Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

July 24, 2022

Do you ever feel like your images end up looking similar to what you’ve done before, to the point that they lack interest? Do you find yourself taking the same approach to a subject over and over again, whether it’s a building or a landscape scene?

It can be a great thing to have your own distinct, signature style in your work - something that you recognize yourself in and fits the aesthetic that you are chasing. Finding your own style is without a doubt a creative accomplishment. But if it makes you feel like you’re stuck, if you are starting to lose interest in the images you make, then perhaps it is time to broaden your creative horizon. There are many ways to go about this, and that will be the subject of a course I’m developing. Here I’m just focusing on one strategy: get out of your comfort zone by trying something new. A new subject, location, technique, or a new vantage point.

Some years ago I realized that the images I had been creating were quite static and without any movement captured. I had honed in on composition, lines, light and shadow, and colors, whether it was architecture, landscape, or something more abstract. But the body of work was missing something, a dynamic component. 

So I got myself out of my comfort zone and spent several days visiting a city on my own, focusing on photography - something I hadn’t done before either. I also made the commitment that I was going to try and capture that dynamic component that I felt had been missing previously. As I was spending time in Zagreb, Croatia, I truly enjoyed the evenings spent walking through the parks and city streets - a common pastime as the crowds would attest. So, what better way to practice photographing movement than those leisurely strolls… 

Nightly Walk I - Zagreb, Croatia

Waiting for the Tram III - Zagreb, Croatia

While I was thinking about imaging movement, I was inspired to also try and capture juxtapositions of different paces. The trams at night in the center of Zagreb were the perfect subject: moving swiftly as they arrived or pulled away from the tram stop, with people waiting or walking on both sides. 

Waiting for the Tram I - Zagreb, Croatia

Waiting for the Tram II - Zagreb, Croatia

You can argue that forcing yourself out of your comfort zone may perhaps not result in your best work, since it will first involve a learning curve. In my view, it is exactly that learning curve that will help you make better work - whether it is at that same session, or at any point in time later when you are tackling an altogether unrelated scene with your camera.