5 ways to get out of a creative rut

Don’t panic…

We all hit them.

Those days (or weeks) when everything feels a bit... flat. The light isn’t inspiring, the shots don’t quite land, and the camera starts gathering dust. It’s more common than you think — and completely normal, especially if photography is something you care deeply about.

But creative ruts don’t have to last. Often, they’re a signal. A gentle nudge that it’s time to shift gear, try something new, or even just take a breath. Here are five things that have helped me — and many of my clients — rediscover that spark.

Convert the impossible into possible!

1. Limit Yourself on Purpose

Restrictions sound counterintuitive, but they’re one of the fastest ways to kickstart creativity. Try heading out with just one lens, or commit to shooting in black and white only for a day. Give yourself a 10-minute challenge. Or photograph just one subject — five different ways.

Limits force us to think differently. You can’t rely on gear or location to do the work. You have to engage with the scene more deliberately, and that shift in mindset is where creativity often returns.

Schiehallon in Winter evening light…but what about a different season?

2. Revisit Somewhere Familiar

Go back to a place you’ve photographed before — but go with new eyes.

Maybe you shot it in Winter. What does it look like in Summer? Maybe you always stood in one spot. What happens if you walk 50 metres further?

Familiar places can feel invisible until you start to really see again. And revisiting them can be strangely comforting. There’s less pressure to 'get the shot' — and more space to play.

Another Glen Lyon Landscape or somewhere different like the Painted Hall in London? Try a new style or type of location.

3. Switch the Focus (Literally)

If you always shoot wide, try going macro. If you usually chase big landscapes, visit somewhere inside and look for texture, shape, pattern, shadow.

Ruts often come from repetition. Shifting your perspective — or your subject matter — resets your visual brain. And it doesn’t have to mean new gear. A simple change in how you approach a scene is often enough.

Leave the expectations behind and just explore…

4. Shoot Without Expectations

Leave the idea of ‘good photos’ behind for a while.

Seriously. Go out with your camera or phone and just explore. Don’t aim for keepers. Don’t post. Don’t even edit if you don’t want to.

The freedom to create without expectation is powerful. Some of my best images have come from the days when I didn’t try to make them. Just being present and open can be the catalyst you didn’t know you needed.

Go out with someone and see the world through their eyes.

5. Book a Session or Shoot With Someone Else

Sometimes, the best way out of your own head is to get out with someone else. A fellow photographer. A friend. Or even better — a mentor who can help you see things differently.

My 1-to-1 photography days are often exactly this. Clients arrive feeling stuck or flat — and by the end of the day, they’re excited again. Not because I’ve given them secret settings, but because we’ve reconnected with why they shoot in the first place.

Final Thought

Creative ruts aren’t failures. They’re pauses. And pauses are part of any process worth doing. The trick is to recognise the pause for what it is — and gently walk your way through it.

If you'd like some company along the way, or a fresh perspective in the field, I’d love to help. You can reach me on WhatsApp, or have a look at the tailored 1-to-1 sessions I run throughout the Highlands.

Let’s get you excited about photography again.