Breaking Through
Creative Block & Finding Inspiration in Photography
A practical conversation on overcoming creative block and getting started again.
Watch the Full Discussion
This recorded session explores the reality of creative block in photography — why it happens, how it affects different types of photographers, and what you can begin doing today to move forward again. Whether you're struggling to start or feeling stuck in your process, this conversation will help you find clarity and direction.
What This Discussion Is Really About
Creative block is not the same for everyone. In this discussion, Martin and Samantha explore how it shows up across different types of photographers — from those who struggle to begin, to those already creating but feeling stuck, and those working toward meaningful bodies of work but losing direction along the way.
The conversation focuses on practical ways to move forward again — not through pressure or perfection, but through understanding, simplicity, and taking the first step.
“When the creative block is fully in place, and you cannot find a way through it, start anyway. It doesn't matter what you photograph or which technique you reach for. The moment you begin, the dismantling has already begun.” - Martin Osner
Understanding Where You Are
Creative block doesn’t look the same for everyone. In this discussion, we explore three distinct types of photographers — each facing different challenges, and each requiring a different approach to move forward.
The Pure Photographer
The In-Camera Creative
The Fine Art Photographer
You have a camera — possibly a very good one — but something keeps holding you back from using it properly. You want to take photography seriously, yet you find yourself stuck before you even begin.
Uncertainty, lack of time, and waiting for the “right moment” often become the barrier.
You’re already exploring creative photography — experimenting with movement, blur, or abstraction — but your results feel inconsistent or disconnected.
Too many choices, a lack of focus, or trying to control the outcome can quietly stop the creative flow.
You’re working beyond the camera — combining photography with artistic processes — but find yourself losing direction or momentum in your work.
Overcomplicating the process, chasing new techniques, or stepping away for too long can break the connection to your work.
How to Move Forward
Once you recognise where you are in your creative journey, the next step becomes clearer. Whether you need to build confidence with your camera, reconnect with your creativity, or immerse yourself in a focused environment — these pathways are designed to help you move forward.
Photography Essentials Course
For those who are completely new to photography or feel unsure about the basics. If your camera feels confusing and you're not sure where to begin, this course gives you a clear, simple foundation to build from.
Advanced Photography Course
If you already understand the essentials but are looking to further your knowledge, this course will help you build confidence in the technical side of photography.
For those who feel held back by their camera, settings, or workflow, it offers clarity and a structured path forward — allowing creativity to take the lead again.
Art Retreat in Swellendam
A hands-on creative experience designed to help you reconnect with your photography in a focused, distraction-free environment. Ideal for exploring in-camera techniques and practical art-making.
Wildlife Art Photography Workshop — Marloth Park
A unique opportunity to approach wildlife photography creatively. Learn to move beyond documentation and begin capturing expressive, meaningful wildlife imagery in an extraordinary natural setting.
Art Workshop in France
An immersive international workshop designed to take you completely out of your everyday environment. A space to slow down, think differently, and explore photography and art at a deeper level.
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
Creative block is often not about ability — it’s about isolation. Trying to create alone, with no feedback, no shared energy, and no sense of accountability, can slowly bring even the most passionate photographer to a standstill.
The Art Photography Academy App brings everything together in one place — your courses, recordings, and a community of like-minded photographers. It allows you to stay connected, inspired, and engaged with your creative journey, wherever you are.
Sharpness Has a Voice, and So Does Blur
Why chasing sharpness might be costing you creative depth in photography. A look at when to hold focus and when to let blur do the talking instead.
'Expressions of the Wild' - A Photo Alchemy Experience
How a giraffe, seen for a moment in the bushveld at Marloth Park, became an artwork. Camera movement, handmade texture, and the Photo Alchemy process.
Is Digital Camera Photography Dying, or Are We Forgetting Why Photography Matters?
More photographs are made now than at any time in history, so photography is not dying. The question is whether we have forgotten what it is actually for.
Breaking Free from the Lonely Art of Art
Making work alone is not the same as making it in isolation. Why creative partnerships matter, and how to find people who actually see what you are doing.
The Art of Digital Hand-Painting in Photoshop
Samantha Lee Osner takes a black-and-white photograph and paints it by hand in Photoshop. No painting experience is needed to follow what she does.
Discovering Your Creative DNA
Creativity does not leave you, it waits for permission. On the myth that art belongs to the talented few, and why perfection is usually what stops you.
The Creative Pause
Five to fifteen minutes of making something on purpose. Small enough to do today, and in a world this loud it is closer to rebellion than it sounds.
Stop Scrolling and Start Creating
The first of an eight part series. When did you last make something with your hands, rather than look at something somebody else made?
Photography to Fine Art: Navigating Creative Boundaries
Martin on the three levels of the craft and his own route through them, from photographer to artist, and where the line between them actually falls.
How Well Do You Really Know Your Camera? Master Manual Mode for Brilliant Photography.
Ten questions on the fundamentals, with the answers at the end. Score seven and you are ready for manual mode. Score less and you know where to begin.
RAW vs. JPG: Why Shooting in RAW Format is a Game-Changer
What your camera quietly throws away the moment it writes a JPG, and why that costs you more than file size when you come to work the picture up.
Photography, Art Photography & Fine Art Photography: Understanding the Differences
Pure, decorative and expressive. What separates the three, why the difference matters to a buyer, and how to tell which one you are making.