Document, Don’t Create

I remember a while ago when I was a year or two into my photography journey, I would go out with the intention of getting the most creative shots possible. I would try all sorts of tricks, techniques and force myself to be different, be creative and walk away with something truly unique and breathtaking. As you can imagine, this didn’t always go to plan. Matter of fact this didn’t go to plan most of the time. I would often come home empty handed, frustrated and wondering why do I even bother. It got to the point where a month would go by and I wouldn’t shoot at all because I knew the chances of getting something I would be happy with would be slim.

You might be wondering where this attitude came from? Simple… Instagram. At the time everyone I followed was travelling from one exotic location to another. Today they shared an insane landscape from Iceland. Tomorrow they posted some amazing shots from Tokyo. Back then instagram was all about the wow factor, however today I feel it has changed slightly. People are no longer impressed by grand Patagonian vistas or crazy look downs from a New York skyscraper. Today people share more simple snapshots of their life. In other words, today it’s more about documenting than showing off.

My attitude has also changed over the years. These days I would say I’m less creative and simply strive to document my life, travels and events. I focus more on being present and using photography as my visual journal. I no longer exclusively shoot during golden hour or go out with 5 lenses just in case. More often than not, I throw one prime on and go for a walk. If I walk away with a keeper, it’s icing on the cake. My attitude now is to document and not create. Of course this doesn’t mean I never try to be creative, think of new ideas or challenge myself. I just don’t put as much emphasis on it.

Now let’s look at how this can apply to you. First of all you need to simplify your kit. You don’t want to be going out with 5 lenses and a big backpack. I suggest starting with just one prime between 28mm and 50mm. Pick one that you gel with the most or simply whatever you have. Set your camera to Aperture Priority and aperture to around f4. The main point of this exercise is to remove pain points and simplify the process. Of course you can use your phone too. Now just bring your camera with you everywhere and take photos of everything. Nice cup of coffee? Take a photo. Nice light on the building? Take a photo. Day out with your mates? Take photos. Get into a habit of taking photos of everything.

You will find that over time this approach will not only improve your photography but also result in way more keepers compared to always forcing yourself to be creative. Not to mention the most important bit… creating a visual journal of your life. So if you’re struggling with your photography, try documenting instead of creating.