Finding Photography Inspiration When You Feel Stuck

You grab your camera, look around, and feel it—that familiar frustration. You want to create, but nothing feels inspiring. No ideas. No spark. Just the same streets, the same buildings, the same views you’ve seen for years.

Authors call it writer’s block. Musicians call it composer’s block. Photographers experience it too—especially those of us who live in small towns or photograph the same places over and over again.

If you’re a photographer who lives in a big city or travels constantly, inspiration can feel endless. New locations, new faces, new light. But when you’ve lived in the same town for decades, it’s easy to believe you’ve already photographed everything worth photographing.

The truth is, creativity hasn’t disappeared—it just needs a nudge in a new direction.

Can't get in a creative mood?

Take Your Camera for a Walk

There are days when I really want to use my camera but have no plan and no clear idea of what I want to photograph. On days like that, I’ve learned to simply grab my camera, park the truck somewhere, and take a walk.

Downtown. The park. A side street I usually ignore. It doesn’t matter.

I think of it as hunting for pictures. Eventually, something always reveals itself. Along the way, I’ll often challenge myself to try something different—long exposures, motion blur, reflections, or focusing on small details instead of big scenes. Little challenges like these force you to think differently, and that’s often all it takes to jump‑start creativity.

Get Out at Night

Nighttime brings an entirely new perspective to the world around you. Buildings, streets, and familiar locations feel different after dark, and artificial light adds mood and contrast that simply doesn’t exist during the day.

Even in a small town, nighttime photography can be incredibly rewarding and full of opportunity.

If you have one, I recommend using a fast prime lens to help keep your ISO down. That said, don’t be afraid of higher ISO—especially if you shoot black and white. Grain can add character and give your images a film‑like look that you might actually prefer.

One thing to watch for is exposure. Some cameras tend to meter night scenes a little too bright, so you may want to dial things down by a stop or two to keep highlights under control.

Give Yourself a Challenge

When I find myself in a creative rut, I like to give myself a challenge—something that forces me to see familiar surroundings in a new way. The challenge can be extremely simple or a little more involved. Either way, it often opens the door to new ideas.

Here are a few examples:

• Photographing local churches. Many of the churches in our town are old and historic and make wonderful subjects. I’ve also found that people genuinely enjoy seeing photographs of their church.

• Photographing the ordinary. One day I was excited to get out and shoot, but my wife asked if I wanted to go for a walk with our grandbaby. I brought my camera along and photographed street signs, posts, and small details we passed along the way. Goofy? Absolutely. But I had fun, spent time with my wife and grandchild, and still got to take photos—a perfect combination.
  
  

I’m also working on two longer‑term projects:

• My Home Escanaba. This is an ongoing collection of photographs documenting events, places, and everyday life in our community. My hope is to eventually turn this project into a photo book. Every photo I share from this project includes the hashtag #myhomeescanaba and many end up on its dedicated website page. https://spetersonimages.com/my-home-escanaba-small-town-michigan

• Great Lakes Lighthouses. Living near Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, surrounded by rivers and waterfalls, I’ve made it a goal to photograph as many Great Lakes lighthouses as I can while traveling. There’s even a dedicated page on my website for this project. https://spetersonimages.com/great-lakes-lighthouses
  
  

Whatever challenge or project you choose, make sure it’s something you genuinely enjoy—something that makes you want to pick up your camera.

Try Using Vintage Manual Lenses

Before the days of digital, I shot with a Pentax Program Plus, and I still own several old Asahi‑Pentax lenses. Manual lenses work beautifully on my Nikon Zf, and affordable adapters are readily available for almost any mirrorless camera system.

In addition to a Nikon Z–to–Pentax PK adapter, I also use a Micro Four Thirds–to–Pentax PK adapter on my Panasonic GX85.

Shooting with manual lenses is a great creative exercise. It forces you to slow down, be intentional, and really think about focus and composition. Many vintage lenses also have a character and rendering that feels refreshingly different from the clinical perfection of modern glass.

I personally use older Asahi‑Pentax 28mm, 50mm, and 135mm lenses, but you can find excellent vintage lenses from Canon, Nikon, Minolta, Olympus, and others at very reasonable prices. While some highly sought‑after lenses can be expensive, many can be found for under $50, with adapters often costing less than $35—an affordable way to try something new.

Simplify Sharing with Meta Business Suite

If you share your photos on Facebook and Instagram and feel like you can’t keep up, consider using Meta Business Suite.

I save time by scheduling a week’s worth of posts on a Saturday or Sunday. In less than 20 minutes, I can schedule several photos to post on different days and at different times. The platform also shows which days and times perform best, making scheduling easy.

During the week, all I have to do is respond to comments and thank people for their feedback. Since photography is purely for my enjoyment, I don’t feel pressure to post—but if you run a business or simply want to streamline the process, this approach frees up time to focus on shooting, learning, and enjoying photography.

Creative ruts happen to every photographer. They don’t mean you’ve lost your eye or your passion—they’re simply a sign that it’s time to slow down, change your approach, and see familiar places with fresh curiosity. Whether it’s taking your camera for a walk, shooting at night, starting a small project, or mounting an old manual lens, creativity often returns when we stop chasing inspiration and start showing up for it. The truth is, meaningful photographs don’t require exotic locations or constant travel. Sometimes, the best images are waiting right where you are—you just have to step outside, bring your camera, and give yourself permission to explore again.

Sometimes, the best way to overcome photographer’s block isn’t by waiting for inspiration—it’s by creating the conditions for it to show up.

Whether you live in a small town or a big city, these simple approaches can help you find inspiration, break out of a creative rut, and fall in love with photography all over again.

I hope you've enjoyed these tips to provide some inspiration if you're in a photo rut and please feel free to share any ideas or suggestions you might have that have worked for you.

If you've enjoyed this please consider buying me a cup of coffee because coffee is a great motivator for me also. :-)

Gentlemen working the local farmers market - A walk in the park on a foggy morning - Catching kids fishing on a summer afternoon

A collection of downtown Escanaba, Mackinac Island and Ludington Park at night

All pictures taken with Nikon Zf with vintage Asahi-Pentax 28mm, 50mm and 135mm lenses

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