On Finding Inspiration at Home This Summer

A scene I see all the time, but with my film camera it felt different.

These were shot on Fuji 200 film stock. I do like the overall look, it has a softness to it, but it tends to lean a little green, especially in the shadows, which can feel a bit muddy to my eye. It's a subtle quirk of the film that I notice more in certain lighting.

I’m getting back into film and took my film camera to my local beach park; for me it’s fun to experiment the aesthetic quality of the film stocks

Summer has arrived! At least in the northern hemisphere… These beautiful, leisurely, idyllic days stretch longer and are golden than the rest of the year. With school out and the sun calling everyone outdoors, I’m right there too, just having tipped out a beach bag full of sand, grateful and a little sun-dazed after an ocean dip with Winslow at our favorite spot.

There’s a carefree and loose energy to this time of year, with schedules easing and meals lingering long into the night. And maybe, like me, you usually have a few travel plans on the calendar, some adventure to look forward to, some new place you’re excited to explore. Traveling is where I find the most joy and inspiration in my photography. There’s just something about discovering cobblestone streets and little hidden cafés, exploring unfamiliar places with open eyes and a full heart.

But this summer is different; no significant travel plans and I know I’m not alone in that. Whether it’s because of timing, budget, or life simply unfolding differently than expected, many of us are staying closer to home right now. And if your creativity feels a little flat or if you’re aching for novelty or feel uninspired by the familiar or home, I want to say: I’m with you.

Even here on Maui, where people often dream of vacationing, island fever is real (for me, it is anyway!) I fully understand how spoiled I might sound! Maui is a destination in and of itself. I don’t take that for granted. But it’s also where I live; it’s home. It’s familiar, and while there’s beauty in that comfort, it can sometimes dull my sense of wonder and creativity. Because it’s familiar, it doesn’t exactly spark the same creative high I feel when I’m traveling, which is natural, I think. It does mean that I have to be a bit more intentional to get my creativity juices flowing to keep the light burning. It also takes a bit of motivation, effort, and a willingness to see home with fresh eyes. It may not completely satisfy that deep hunger for wide-eyed wonder that comes with discovering somewhere new, but it will do for this summer.

So if you’re staying home this season too, here are a few ways I’ve been rediscovering inspiration at home:

Give yourself a photo assignment

Act as if you are on an assignment for a magazine; any magazine or publication that you’d love to work for. Choose a theme or a concept, for example, solitude, color chaos, summer dreams…it could be anything, and an idea guide for you for a week. Shoot as if you are on this assignment, capturing images specifically for this concept or theme. Take it seriously! Make it a project and give yourself a timeline, no pressure or anything, but you can give yourself a deadline to motivate you. This is a fantastic way to get out of the house, spark your creativity, and new ideas. You may even discover it opens new doors or paths you are curious to explore!

Create a seasonal still life

I love this one as the farmers’ markets and gardens are brimming with beautiful produce. This is kind of similar to the first, but opens another window of creativity. Gather pieces of summer produce: fruit and vegetables from your local farmer’s market or better yet, your garden, flowers of any kind (wildflower, local blooms, something lovely from the supermarket, beautiful stones or other natural finds, linens. Arrange them thoughtfully by a window and photograph the scene like a painting from the old masters. Let the light and your finds guide you. Maybe even find a still life painting to be your inspiration! Think of works by Carravaggio, Cezanne, or Dutch master Jan Brueghel the Elder. There’s something so grounding about slowing down and seeing beauty in the small. I think this is very calming to do, yet it’s a celebration of summer’s abundance. Maybe even give your still life a theme too!

Shoot one subject for a week

This can be a challenge, but I’d argue it will improve your photography and your eye in ways you wouldn’t expect! Pick one thing, trees, red objects, your pet, or pastries, and photograph it daily in different light, from different angles, in various moods. You’ll start to see new perspectives and variations that you may not have seen beforehand. It hones your photographic eye because constraints can actually lead to revelations, breakthroughs, and build momentum.

Go on a photo walk around your home

Walking is a wonderful way to reconnect to yourself and get creativity flowing. Walking is a creative act! How many times have you had a new perspective or idea while on a walk? Take a walk around your neighborhood and set yourself a limit of taking a small number of shots (pretend you're shooting film if that helps!) and take 10-15 photographs of things, scenes, subjects that catch your. Often we pass by beautiful or interesting things in our “own very backyard” because we actually don’t see them in our daily life, because our mind is elsewhere. How often do we really pay attention to what’s on the side of the road on our way home? That gorgeous bougainvillea at the corner of your street? The horses in the pasture nearby? That cozy coffee shop you frequent? Act as if you are a “tourist” in your own neighborhood, and you may start to see things differently.

Take a mini road trip to somewhere new

This is simply a joyful thing to do, whether you bring your camera or not. It gets you outside, into the sunshine, and nudges you to explore somewhere new. Even better with a friend, but equally lovely solo. Let your curiosity lead the way, you might just feel that familiar spark in your chest, that rush of joy that comes from discovering a new corner of the world. You may not walk away with any photos you love or portfolio-worthy images, but you’ll have had a small adventure. That’s more than enough reason for me to pack your bag and hit the road! Distance doesn’t matter. It could even be a hike you’d been longing to trek, or even a nearby town that you’ve wanted to explore.

Shoot at a different time of day

If summer isn’t the time to experiment with different light, then I’m not sure when it is! If you’re always photographing in the morning or at sunset, try blue hour or midday. You may be pleasantly surprised by shooting in different light or at different times of day. With the abundance of light in summer, it's the perfect season to explore and practice working with different types of light throughout the day.

Sign up for a creative experience

Whether it’s a local class, a floral arranging workshop, a weekend retreat, or even a plein air painting class, immersing yourself in something new can replenish your creative well in unexpected ways. There are so many fun and unique events and happenings in summer! Say yes to a seasonal experience that might not be directly tied to photography but holds beautiful photographic potential. Think foraging walks, berry picking, guided hikes, outdoor supper clubs, or evening photography meet-ups. Everyone’s eager to be outside this time of year, and just maybe the most memorable creative moments are waiting right in your own backyard!

I hope these are some ideas to make the most of your summer at if you can’t travel. As late Wayne Dyer said “If you change the way you look at thing, the things you look at change.”

Have a beautiful summer!

I love the vintage look because this isn’t a scene I would normally take with my digital camera, but for whatever reason, perhaps because it was shot on film, it works for me.

Same with this one. I deliberately tried to use the natural elements of the beach to see the scene from a different perspective.