I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just feel completely out of ideas. I’d love to grab my camera, but I have no idea what to shoot…

When that happens, I try to avoid Pinterest or Instagram, but instead I go straight to my own photos.

Yes, the old ones… the cringey old ones 😬

Here’s what I usually do 👇

I scroll through my old work and find a photo that feels interesting (maybe because of the food, maybe because of the mood or something else). Ssomething I’d love to have in my portfolio today, but that old photo is not really doing it.

Quick note: It doesn’t have to be a ‘bad’ photo, it just needs to create a spark where you feel you can make it better!

And then I ask: What would I do differently now?

It doesn’t have to be a direct recreation (it rarely is for me). Sometimes it just sparks a new idea, a different prop, a better light setup.

It works because instead of trying to copy someone else, you’re using your own progress as inspiration.

Here’s a little challenge for you:

Pick one old photo. Write down 3 things you’d do differently today. Then use it as a starting point for your next shoot.

You’ll be surprised how many new ideas come up and how much confidence you’ll get just by seeing how far you’ve come.

(Knowing how to recognize things that do not work in your photos is actually something I teach in Food To Frame, because learning how to review your own photos is one of the fastest ways to improve.)

👉 Check out Food To Frame here and spend the rest if the summer leveling up your photography in the most relaxed way possible.

And here’s a quick example of how I used my old photo (or better say an entire old photo session) to inspire me:

The photo on the left was my inspiration. I liked the photo in general, but I feel like there was one thing I would love to change about it. I loved the way the colors popped from the backdrop, the light, and the story.

But I felt like I wanted something that’s a bit more minimal - something that still has story elements, but is a bit more polished. And this is when I took the photo on the right.

Have fun exploring your creativity!

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