Why limiting yourself can set you free.


Photographer: Al Jurina
It may seem like a contradiction, "freeing limitations". But that's what we're talking about. In many areas of life and culture, we find that the most innovative times in mankind's history have come from when a creative person runs up against an obstacle that they are determined to overcome.

I my own experiences, I have found that when I am limited to just one focal length (ie; a prime lens), or one exposure (manual  mode), or practically NO control (iphone), I have a tendency to push the limits of finding ways of making something interesting. It is as if the freedom of too many choices causes paralysis to my creative thinking. Once those choices are gone or reduced, I am able to get my mind beyond them and pursue the goals.

The photo on the left was created by adding an extension tube to my camera. This extension tube forced me to shoot at the widest aperture only (f/1.8) and my focus was only controlled moving closer or further from the subject. This felt extremely limiting. At first, I didn't think that I would be able to make a single image under these restrictions. The ending result was that I made about 10 images that exist in my private portfolio. 10 minutes before this experiment, I couldn't make a single image that I liked.

The challenge for you today is to experiment with limits. Force yourself to just one exposure setting, just one focal length, or some other restriction which will cause you to move outside of your comfort zone. I think you'd be surprised at what you come up with.


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