Innovation is defined, quite simply, as "the introduction of something new". In our business, this is essentially two fold: first the pitch to the client, and the delivery to the audience. Easy? Maybe not so much. Everyone likes to talk about creativity, how 'creative' an idea is, or how new and fresh it seems. There is a natural tendency to dumb down and label everything revolutionary as creativity. Unfortunately, creativity is most certainly not the key to success, at least not on its own.

The real key to successfully introducing a new idea, especially in the context of a paying project or client, is to actually apply creative thinking to the exectution: the actual real world innovation of the idea. Really, the only thing that separates a cool idea from a world changing or mind shifting innovation is in the execution.

The reality for most of us is that status quo is easy, status quo is cheap, status quo is timely. You don't have to work late for status quo, you don't have to think outside the box to deliver status quo. The challenge here is obvious: How do we take that amazing idea, and with a little effort, innovate it into something revolutionary, or (at worst) different? Can we turn status quo into mind shifting and game changing? Can we raise the bar on a limited budget and timeline?

Get innovative, make your next idea a revolution.

Now, its not that Pike place is boring, or a waste of time... quite the contrary, it was a fantastic day out in the sun/rain/sun/rain/sun/rain cruising around downtown, taking in the sights and culture. However, I think it was around this time (and maybe partially because of this trip) that I began to finally understand what all the greats mean when they say that "the best pictures, the best ideas, are made and not taken". It occured to me later on in my journey as a 'creative' that my whole purpose for bringing my camera was in hopes of "finding" a cool image. Sure, great intentions, but no purpose and completely backwards logic. It's something so many photographers and creatives find themselves doing. Traveling the beaten path, looking to capture our own version of, well, the same thing everyone else has already captured 1000 times over (anyone have a picture of Lake Louise or the statue of liberty to prove my point?)

Now, there is certainly something to be said for being prepared to capture inspiring places, events, and shots of opportunity. This is, after all, a dynamic and ever changing world we live in. Case in point: Just yesterday I looked out my window to see a girl hula-hooping on the roof across from my office, in the snow, in full view of downtown. Had my camera, got the shot, awesome. But aside from those little gems we occasionally find, it is seldom (maybe never) that we just randomly stumble across the best opportunities, and as a photographer, the best images. Want to take award winning photos? Step off the beaten path. Find a new viewpoint, something no one has seen before. Maybe even just a new viewpoint on something we've all seen a million times. Vincent Laforet nailed this fundamental with this fantastic capture of the Chrysler Building in NYC.

Maybe it's time to actively seek out that concept or emotion you want to capture. This time, try creating an idea that hasn't been created before. Spend some serious time contemplating the concept or message behind your next image before you ever pick up the camera. Only with this fundamental principle as your anchor will you begin to find that elusive creativity that all of us are looking for.

What does this look like? As a photographer, take a photo... tweak it to your liking, upload it to flickr or twitpic, and publish via facebook or twitter.

Seems like a normal thing for the modern internet savvy creative person to do... the simplicity masks the utter enormity of it all.... The fact that Twitter and Facebook have become, in many ways, the new face of publishing.

That's it... self publishing. You have an audience (friends and contacts), you have a medium of delivery with WIDE acceptance, you have the tools available to produce extremely high quality media for unprecedented prices (Canon 5Dmk2, a lens, a tripod and Final Cut Express for Less than $4000).

So whats stopping us from using this new medium to it's fullest extent?

A very good question.