Quote Originally Posted by johnkuhnphoto View Post
how did you challenge yourself?
you do things differently, you make sure you are thinking outside of the box. when im in a rut or finding out how to view things different i go out shooting with just one lens. often times i bust out the 50mm 1.4 and go downtown and start shooting. i cant zoom, i cant get wide, so it forces me to be creative and view things differently. limit your equipment and you will see things differently.

you can also bring new elements into the situation. i had had my fill of mcs shots and got tired of seeing other peoples photos of it. it had been done. then i shot a wedding with an incredible couple, both architects and huge supporters of the city, so we decided to get in there and see if we couldnt get some cool shots. that was a challenge for me and something new to make the place more interesting. sure people have taken models into these places, but a couple in a wedding dress and suit? i still think i was the first to do it. some examples...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/southen...7605559479721/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/southen...7605559479721/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/southen...7605559479721/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/southen...7605559479721/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/southen...7605559479721/

push yourself as a photographer. its natural and good to explore other artistic avenues, but when the combination of the two isnt original or done well it detracts from both. some of the things i do like, like the painted truck, but a lot of the splatter lacks creativity and like ive referenced, appears to be just vandalism.

thats just my take and how i would approach trying to do new things in some of these places. you can be creative and send a message without being destructive or doing the same old ruin porn that has been done.