Have you ever gone out to shoot some photographs just to get home with none? Is it hard to feel inspired? You are not alone, this used to happen to me as well. I think I have a little trick to fix this little problem, if not all the time, most of it.

For the last two weeks, and for the first time in my life, I've been running a few kilometers every other morning. I never liked running, but doing it early and mere minutes after waking up makes it so much worse.

I don't just jump out of bed and start running though: I walk for at least 10-15 minutes before I speed up. It's my way to warm up and get my body (and mind!) ready for what's coming next.

I believe the same principle can help a photographer to get started.

Take the first photo

Taking the first photo will get you started and your creativity flowing.

It's all about gaining momentum and put yourself "in the zone". This is true for many aspects of our lives: it's hard to start, but it gets easier over time. Why wouldn't it be the same for photography?

When I go on a photography trip, I usually take snapshots of the place before starting to look for compositions. I do it to document the trip, but also to help me get started and focus on what I'm about to do.

My YouTube videos are another example of something I do (among many other reasons) because it actually helps my creativity. I'm constantly thinking about the place and what's different, or beautiful about it.

Next time you go out to make some images, just take a few random photos. You could even do it at home, before hitting the street. The subject doesn't matter. It could be your keys, your shoes, yourself, on the mirror. The car parked next to your home. The clouds. Or the lack of them. It doesn't really matter.

While this little trick doesn't work all the time (there are days where we are just not in the mood to create, and that's fine), I found it has helped me quite a bit.