Photography Tip #1: Don't Shame Yourself, Breaks Are Necessary
I’ve been like a bear hibernating in the middle of winter: rarely braving the cold, unless food is involved. If my camera had been on a shelf and not tucked neatly away inside it’s camera bag, it surely would have accumulated some dust because as I uploaded the photos from this winter walk I realized I had to make a folder for two years of not uploading a single photo.
I reminded myself that it’s natural for photographers to take breaks, that burnout is a real thing, and sometimes we all need space from the things we love so we can continue to fall in love with them. I had still been taking photos on my cell phone camera, after all. But even if I hadn’t, that didn’t make me any less of a creative person — it just made me a creative person on hold. Finding inspiration.
Anyways, I went on two photo winter walks with my friends recently. The first walk I went on was with my buddy Colton.
Photography Tip #2: Be On The Lookout For New Backgrounds
Some photographers may struggle to know where to start. I recommend thinking about what type of background you’re going to have in your photos. It can be a good idea to keep colours and textures in mind. It can be good to imagine you are in a photo studio, picking out a backdrop sometimes: look for a nice wall with consistent patterns and not too much going on (although a bit of texture like so can be fun). Keep it simple!
I fell in love with this blue garage door almost immediately. It was big enough to use as a background and the colour poppped with Colton’s red jacket. It also worked well with my scarf.
Photography Tip #3: Share Your Knowledge
If you’ve been shooting for awhile it may be fun to mentor people. At the very least, it helps your models understand the kind of work you’re doing behind-the-scenes are reassures them that you know what you’re doing.
Don’t be afraid to talk to people about your settings. If they’re into it, nerd out about shutter speed and aperture. Tell them why you like to bump the ISO past 200, or how your particular camera takes forever to focus (this is a common complaint I have against my Canon 6D, which was made for slower studio shots).
I shared some knowledge with Colton and adjusted the settings for him, then handed him the camera and gave some more advice as he snapped a few photos of me, and this is what we got!
Share Your Photo Walk Stories
Whether you’re a seasoned pro, or picking up a camera for the first time, you’re welcomed here. Stay tuned for part two of the 2026 Photo Winter Walks where I provide more creative tips for photographers and creative communicators.
Comment if you’ve got any tips to share.