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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> Tricks for creativity
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 10/22/2011 09:14:17 AM · #26
Originally posted by markwiley:
I am interested in learning how others approach the challenges.


So am I.

Although I would add, not just challenges but creativity as a whole and beyond.

This particular list read more like an introduction to me but didn't invite a deeper conversation with my wayward heart and I recognize the loss as my own.

In a world full of fleeting yet entertaining ideas, the development of an actual working idea may become the stuff of legend. Over the years, a number of legendary DPC'ers have authored lists full of concrete ideas and posts full of helpful advice. And, so like a flame to a flame, the world grows more beautiful and brighter.

For those of you who found a light here in this thread, may your creativity never dim...;-)

Message edited by author 2011-10-22 09:34:13.
 10/22/2011 12:16:30 PM · #27
Originally posted by gyaban:

.....
Maybe other people could share their approach to challenges too?


Originally posted by markwiley:
I am interested in learning how others approach the challenges.


Going to jump in and add my two cents. The creative muse is not always easy to capture. There are ways to 'invoke' your creative side - Gyaban's points 1.1 and 2.3 are good starters.

Originally posted by Lelez:

For me the creative process is closely linked with the way to see the world, with how to feel the world and the people. I think that everything you read, watch, such as movies, cartoons, artwork, reference photos on the internet etc.. is used at the time of creation
Transmit your message through photography is not an easy job :)


I absolutely relate to what Lelez says. Anything and everything is already in your head, your realm of experience or out there to inspire you (see Gyaban's point in 2.3) - the challenge is to how to coax it out/nourish it. I volunteer teaching art to youngsters so years ago I came across a great quote:

âEvery child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.â
--Pablo Picasso

I think that when we grow into adulthood many times we leave our creativity/sense of wonder behind because of life/worries/deadlines/demands of family, job, health loom large. Tapping back into the creativity is an enjoyable exercise that is achievable...indeed, is that not why many take up photography as a creative way to express oneself?

Originally posted by markwiley:
How do you get your creativity to bubble from within and surface?


Courting creativity is difficult at times but doable if you let your mind wander and/or think about possibilities. Think of things you have seen or heard and play those in your head.

The phrase "Feeding your creativity" that could morph into an idea for coin slot by letting your mind wander and run with it....hmmm, Feeding Creativity ---->Feeding the Creative Muse---->Paying the Creative Muse which leads (in my mind) to a visual of the back of a man's bald head seen from above & at a 45 degree angle with a visible coin slot and a hand putting a coin in. Of course, the idea might be difficult to achieve with Advanced Editing rules but since Halloween is almost here it might not be as difficult as one may think ...especially if you use lighting effectively and B&W so skin tones don't seem off:-) ) Play along with this creative exercise - take something you have heard or seen and play with it.

Side Challenges here at DPC are another great way to play with your creativity without the 'deadline' that many miss because one does not have the time atm (Time is something I don't have enough of sometimes).

Another point I would like to add to the discussion is "Use what you have". Want to make ...say the Sand challenge interesting but don't have a full scale pirate ship to capture a pirate's cursed treasure idea possible? Your child's toy pirate ship, a broken shell, the beach and the use of bokeh can make the idea possible. Even elephants flying with balloons is possible (see Gyaban's use of toy elephants in recent motivational/demotivation poster) or a a dragon of fruit & vegetable's (mycelium's Mythical creature's creation) or even a magical flower (SherwinJames good use of a flower and a small light in A Magical Place). When a challenge is announced sometimes you don't have to go very far. Look around your house for things you have or things nearby and try to see them in a new light that may help you achieve your vision.

Hmmm, apologies my 'two cents' has gone on more to the length of a quarter...stopping now to let what I added brew.

Message edited by author 2011-10-22 12:26:22.
 10/22/2011 12:37:38 PM · #28
Originally posted by markwiley:
I am interested in learning how others approach the challenges.


1) Wait until the last minute.
2) Look around the house for something that could vaguely fit the challenge.
3) Take 30-60 pics as fast as you can.
4) Edit and upload with seconds to spare.
5) Done!

//sad truth
 10/24/2011 07:53:11 PM · #29
Originally posted by adigitalromance:

1) Wait until the last minute.
2) Look around the house for something that could vaguely fit the challenge.
3) Take 30-60 pics as fast as you can.
4) Edit and upload with seconds to spare.
5) Done!
//sad truth


Yeah, I feel that pain, and was struggling with this "time" aspect and was throwing any old shit into the challenges. So I stopped. I'm a bit gutted that I haven't entered a challenge since January, but the lack of a creative spark has just been holding me back. I really just need to "re-connect" with my camera and get out and about. Christophe's post has inspired me though.

Originally posted by gyaban:

1.2 - The common answer
Try to identify what the "reference shot" will be. Many persons will simply go for the most simple option.

1.3 - Your own way
Now that you have a good idea of what the "reference shot" is, your goal is to avoid it at all cost.


And like a flash of light I realise where I have been going wrong! I am always thinking too much "inside the box".

Once I reconnect with my camera, the next challenge I enter will be a 1.3 for sure :-)
 10/25/2011 01:05:50 PM · #30
What a marvelous gift, Christophe. Thank you so much for posting this. Like most people, my search for creative ideas has not had any sort of formality or process to it. That portion of your post alone is priceless.

I find my creativity is very hit or miss - on DPC mostly the latter, lately... Probably most importantly, I tend to wait too long and then not have enough time to properly execute the ideas I do get. But I do note a couple of things I have done when seeking new ideas.

1. Use what you know - perhaps just a different way of iterating what Christophe said. I have other interests outside of photography (yeah, I know, blasphemy...), and when a challenge is announced, I automatically sift through references to those other interests for imagery which might work for the challenge.

2. Perspective - I really like to play around with my pov on subjects, and find that more often than not, it has a transformational effect. If I'm trying to photograph a particular object, I walk all around it, get down on the ground next to it, stand over it, and if I can lift it, turn it over, raise it up, etc. Touching things also gives me ideas (Ken, keep your mind out of the gutter!).

3. Word games. Yes, I do use this technique, although slightly differently than Christophe. As a writer, I'm constantly looking for synonyms. So I will toy with the different meanings of the word as well as other words that mean the same or similar thing, which always leads to ideas. Where I differ is that half the time my final idea doesn't relate at all to the challenge :-)

I've learned that I am usually not terribly creative under pressure. When I am not shooting for a challenge, I have no trouble coming up with concepts, etc. But that's because I am doing whatever I want, with whatever subject. It is Christophe's particular brilliance that he can not only create masterpieces in such a short period of time, but also under the gun.
 10/25/2011 01:21:28 PM · #31
Thanks Johanna!

It's great to read your tips as well :-)

Your first point is very true, and is also something I do sometimes. For example, it happens that some song lyrics speak about a subject fitting the challenge, and I use the whole song as an inspiration for the photo. Songs often depict a situation from different point of views, or at different stages in time, which can lead to new ideas.

Your second point is something I don't do enough, I think. Usually, I know which angle I'm going to use beforehand, according to the sketches I've done (at least mentally). I recently found that doing it also on the field can open new horizons, although this can entirely mess up the setup I had in mind ;)

Finally, I would add that for me, finding ideas and concepts without any constraint is often much more difficult than with them! DPC challenges give me a frame to explore. Without it, I just get lost in an infinity of options, and can't decide myself... I just keep staring at all the roads, without enough will to actually chose one. This really shows that there is no absolute answer to the creation process, but lots of them, adjusted to each of us.
 10/25/2011 03:09:06 PM · #32
Photography is unique among the arts because the tool of this art, the camera, does so much by itself.

Therefore, the photographer never needs to face the terrible void that other artists must. There is no blank canvas needing to be filled with paint. There is no beautiful silence of a blank page that the poet must now break.

But to be creative, you must force yourself into that void. You must question your assumptions about what you're doing. Why is my camera set this way? Why am I shooting from this angle? What am I using light for? bvy sliced up some aluminum foil and stuck it in front of his lens. In doing so, he was obliterating the image and questioning the very purpose of a camera.

gyaban is a studio photographer. So was Man Ray. They face the void of an empty studio. bvy faces the chaos of the streets. That is his void.

One way to face the void is to look at pointandshoot's portfolio. Just take a minute to think about the "reality" that surrounds him and how little that "reality" has to do with his photographs. Then look up from his portfolio and look at the "reality" surrounding you. What are *you* going to do to transform your reality? Now you have the fear of the blank page. Let it take you just one tottering step away from business-as-usual. Creativity begins.

None of this will help your score, but I don't see anything about scoring in the title of this thread.
 10/25/2011 03:21:37 PM · #33
Thank you sooo much gyaban I love getting to see into that magical brain of yours! Your post really filled me with inspiration for looking thru my third eye at the world!!! I love that you and tanguera both shared "secrets" So now my feeble brain is searching ... (hope it don't explode)
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