Photographers are creatives. We see the world differently with our eyes and through our cameras. Through our photography, we express ourselves and want to convey to others how we see the world around us.
Being creative tends to mean we feel more. Our emotions run stronger. We, like everyone else, go through the full gamut of emotions, but our hills tend to be higher, and our valleys deeper.
As photographers, we pour our heart and soul into what we produce. We want our clients, our family, and ourselves to be happy and satisfied with our work.
However, we are still people. Life still happens. We still have to deal with love, happiness, loss, heartache, troubles, stress, depression, and happiness.
How can we use our creative outlet to work through our whole emotional range?
1. Use photography as a pick me up
If you are feeling down, stressed, or unhappy, go out and shoot something happy and upbeat. When I shoot happy, joyful photos, I’m around happy people. The happiness rubs off and lifts my spirits; therefore, photography makes me happier.
2. Shoot the emotion you feel
Every photographer gets in a funk. It’s inevitable. Life gets stressful and we aren’t happy with what we’re shooting. It happens. Go, seek out and shoot your emotions. Feeling dark and gritty? Grab some dramatic light and shoot in B&W. Feeling nostalgic? Shoot those small, fleeting moments that will only be around for a little while. Show the world what you’re feeling.
Awe
Isolation
Frustration
3. Embrace the emotions in your editing
My edits reflect what I’m feeling at the moment. When I’m feeling happy and joyful, my editing tends to leans toward bright and vibrant with color. I find myself seeking out happier moments with my subjects. When feeling down, stressed, angry or overwhelmed, my editing changes to moody and high contrast B&W.
4. Challenge yourself to take Self Portraits
Let’s face it, photographers, in general, do not like being on the other side of the camera. When I am my own subject, I can find some kind of flaw in almost every single photo. That being said, self-portraiture is the single best way I have found to showcase my emotions. I was going through a lot of turmoil earlier this year, and I sat and cried one afternoon. I was a broken mess. When I was finished crying, I looked in the mirror and saw the horror that was my face. I knew then and there I had to capture it. It was the only way to convey my exact feelings at the moment. And I did. Afterward, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders.
Not feeling confident in yourself? Pull out that favorite pair of jeans you always wear when you want to feel great (because we all have that one pair!), grab your sexy dress or a cool pair of shoes you love! Put them on and shoot! A simple change of wardrobe and self-portraiture will make you look at yourself differently.
Photography is a reflection of you. It’s how you see the world around you. Why not challenge yourself to use it to its fullest extent to help you in your photography journey and in your personal life?
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