Ian Furniss Photography » Blog Archive » What Should I Shoot Today?

What Should I Shoot Today?

Today is one of those days. The skies are grey, the weather’s cold, the dog is staring at me with that look in his eye that’s guaranteed to fill me with guilt if I don’t head off to the fields soon, and on top of that i’ve got a pile of laundry to do and a kitchen that seems to echo with the words “decorate me….decorate me!!” every time I walk in there. It doesn’t offer too much hope for constructive photography that’s for sure. Belgrade might as well be Adelaide for all the chance I have of getting over there. Wales & Scotland for some landscape work, equally unlikely. Still, when creativity comes calling I always start to get superstitious and think it’s best to answer anyway … just in case it gets the hump and decides to never come back again!

I’ve heard many different ways of approaching the problem of when your chosen field isn’t open to you for whatever reason. Project 365 invites you to take a photo a day to keep the creative juices flowing, camera clubs do a similar thing on a weekly or monthly basis, and there are other ideas as well of course. Personally though, each of these things seems too undefined for me. If i’m working i’m working, if i’m being creative i’m being creative. The middle ground always makes me feel uncomfortable. With that in mind i’ll offer two solutions to the creative dilemma and each allows you to earn a bit on the side.

First up is “The Artist”.
If you’re going to shoot something random, how about something you can make into a print and sell? Cloudscapes are one option which let you be as wild or as authentic as you like. Each has its place on a wall. Each has its place in creating mood or atmosphere. This is one I shot from my bedroom window yesterday and I know just the wall it can give a bit of a lift to.

It doesn’t have to be clouds of course, whatever your creative muse is telling you at the time will work fine.

Then there’s “The Businessman” approach.
Travel photography is an instantly confusing genre in that you don’t actually have to travel anywhere to take travel photos. What’s travel for you may be staying at home for me and vice versa. Coming from Manchester I know that apart from copious amounts of rain, Manchester is known and loved for its musical heritage.

If music isn’t your thing then how about architecture?

or from a wider perspective, cityscapes?

You can even try your hand at some documentary photography of a local event …

The thing with each of these ideas is that whilst your normal area of interest isn’t open to you, it doesn’t mean you can’t be earning. Despite my main areas of interest being Serbia & Landscape, i’ve still happily sold stock photos of Manchester to newspapers & magazines, and been equally happy to sell fine art prints too. It doesn’t detract from my primary interest because I can’t be doing those 100% of the time but, when the opportunity or need arises to go out and shoot something, it makes sense to do that in a conscious way that can serve more than just the one purpose of keeping my shutter finger oiled.

I should mention that if you want to sell stock or prints on a regular basis then you’ll need to specialise and concentrate your efforts on that in the same way that you would for any genre. In no way am I saying you’ll earn your fortune here. Few people want to buy something that’s sub-standard so it still needs to be good and the chances of you putting one shot onto a stock library and getting rich quick are slim but, if you’re happy just to have an occasional surprise bonus in your bank/paypal account every once in a while, it’s also possible to be more constructive with your free time than just shooting anything that moves, or doesn’t as the case may be. Think of it as a Project365 that pays!