Lately, as I continue on this creative journey — exploring new techniques and searching for ways to make my photography more artistic — I’ve been diving headfirst into learning. Multiple exposures, ICM (Intentional Camera Movement), experimenting with vintage and art lenses … the list keeps growing. The internet has been an incredible tool for learning and inspiration. With endless tutorials and beautiful work to admire, it’s all right there at our fingertips.
But with all of that inspiration comes something else: overwhelm.
I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced this, but I often find myself researching a technique, only to get sidetracked by another image or idea that sends me off down a completely different path. Before I know it, I’ve spent hours reading, watching, scrolling — chasing how someone else mastered the technique, and while it might feel productive at the time, I’ve have noticed something important: I’m not at my creative best when I’m functioning like this.
In fact, when I approach my shoots with a cluttered mind, full of “how too” and comparisons, I rarely produce the kind of images I’m aiming for. Sometimes I come home with nothing that feels worth keeping. I’ve spent hours out with my camera, but because I didn’t feel connected to the moment, the results just don’t align with what I was hoping to create.
I’m learning — slowly —that I need to take my own advice and slow down. Creativity doesn’t come from a frantic over stimulated mind. It comes from quiet. From calm. From slowing down and being present. That’s when I begin to see again, to truly notice the light, movement and the beauty of my subjects.
Mindful photography isn’t just about capturing a beautiful image — it’s about being in tune with yourself as you shoot. It’s about letting go of expectations and the need to constantly “get it right”, and instead, focus on the process, on the joy of seeing and feeling.
So now I’m asking myself: what would happen if I paused more often, breathed a little deeper, and simply allowed the art to come?
What do you think? Do you find your creativity thrives when your mind is still?
