From time to time you might find yourself becoming bored with the photos that you are taking. From my experience this stagnation in my photography is a result to taking the same photo over and over. Set up tripod, set up camera, photograph the landscape. For the most part it works, but there are only so many landscape photographs that you can take before they begin to look the same.

When I hit that level of stagnation, I pull a 180 and take photos of people, and not just portraits either. I'll hit the street and take some photos of people in action, or I'll ask friends and family to let me photograph them. By changing my subject, I force myself to think differently about the photos that I am taking. This change in thought allows me to play with colors and encourages me to think about lighting in a different manner. My compositions begin to change from landscape to portraiture.

And when I get bored with portraits I move on to sports. I'll put myself in the position to find the right shot in an environment that I have no control in. Not only do I have to think about lighting, but I now have to try and predict where the action will be. This isn't easy particularly because I am not a big sports fan, so I may not know where a fielder will throw the ball, or how that horse or bull will react to the rider on their back. I also have to think more about my focusing technique. When taking portraits or landscape, you can use the auto-focus mechanisms with some manual focus to fine tune what the camera is getting wrong. With sports photography you need a fast camera and lens so your subject is always in focus.

By continually challenging yourself as a photographer, you allow yourself to improve your skills and techniques. This improvement allows for better photos in whatever your niche might be. So I challenge you to take photos that you wouldn't ordinarily take, and post some links in the comments so we can all see what you photographed. If someone has a question, attempt to answer it. Try not to see it as giving away your secret techniques, but more as a starting point for someone else to develop their own.