How can I tackle a difficult competition category?

Question

There's quite an important (to me) photo competition going on right now, and the categories are very constrictive and random e.g. 'spike' , '100'. So how do you go about tackling a confusing category? What do you to gain ideas?

Answer 1

Looks like the point of the competition category is to be a vague as possible in an attempt to get the most creative result. You need to think hard about the titles and push them in different directions to get inspiration. I can think of loads of shots for both of these titles you just need to treat the vagueness as a plus rather than a minus.

Answer 2

Time to get creative. Just think of anything that comes to your mind when you first listen to a word. Then develop the idea. I know its easier said than done. But giving a try is good :)

Answer 3

If you're having difficulty being "creative", try to answer these questions:

• What's the first thing you think of when someone says the category name?
• Could the category be a metaphor for something?
• Do any colours, shapes or patterns spring to mind when thinking about the category?
• What do you get if you search for the category name online?

For example, the category "100" makes me think of something that is complete - 100% done. It could be related to success or productivity. It's also used for lists and collections - a hundred. I'm not getting any colours but a grid shape springs to mind; ten times tables. Online searching suggests the 100 club in London, or a hundred dollar bill.