Being a photographer is not only about knowing the rules of photography and applying them. It's also about being able to break them and to think outside the box. I think that the latter is particularly important for those who try or want to be creative - without the ability of thinking outside the box will make it very hard to stand out in the crowd!
So what does thinking outside the box mean for me as a photographer? Ohh it can mean so many different things. I think it comes all together to a combination of various things: the ability to break the rules of photography, creativity and the potential to see the world around in a unique way.
How can you learn to think outside the box? Well, I really can't give a definite answer to that. I can definitely tell you that you don't have to be born with it (although it can be helpful to a certain extent) but you can learn it as well. i can tell you how I try to think outside the box: I look around at the world around me from different angles and various perspectives. I keep trying to see it in a way others don't. It sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. It's important to train yourself, your brain and your eyes and not to give up. The more you try to see the world around you from different perspectives, the easier it becomes.
Article Pictures: I visited my friend Ada in Den Haag, the Netherlands in June 2010. I think the pictures correspond pretty well to how you can think outside the box in photography.