After countless hours in my office working with clients to organize, tag, and catalog their photo collections, cabin fever started creeping in. Metadata and organization are foundational for managing any visual library, but after a while, even the most dedicated storyteller feels the need to grab their camera and just create. So tonight, I decided to take a break, head to City Hall, and fly my drone around the space. I got some crisp stills and a few short video clips—and just like that, I felt my creativity kick back into gear.

If you’ve been feeling stuck in a creative rut or like your office is the only scenery you’ve seen for too long, here are some tips for rekindling your love for photography.

1. Change Your Scenery

• Take Your Gear Somewhere New: Breaking out of your usual environment can work wonders. Visit a familiar place but view it from a different angle or time of day. The new light or fresh surroundings can help you reimagine what’s possible.
• Night Shoots or Early Mornings: Different times of day lend themselves to wildly different tones, lighting, and moods. Tonight’s shoot at City Hall showed me details and shadows I wouldn’t have seen in broad daylight.

2. Embrace Your Drone or Other New Gear

• Explore New Perspectives: Drones add an aerial perspective that can transform even familiar locations. Flying above City Hall tonight, I saw patterns and lines that would be missed from the ground.
• Experiment with Formats: If you’re a still photographer, try shooting video, or vice versa. A simple change in format can help you approach a subject with new eyes.

3. Challenge Yourself with a Theme

• Set a Mini-Project Goal: Sometimes, a little focus is all it takes to rediscover your passion. Tonight, I aimed to capture the contrast of shadows and city lights against the architecture. You might consider themes like reflections, urban symmetry, or local flora and fauna.
• Try a 30-Minute Photo Challenge: With a timer set, explore a single theme, location, or technique without overthinking. This can often lead to spontaneous, honest images and a stronger connection to your surroundings.

4. Slow Down and Observe the Details

• Focus on Composition and Detail: Rediscovering love for photography can be as simple as slowing down. Look for angles, textures, and tiny details you might otherwise miss. The time I took tonight to frame shots and consider each line and shadow reminded me of why I started photography in the first place.
• Use Manual Settings to Engage Intentionally: Set aside the automatic settings and take control. By consciously adjusting your settings, you engage more deeply with your scene and experiment with how light impacts your shots.

5. Create Without an Audience in Mind

• Enjoy the Moment Without Pressure: For those of us who work with clients, it’s easy to get used to creating for someone else. But when you’re in a creative rut, it helps remind yourself of photography’s pure joy. Whether or not tonight’s images make it into a client portfolio, the joy I felt while capturing them is enough.
• Explore New Techniques or Styles: Use your creative “time off” to experiment. Tonight, I played with shadow depth in my City Hall images. Pushing myself to see the scene in a fresh light gave me ideas I might not have thought of otherwise.

Rediscovering a love for photography doesn’t have to involve a big, expensive trip or new equipment. Sometimes, a simple shift in perspective—or a quiet evening flying a drone around City Hall—is all it takes to fall back in love with the art. Remember, photography is about capturing moments, no matter where you find them. So grab your camera, step outside, and let the magic happen again.