A Guest post by by Annie Tao

Whether you’re a newbie or you’ve been a pro for years, there may be a point when you need a little help tapping into your creative mojo! Hey, even us right-brainers need to refresh our creativity from time to time!

Here are a few ideas to help boost your creativity:

Your camera is your friend

So take him (or her) everywhere with you!I know you’ve heard this before, but here’s the thing:it is easy to remember to bring your camera to scenic places or special events.Try taking it to places that aren’t obviously photogenic.This will train your eye to look out for beautiful things – light, patterns, mood, expressions, compositions – no matter where you are. Finding the best way to photograph different kinds of scenes, light and people is a great experience.

A 365 Project (one photo a day) or weekly photo project may be a great way to do this. Here are some tips, if you want to get started. There are also many dedicated websites, such ashttp://365project.org, where you can share your photos, find inspiration and get encouragement from others.

Blog stalk

It’s an awful term, but it gets the point across! Research photographers from around the World and check out their recent work on their blogs. Photographers seldomly update their websites, but most update their blogs regularly. Bookmark the blogs you like or sign up for the RSS feed, so you can go back to them from time-to-time.

Don’t blog stalk to copy someone else’s creative eye; blog stalk to gain inspiration and develop your own creative vision.

And remember, you don’t have to limit yourself to photography blogs.You can look at design blogs, food blogs or just about any site that has photos.

Photo Walk

A Photo Walk is just as it sounds:you walk around and shoot whatever you see.You can either join a Photo Walk group, start a group, or just do this with a friend.Challenge yourself by going to different types of locations and going at different times of the day to get different types light.I prefer locations that make me have to search for art, like an abandoned construction site or a subway.

When you’re on a Photo Walk, you can see how someone else shoots – such as, what catches their eye, what angles are they shooting from, how are they composing the shot, what settings do they use, and what are they shooting?

After the Photo Walk, share your best shots with each other to see how you interpreted the same location or subjects.

I like doing photo walks with friends, but there are organized photo walks just about anywhere.You can start withhttp://worldwidephotowalk.com/ or do an online search for one close to you.

Photography Clubs

Mingling with fellow photographers and “talking shop” helps you learn.Don’t think of them as competition.We all share the same interest, the same passion.

Some clubs offer discounted courses, monthly meetings, guest speakers, or publications.They are definitely worth the small membership fee!

If you’re anything like me – where your love of photography runs through your veins – you will enjoy these activities and learn a-plenty!So bring on the creative mojo, baby!

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Annie Tao is a lifestyle, commercial and event photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area.

You can view her work atwww.annietaophotography.com and see what she’s been up to at www.annietaoblog.com. Connect with Annie at http://www.facebook.com/annietaophotography

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