Ah, the dreaded photographer’s block! More people may be familiar with the old writer’s block, but photographer’s block is just as impeding and equally frustrating! So how do you handle it? How do you banish it forever so that it never returns and you’re left alone to continue being the creative photographer you are?

Every photographer—amateur or pro—gets photographer’s block from time to time. You can be as creative as you think you are, but it doesn’t matter. Sooner or later, you’re bound to hit up against that block that… all of a sudden… makes it really hard to come up with fresh ideas on how to approach a shot. Sometimes, you may not be able to think of anything worthwhile to shoot in the first place.

image by Adam Hinett

Instead of just riding out photographer’s block, and wasting time doing so, try these proven tips for destroying it once and for all.

Hang Out With More Photographers

Chances are that, if you’ve got photographer’s block, not every photographer who you know has it at the same time. So when you’re enduring photographer’s block, just hang out with more of your photographer contacts, friends and colleagues. By being around other creative people more, you’re bound to pick up a few new, good ideas that should help to propel you out of your photographer’s block.

You could even join or start your very own photo walk group. What’s a photo walk group, you ask? A photo walk group is a group of dedicated photographers who meet up at a predetermined spot, bringing their cameras along, of course. Then, they literally start walking and snapping away at anything and everything that strikes their visual fancy. Usually, photo walk groups will end at a restaurant or bar where everyone in the group can chat, exchange some more ideas and discuss the walk.

Destroy Photographer’s Block by… Destroying Your Comfort Zone

The comfort zone is the age-old enemy of personal, creative and professional growth, no matter how you slice and dice it.

Your comfort zone is what keeps you imprisoned in your limitations and afraid to experience new things, soak up more knowledge and grow as a photographer. When you shatter your comfort zone by aggressively stepping out of it, you destroy your photographer’s block since your mind is exposed to new stimuli that could be rewarding for you.

Attempt to do something that’s absolutely out of the norm for you, photographically speaking. For example, if you’re somewhat of an introvert or a shy person, then destroy your comfort zone by boldly heading outside to do some street photography! Alternately, you can even choose to do street portraits of complete strangers. It doesn’t really matter what specifically you try, as long as you try something new to determine once and for all if you like it or not.

Enroll in a Photography Class

Some of us did way better than others when we were in school, but learning should really be a lifelong endeavor to help juggle stuff around in your brain with the ultimate goal of ridding yourself of photographer’s block for good. Taking a photography class today can either be in the classroom or online, whatever suits your fancy, budget and schedule.

Lost your mojo? Taking a photography class can help you get it back in a hurry. Taking part in something like a workshop—whether it’s for a whole weekend or only for a day—is definitely going to work wonders for getting you motivated again.

Go Crazy With Experimentation

Experimentation is wonderful when it comes to getting rid of photographer’s block since it allows you to have no boundaries or limitations in your art form. If you look deep inside yourself enough, you can likely find one or two photography ideas that you’ve thought of before… but have never actually tried out due to a number of reasons. Maybe you just did not have the time. Maybe you just didn’t feel like it.

If you’re dealing with photographer’s block, though, now’s the perfect time to finally get around to those crazy ideas you’ve locked away inside the deep, dark parts of your mind. After all, you have nothing to lose because you can’t really make much of anything else work, so you may as well experiment! Even if your idea turns out to be a dud, who cares? You will have at least gotten the ball rolling toward breaking your photographer’s block by trying something new.

Don’t Shoot Scenes… Shoot Feelings Instead

This is a novel trick to empower you to bust out of your photographer’s block. Instead of approaching photography as taking a picture of something (subject, object, etc.), approach it by trying to shoot feelings. This can unleash lots of inspiration.

For instance, focus on trying to shoot the emotion of excitement. If you do this, you’ll likely begin brainstorming various areas that in your mind are connected to this emotion. Right there, you’ve solved the problem of finding places to shoot—just like that.

Alternately, tackling your photographer’s block in this fashion can even prompt you to create a mood board. You’ll come up with different vibes while doing this, and then you can try to shoot whatever feelings you get while creating your mood board. This is definitely an exercise that combines a bit of psychology with your passion for photography to get you to crush your photographer’s block forever.

Photographer’s Block Be Gone!

You’re a busy photographer, whether a pro or an amateur. You have to balance your photography passion and enjoyment with the rest of your life. In other words, you have much better things to do than to be weighed down by that annoying, old photographer’s block. Every minute or hour spent wasted on photographer’s block is just another minute or hour that you won’t be able to actualize your passion for this art form.

So instead of balling up your fists in frustration the next time the dreaded block rolls around, just try these tips. They really work, and the best part of it is that you’ll be back to shooting and being creative in no time.

Tell us about your unpleasant experiences with photographer’s block. Also tell us about your efforts to get rid of it once and for all. What has worked for you and what hasn’t? Leave a comment via Twitter or Facebook, and feel better!