No one wants to be stuck in a creative rut, but unfortunately, it happens even to the best of us. Sometimes the best way to get out of a creative slump is to push yourself to try new things that produce amazing results.

Whether you’re stuck in a rut, or looking to add to your arsenal of photography secrets, exploring new techniques and finding new ways to use old compositional rules can help you to create stronger compositions and visually powerful images, which in turn can boost your motivation, and get you back on track creating images that are truly inspired.

photo by Jeff Sheldon via Unsplash

Ready to get started? Let’s take a look at ten compositional hacks and photography challenges that can help you to charge your creative batteries and provide inspiration for your next photography adventure!

1. Strong Contrast

Contrast is a well-known compositional technique that’s used to draw attention to certain aspects of an image. When most people think of contrast, tone or colors come to mind – but contrast isn’t always about color or tone. Other effective ways to add contrast to an image include contrasting hard and soft, different textures, blur and focus, or even negative space.

Challenge: Look for the chance to add unexpected contrast to your images. This could involve isolating your subject with the use of focus or negative space, or even adding contrasting elements such as soft and hard or old and new. Opposites can create visual impact and are a great way to add visual tension and interest to your images.

2. Treat Your Camera Like a Video

Want to know the secret to getting perfect shots of hard-to-capture subjects? Treat your camera like a video. Look through the viewfinder and follow your subject, ready to take the perfect shot. This is effective for fast-moving subjects such as children or pets, and is also an excellent technique for capturing subtle changes – like changing emotions on subjects’ faces.

Challenge: Try using your camera like a video! Track your subject until the perfect moment arises. Be sure to use a fast shutter speed to freeze your subject in motion.

3. Break Out of Boring Portraits

We’re all tired of those standard ‘someone-standing-in-front-of-something’ shots. Break out of boring portrait mode by looking for ways to help your subjects to pose in more subtle, natural ways.

Challenge: Look at examples of powerful portrait photography. What do all of these images have in common? Often, it’s a subject who is relaxed and in an environment that perfectly captures their personality. Try taking the time to get to know your subjects, and establish a connection with them. Which environment or location would help them to relax and help to express their personalities? This will result in powerful images that tell a story.

4. Look for Lines

Lines are often used to draw the eye through the photo. But did you know that different lines are also able to convey different feelings in images? Diagonal lines can add a sense of action or movement to an image, while straight lines can add symmetry or convey strength. Jagged lines – such as mountain peaks, or a shoreline in a storm, tend to convey a harsh mood, and winding lines, such as highways or rivers can add a natural, subtle flowing feel to an image.

Challenge: Intentionally incorporate lines into your photos. Pay attention to the angle of the lines and try to compose an image that echoes the feeling that the lines convey. For example, capture an image of waves breaking on the shoreline, and frame the image with jagged rocks to convey the harsh power of a storm, or capture a winding river framed by the soft lines of trees and branches to add a sense of flowing movement and to create a peaceful image.

5. Break a Pattern

Patterns are well and good, but to add real visual interest to an image, look for a break in a pattern. Breaking a pattern is essentially applying the concept of contrast, helping to attract the viewer’s attention, and drawing focus to a certain aspect of the image.

Challenge: Look for a chance to capture a broken pattern. This will train your eye to look out for interesting objects that are out of the ordinary – resulting in visually interesting images.

6. Get Closer

“If it’s not good enough, you’re not close enough!” While it’s tempting to try to cram everything into one image, if you find that your images are looking a bit busy, try getting closer and filling the frame with your subject. Remember: if in doubt, take it out.

Challenge: Do a series of photographs that explore the idea of getting closer. Instead of trying to fit everything in, take close-ups. The results will be photos that are more focused and have more impact.

7. Find Your Focal Point

Focal points are one of the most basic and well-known aspects of excellent compositions. But you can think outside of the box and create unique images by using unexpected focal points in different ways.

Challenge: Try composing a few images with focal points that are outside of the norm. Try capturing multiple focal points, taking care to keep the image well-balanced. Or look for opportunities to photograph something unusual that you wouldn’t normally consider a worthy focal point. The results may surprise you!

8. Motion Blur

Panning is the secret to well-composed motion photos. This allows you to get the subject in focus, while blurring out the background, creating that oh-so-wonderful feeling of movement.

Challenge: To pan, focus on your subject. Then track with them as they move. Finally, release the shutter! The subject should be in-focus and the background blurred. While mastering the art of panning can be tricky, the results are worth it. And panning is just all around fun to practice.

9. Exceptional Lighting

Exceptional lighting is often the difference between lackluster photos, and exceptional ones. Use lighting to your advantage when composing your images.

Challenge: Take advantage of times of day where there is beautiful lighting – the ‘golden hour’ of evening and morning, sunrise and sunsets, light filtering through the clouds after a storm, etc., and compose your image in the best light possible. See if it makes a difference in your photography!

10. Tell a Story

Every exceptional photo tells a story, allowing the viewer to step into the image for a moment and imagine himself there. Your challenge is finding a way to convey the story with compositional elements in order to create a visually intriguing image. Use leading lines, framing, balance, and more to draw the viewer into the image, and tell your story.

Challenge: The next time you’re out with your camera, try telling a story through your image. Choose a topic or theme – loneliness, happiness, excitement, movement, interaction – anything you’d like, and then try to compose your images to capture that thought. Composing images with intentional meaning behind them is an excellent way to add significance to your photography.

What about you? Have any tips or hacks to share to help inspire creativity? How do you recharge when your creativity is low? Share with us via Twitter or Facebook!