Creative Camera Walking
CameraWalking is all about health, fitness, and creativity. I am always interested in articles about creativity to enhance my photography, and my life in general. Scott Barry Kaufman, the scientific director of the Imagination Institute in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, and author of Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind, was quoted in a recent article that one secret to becoming more creative is to take a walk! Yes !! We know from other research that walking in nature relieves stress, so it would make sense that walking would allow creative thoughts to flow.
According to Kaufmann, "It’s important to encounter new and unusual experiences. It really helps with your cognitive flexibility. Any exposure to things that take you out of your normal way of viewing the world really increases cognitive flexibility, and is a core part of creativity."
Wow! Camera Walking is a perfect way to achieve creativity, since it involves a walk, and an opportunity to view the world differently through your camera lens. This inspired me to share a few tips to "take you out of your normal way of viewing the world" while Camera Walking.
Change your scenery: All walking routes can get routine after a while making it challenging to find interesting shots. When I start feeling like my Camera Walking route is just exercise, I know that it is time to find a different place. Often I drive to a new location to challenge my sensory views, such as one of our local parks, another urban setting, or going to a destination that may be just a few hours a way. It always pays off. Yesterday I had one of those days, so I drove to the Fisherman's Terminal, just a couple miles from my home, which is where I took this photo with my iPhone.
Experiment with your lenses: Walking with a telephoto, wide angle, or macro lens can change what I can see. I am always amazed at what I can capture, and how it positively impacts how I feel about the walk. Here is a photo that I took with a telephoto lens that tells a story.
Try different cameras: In addition to experimenting with different lenses on your camera, try using just your smartphone. Also adding a small lens, such as Lensbaby's Mobile lenses, will help you see things differently. Once I started to use Instragram, I found that it inspired my walk and photos. Walking with my DXO One camera with its 22mm lens also challenges my ability to take creative photos.
Change your focus: Although this may seem similar to the above, this is about varying your view of the world. Obviously using a different lens will do this to some degree, but I find that when I go out Camera Walking focusing on taking detail shots one day, landscapes, or people the next, gives me more of a creative challenge. Finding the large beauty of landscapes, such as this iconic scene of Seattle with the Space Needle and Mount Rainier inspires me.
Or capturing emotion when taking photos of people and animals, such as this lovely neighborhood dog whose eyes pulled me in to take the shot.
And finallly, looking for the beauty in everyday details ups my creativity. I came across this house on one of my walks. It wasn't a very impactful photo, but I saw in a moment the image that I wanted to create.
With cropping and a few other adjustments in Snapseed, I was able to create the photo below. A much more impactful, creative shot. I was drawn in by the orange door, and although it was an iPhone photo it held up under editing.
Camera Walking can give you a creative boost by combining your walk with the opportunity to see the world differently through your camera lens. So grab your camera and go out Camera Walking to achieve better health, fitness, and creativity. It will be worth it.
