How to Overcome Creative Block in Photo Editing

How to Get Past a Creative Block When Editing Photos

Unfortunately, it happens a lot. I’m working away on an edit and suddenly I lose my creative direction.

What started as an exercise in artistic expression, working away happily on a photo edit, quickly nosedives into the maze of Photoshop possibilities. There are so many possibilities that I don't know where to go next, and my work grinds to a halt.

A few cups of coffee later and I'm still scratching my head.

Over the years, I've found that the best way to get past that creative roadblock isn't necessarily to learn another complicated technique. Sometimes you simply need to change the way you approach the image and start experimenting again.

That's where creative editing tools can be incredibly useful. They make it easy to try different ideas quickly, without committing to a particular direction. And sometimes, one small experiment is all it takes to unlock a completely new idea for your photograph.

When You Get Stuck, Try Something Completely Different

One of the easiest ways to overcome creative block is to stop trying to perfect the edit you're already working on.

Instead, try something completely different.

That's exactly what happened with this photograph of Te Mata Peak. I'd already created a fairly ordinary black and white conversion in Photoshop, but I wasn't sure where to take the image next.

Rather than continuing to make small adjustments to an edit I wasn't particularly excited about, I decided to experiment with some completely different creative approaches.

This is where tools such as Luminar Neo can be really useful. Because you can quickly move between different effects and adjustments, it's easy to experiment without getting bogged down in complicated editing techniques.

Using Photo Editing Tools to Find a New Direction

Because it's easy to quickly try different effects, creative editing tools can be really useful when you're trying to discover a new direction for a photograph.

In the video below, I take this photograph from a fairly ordinary black and white conversion and experiment with different creative tools to see where the image might go.

The point isn't to follow a particular editing recipe. Instead, it's about experimenting and seeing what happens. Sometimes an effect you wouldn't normally consider can lead you in a completely new creative direction.

Experiment With Creative Effects

I tried a variety of creative tools in this edit, but without a doubt, one of my favourites has to be the Sunrays tool. It's a really clever bit of programming that lets you drag an imaginary sun across the screen, causing light rays and beams to interact with your photograph.

I've used it quite a bit in my landscape work, and it's a great example of how experimenting with an effect can sometimes take an image in a completely unexpected direction.

The important thing is not to use an effect simply because you can. The goal is to experiment, see what happens, and then decide whether it actually improves the photograph. You can always dial the effect back or remove it completely.

5 Ways to Get Unstuck When Editing a Photo

1. Try Black and White

Removing colour completely can change the way you see an image. It forces you to concentrate on light, contrast, shapes and composition rather than worrying about colour.

Even if you don't intend to create a black and white final image, it's worth trying. You may notice something about the photograph that you hadn't seen before.

2. Push an Adjustment Much Further Than You Normally Would

Increase the contrast. Make the colours ridiculous. Add far too much atmosphere. Then step back and look at what you've created.

You probably won't keep the extreme version, but you might discover an idea that's worth developing.

Sometimes you have to go too far before you find the right place to stop.

3. Try a Completely Different Mood

If you've been creating a bright, natural-looking image, try something darker and more dramatic. If you've been working towards a moody edit, try something light and colourful.

You don't have to keep the result. You're simply giving yourself permission to explore a different direction.

4. Change the Sky or Add a Texture

Creative tools such as sky replacements and photo textures can completely change the mood of an image. They can be particularly useful when you've reached a point where you're not sure what to try next.

You might discover that adding a new element to the photograph gives you an entirely different idea for the edit.

If you're interested in experimenting with textures, you might also like my guide to adding textures to photos using blend modes.

5. Walk Away

Sometimes the best editing decision is to stop editing.

Save the image, close the program and come back to it tomorrow. You'll often see things differently after you've had some distance from the photograph.

There's nothing wrong with leaving an image unfinished. Sometimes your brain just needs a break before it can see where the photograph needs to go next.

Use Luminar Neo to Explore Different Ideas

One of the reasons I enjoy using Luminar Neo is that it makes experimentation so accessible. You can quickly try different adjustments and creative effects without having to build a complicated editing workflow.

That's particularly useful when you're stuck creatively. Instead of staring at the same image wondering what to do next, you can start experimenting and see what happens.

You don't have to use every effect you try. In fact, most of the things you experiment with probably won't make it into the final image. That's fine. The experimentation itself can help you discover a direction.

If you'd like to learn more about using Luminar Neo, take a look at my Mastering Luminar Neo course, where I cover the software's tools and techniques in detail.

And if you don't already have Luminar Neo, you can purchase Luminar Neo from Skylum and, for a limited time, use code ANTHONY20NEO at checkout to receive 20% off.

The Next Time You Get Stuck, Experiment

Creative blocks are a normal part of editing photographs. The important thing is not to feel that every adjustment has to move you closer to a finished image.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is experiment, make a terrible edit, try something completely different and see where it takes you.

You might discover that the photograph you started with wasn't going in the direction you originally imagined at all.

And that's often where the most interesting edits begin.