in the face of the challenge, the voters will tolerate you. If you miss on the execution, you're dead. If you follow to close to the letter of the challenge, you're boring, and 5.5-ish.
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09/16/2006 11:15:28 PM · #18 |
Very good post Steve. I have one disagreement. I think that anyone can learn to use thier right brain for creative thought.
The key is to find a balance in left-right brain. A creative idea is worth nothing if you can't logically put it together. Also, logic is worth nothing with out creativity.
If you are having problems with creativity, your first goal is to assess your brain dominance and to strengthen the less dominant side.
Linky
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09/16/2006 11:17:48 PM · #19 |
A quote from my most favourite photographer:
"Most people reason deductively much of the time and most photographers see that way. We have a premise or dominant idea, whether or not it is consciously determined, and we proceed along a line of thought that develops logically the implications of the idea. Eventually, we reach a conclusion. It's a closed process. Seldom do we look sideways, that is, search for other premises or new beginnings. We avoid introducing new factors, technical or emotional, into our photography for fear that we won't be able to control them."
Freeman Patterson, Photography & the Art of Seeing |
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09/16/2006 11:27:27 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by ursula:
We avoid introducing new factors, technical or emotional, into our photography for fear that we won't be able to control them."
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Very true. The human mind is quite lazy. Thus, it is quite natural for us to have stereotypes, stigmas, schemas & other mental crutches that allow the mind to not have to actively process information.
To think creatively, you must force yourself to let lose of those crutches.
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09/16/2006 11:30:35 PM · #21 |
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09/16/2006 11:53:19 PM · #22 |
Originally posted by Keith Maniac:
To start with nothing but the idea of a "Lens Cap" challenge and end with an idea of a lens cap being "swiped by a raccoon or pack rat" is probably a greater creative leap than I could have made. |
Hmmm... I didn't see it as a big leap at all (maybe because I'm just nuts). The two most logical scenarios for a lens cap IMO are either A: attached to the camera or B: dropped/lost in some way. The mouse concept was simply a matter of listing farfetched ways for objects to become lost: taken by gremlins, ghosts, animals... or maybe it got up and walked away by itself. Rather than a big leap, it's more like a long series of small steps. You start with, "What if..." and follow that path wherever it leads until you reach an interesting conclusion or a dead end.
What if an animal took the lens cap... what kind of animal would it be? A dog or cat is probably to common to bother with, and Bengal tigers have steep modeling fees. You might be able to coax a squirrel or seagull into holding a lens cap, but what would the story be? Why would an animal WANT to grab a lens cap? What if it's for a nest? Rodents, birds (especially bower birds), and raccoons all swipe objects for their nests. Lens caps aren't soft or pretty though, so it's wouldn't be used for bedding or decor. It would have to be a tool or furniture. There's not much you can do to decorate a bird's nest, but I've watched enough cartoons to see LOTS of decorated mouse holes (heck, I used one for the Miniature challenge). So you see, it wasn't really a huge leap for me. |
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09/17/2006 12:27:25 AM · #23 |
This is a subject that is very dear to me. To throw in my two cents, consider this:
From childhood to adult we are constantly being curbed. We accept the truism that we can all use a little polish to realize our goals and ambitions. At a certain time in our life we begin to practice self control and somewhere we end up with a set of fixed beliefs expressed in strong likes and dislikes. This sets up an unconscious censorship that keeps us contained to a fixed dimension. Those that indulge in seeking the light are able to expand this dimension. Since we are all different the dimension we live in is realized by the sum of how we react to outside stimuli. Your best images will hardly be about subjects for which you show a strong dislike. Observe that the above will usually favor your likes and it is rather too stiff to be super creative.
The answer lies in detaching yourself from your fixed dimension. This is very easy to do but children do it much better and faster. Us older folks must employ different kinds of relaxation or meditation to make it happen. You relax so deep that you are able, if only for a moment to divorced yourself from your self. Hard to do but not impossible. Eventually, you develop a knack and it becomes part of your daily life.
Imagine yourself free from your container with zero censorship; where the mind is like a sponge absorbing the likely and unlikely and you cast no judgement armed with your likes and dislikes.
You never look the muse in the eye. Always askanse and always relaxed because the ideas will shy away. Once you receive the spark it will animate you and send your blood rushing to bring to life the visualization that bit you. While you wait for the muse, remember to sharpen your skills, the more skills: the more ideas that will visit you. Accept them all, even those ideas that are beyond your current skills. These you can always saved for a later date.
Message edited by author 2006-09-17 00:29:01. |
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09/17/2006 12:33:53 AM · #24 |
Oh Daniel, I am glad you joined in... awesome post! Could I persuade you to explain the thought processes behind some of your images?
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09/17/2006 12:39:17 AM · #25 |
Originally posted by graphicfunk:
Accept them all, even those ideas that are beyond your current skills. These you can always saved for a later date. |
I've got this part covered. :)
Btw, to add to this discussion, I've always found (for me anyway) that shooting very common things brings out my creativity. I think if I was presented with something new and exciting my photos of it would be bland.
Message edited by author 2006-09-17 00:41:05. |
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