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As most wedding photographers already know, Neil van Niekerk is one of the foremost lighting experts in the field of wedding photography. As well as being a working photographer he also travels the world doing lighting workshops and teaching flash techniques. He is also a published author with a book detailing all this stuff, too. But the main thing Neil is known for is his blog. Among wedding photographers it is one of the best learning resources out there, and has been for quite some time.

Last November—has it been that long already?—Neil contacted me and asked if I’d do a guest spot on his blog. I asked what I should talk about and Neil said, “Something lighting-related”. So, of course, I ignored him and did my own thing. Actually, I just got thinking about stuff I do and somehow got onto a tangent of my own. In any case, if you want to learn all my secrets and inner-most thoughts, click on over to Neil Van Niekerk’s ‘Tangents’ blog to see my little article. Ok, so you won’t learn all my secrets, but maybe there will be one or two things that interest you.

Oh, I also thought I’d explain a couple of things here, quickly, because my Tangents post is very much slanted towards complicated portrait setups for weddings. So I want to kinda state the obvious and say that during the ceremony and reception times I am as unobtrusive as possible. However, when it comes to the portrait time, I like to put all my energy into getting something that is unique for my couples. If you read through the Tangents article you’ll see that my main idea was based on something the bride had requested, because I always base my ideas on what each couple will like. Essentially, I tailor my coverage to suit each client’s personality. I’m saying this in case anyone is horrified at the thought of their portrait time being a circus. That won’t happen. (However, if you are planning on a circus, let me know; I can juggle).

Also, if you are a former bride, please don’t feel left out if I didn’t send you a sketch. Although I frequently jot down ideas this was the only time I ever revealed one. When you see the sketch you’ll understand. Anyways, enough preamble, click, man, click!

Here are some rambling thoughts from me on creativity. It is a very important priority of mine to do something in every shoot a bit differently to the one before and then never repeat those ideas again. I want my clients to have images that are unique to them. This is something I strive for constantly and it is probably the most difficult goal I face. Anyone can learn cool lighting techniques or occasionally catch some great PJ moments, but to be able to create images that have something obviously new about them is really tough.

Creativity is like sleep: you can’t force yourself to sleep, but you can create an environment where sleep is easy and natural. Here are some tips and tricks I’ve discovered over the years on how to tap into your natural creativity.

Newness is the essence of creativity, because something that is original is, by definition, new. A new environment, or new gear, or another photographer to work with all are great ways to stimulate your creative juices, because they introduce something new into your standard way of working. Change is good! Embrace it and see where it takes you.

The next creativity booster is what I call forced boredom. This works completely the opposite way to the previous point—but it does work! Some photographers complain that they have the same venues to work in every week. That’s not a drawback! There are an infinite number of ways you can see the same scene and photograph it. If you think about music, there are a lot of songs that use the same chord sequences, but they can all have their own sound. And, after all, there are only eight notes in the musical scale, but that hasn’t stopped people from creating their own unique compositions for ages.

The way this works is to spend way longer than your comfort zone in one area. First of all, you will see it as a challenge and you’ll come up with some halfway decent images. Next, your optimism will start to fade and you will push yourself, but nothing will turn out quite right. Then you’ll feel like there is nothing more to gain from this. After that you’ll be bored and annoyed. Push through this, because the next section is where the rewards are. Once you let go of all of your previous ideas you will start to see. You will respond reactively and instinctively to your environment. The scientific term for this, believe it or not, is called ‘being in the flow’. It is the state that people find themselves in where they can act quickly and at the height of their skill without thinking about it.

Another way to get yourself in a creative frame of mind is to check out the scene and think, “What can’t I do here”? Consider the impossible. Then think of how you can make it a reality. For example, say you are on a high bridge. You might think of someone leaping off it. Obviously, that’s not a good idea, but it might lead you to think about how you could make it work by using tricky camera angles or Photoshop skills. Or perhaps you could take that scene in your mind and think of how you could make something like it work in a different place. Or maybe it will lead you to a completely new idea that you can use right then.

My last tip for this post is to be inspired. Sounds basic, right? But we need to find the line between inspiration and emulation. I recommend that you don’t look for inspiration in other wedding and portrait photography. Search for it in other places, even abstract ones. Be inspired by colours, by sounds, by the wind, by a person’s laugh, through prayer, by whatever touches you.

So there you go. Be inspired.