I think one of the more difficult challenges for any artist is to avoid a rut and learn to approach his subject matter in a different way.  I know I've struggled with that difficulty.  I've photographed most of my life and have had the privilege of photographing in many of the iconic "hotspots" of our country, some on numerous occasions, and yet there was something missing.  I was running out of ideas and subject matter.  I began to realize that I tended to shoot the same kind of images everywhere I went with the result that even though the images might differ in content they were still much the same.  I realized that I was addicted to the same point of view, e.g., I usually shot from eye level, used the same lens, shot the same " cliche" images as thousands of others had already shot, etc.  In other words, imagination was lacking.  When that happens boredom sneaks in and one's portfolio begins to lose vitality.  What to do?

Well, I decided a complete "makeover" might be in order from concept to post production.  These past several months I've been thinking more locally than looking to iconic locations like Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon.  For instance, I live within an hour of one of the world's great cities, San Francisco, yet I've photographed there very little.  So I've determined to remedy that by scheduling a series of sessions in "the city" and mapped out different locations and intents for each of those shoots.  Twice in the past month I've been on the road by 3:45 a.m. in order to be in position before sunrise to catch the best light.  Not a lot of fun hauling out of bed that time of the morning, but the light is worth it and has an added benefit of beating the traffic and finding a parking place; nothing to dismiss in San Francisco where a quarter buys four minutes on a parking meter!  I've also learned that after a life time of living near this city I've never really seen it.  When one starts walking the neighborhoods they emerge in a completely different light.

My approach has changed too.  Instead of looking for drop dead scenics I'm looking for lines, patterns, shapes, color, abstracts, people living their daily lives, etc.  In a sense it's back to basics.  My equipment list has changed a bit too.  I still use my "go to" lens a lot (Nikkor 18-200mm) but I'm also experimenting with my Lensbaby system quite a bit and find it's giving me a whole different mindset that carries over even when using conventional lenses.  The Lensbaby "look" even enters into my images in post production as I find myself introducing intentional blur effects on occasion in Photoshop.  In other words, I have other creative tools to use, and with focused goals for each session I'm coming home with images far different than my typical style.  It's a lot like photographing in Yosemite.  Once one has photographed all the "postcard" sites he is forced to look for new subjects.  It is then that one really begins to "see" his subject and start making art and not just recapitulating cliches.

I'm also paying attention to what others are doing.  As the digital "age" progresses and equipment and techniques continue to evolve I am sensible to traditional subject matter being captured in different and dynamic ways.  For instance, time lapse and HDR photography is raising the bar on what can be achieved that just a few years ago was impossible.

These are just a few examples of things that can be done to keep one's self from falling into a rut and becoming bored, a state that inevitably shows up in his images.  Whatever you do I think it is beneficial to periodically take a step back and assess one's approach.  Am I becoming predictable?  Am I simply "cloning" my own work over and over?  Am I "going through the motions" and putting little thought and creativity into my work?  Do I lack a sense of motivation and drive? If the answer to those questions is "yes" perhaps we are in the proverbial rut.  I don't mean to infer that repeating what works is necessarily a bad thing, but a little "seasoning" now and then doesn't hurt either.

I spent many frustrating years trying to discover my "style" only to learn that style is not something that miraculously one day manifests itself.  It is something that continually evolves as one matures in his craft.  One has to be open to the fact that he changes over time and embrace that truth.  Like Tiger Woods leaving the tour for a spell to redevelop his swing I think the artist has to step back now and then to reassess what he is doing and make appropriate adjustments.  Even if no change is made it is still a valid exercise.  A rut, no matter how shallow, can often prove tough to escape.  Once in it only becomes deeper if nothing is done about it.