Maybe you've had a bad day, and just aren't feeling up to taking pictures of your outfit. Or maybe the season's cold snap has you reverting to sweats instead of expressing your sense of style. Or perhaps you're feeling less than creative, and want to get that spark back. What began as an exhilarating, fun project has suddenly become monotonous and tedious, and you feel like it's beginning to show on your blog. What to do when you're not feeling up to taking photos?
I try to take my outfit photos everyday, but there are times when I'd rather just stay in my pajamas. Here are some tips that I think about on those kinds of days, and what I do to prevent drudgery from seeping into the blog:
- Reflect. Try to understand what's the root of your lack of creativity. Is it a problem with not having enough energy/time to take photos everyday? Not knowing what to wear when the weather dips? Understanding what's bothering you will help you figure out a solution.
- Take inventory. One of my favorite scenes in the movie "Clueless" is when Cher has a directory of everything in her closet saved on her computer, so that outfit combinations become a simple (and fun!) equation in her morning routine. Though you don't have to take pictures of everything in your closet, perhaps writing a list of the items that you do have or organizing these items in your closet may help jog your creativity. I try to keep a list of things in my Moleskine notebook, and I jot down outfit combinations to try out. For the days that you're running late and don't know what to wear, it's nice to have 10 ideas already written down for you!
- Play around with your camera. Maybe you're frustrated with how you look in photos and want to take more flattering shots, but don't know how to do so. Take some time to experiment with your camera and try taking your outfit shots with different angles, settings and lighting. I try to take as many as 30-40 photos per outfit, just to see how different it looks in each one. You'd be surprised that the difference between harsh and flattering can be a simple switch.
- Try a new photo location. Maybe you've got your outfit down, but don't feel like taking photos because you don't like your location. Spend a weekend exploring your city, and take note of the places that interest and inspire you the most -- perhaps it'll be an old, crumbling building, being in the middle of a busy street or a forgotten mural downtown. Examine how the sunlight is at certain times of day. For me, my favorite places are more rural --- near farms, in the woods or near bodies of water.
- Keep an inspiration log, and think out of the ordinary. Whenever I'm feeling uninspired, I turn to my favorite blogs and magazines to get some ideas for photo places and outfit combinations. You could try keeping a blogroll of some of your favorites, or make a collage of some magazine and book cutouts of your favorite photos, scraps of fabric, scenery illustrations. You could also find a new inspiration source, too -- maybe finding blogs that don't necessarily fit your personal style will help you find a new perspective. I like to look at Lookbook.nu, Vanessa Jackman, Chictopia as well as a cavalcade of personal style blogs to kickstart my imagination. In addition, I'm also making a concerted effort to look at more landscape photography to help fuel ideas for my outdoor photos.
- Try to write/take photos anyways. We all have those days when we feel shlumpy, and don't want to make the extra effort. Consider taking photos and writing anyways -- even if you don't feel it's your "best," it doesn't have to be perfect, and it's all about the learning process.
What keeps you going with your blogging on those days you feel uninspired? How do you handle it?
I try to take my outfit photos everyday, but there are times when I'd rather just stay in my pajamas. Here are some tips that I think about on those kinds of days, and what I do to prevent drudgery from seeping into the blog:
- Reflect. Try to understand what's the root of your lack of creativity. Is it a problem with not having enough energy/time to take photos everyday? Not knowing what to wear when the weather dips? Understanding what's bothering you will help you figure out a solution.
- Take inventory. One of my favorite scenes in the movie "Clueless" is when Cher has a directory of everything in her closet saved on her computer, so that outfit combinations become a simple (and fun!) equation in her morning routine. Though you don't have to take pictures of everything in your closet, perhaps writing a list of the items that you do have or organizing these items in your closet may help jog your creativity. I try to keep a list of things in my Moleskine notebook, and I jot down outfit combinations to try out. For the days that you're running late and don't know what to wear, it's nice to have 10 ideas already written down for you!
- Play around with your camera. Maybe you're frustrated with how you look in photos and want to take more flattering shots, but don't know how to do so. Take some time to experiment with your camera and try taking your outfit shots with different angles, settings and lighting. I try to take as many as 30-40 photos per outfit, just to see how different it looks in each one. You'd be surprised that the difference between harsh and flattering can be a simple switch.
- Try a new photo location. Maybe you've got your outfit down, but don't feel like taking photos because you don't like your location. Spend a weekend exploring your city, and take note of the places that interest and inspire you the most -- perhaps it'll be an old, crumbling building, being in the middle of a busy street or a forgotten mural downtown. Examine how the sunlight is at certain times of day. For me, my favorite places are more rural --- near farms, in the woods or near bodies of water.
- Keep an inspiration log, and think out of the ordinary. Whenever I'm feeling uninspired, I turn to my favorite blogs and magazines to get some ideas for photo places and outfit combinations. You could try keeping a blogroll of some of your favorites, or make a collage of some magazine and book cutouts of your favorite photos, scraps of fabric, scenery illustrations. You could also find a new inspiration source, too -- maybe finding blogs that don't necessarily fit your personal style will help you find a new perspective. I like to look at Lookbook.nu, Vanessa Jackman, Chictopia as well as a cavalcade of personal style blogs to kickstart my imagination. In addition, I'm also making a concerted effort to look at more landscape photography to help fuel ideas for my outdoor photos.
- Try to write/take photos anyways. We all have those days when we feel shlumpy, and don't want to make the extra effort. Consider taking photos and writing anyways -- even if you don't feel it's your "best," it doesn't have to be perfect, and it's all about the learning process.
What keeps you going with your blogging on those days you feel uninspired? How do you handle it?
