I don't need inspiration, I have my own ideas - at least, that's what I'm told by some photographers. That's fabulous, amazing in fact! How fab to have so many creative ideas you don't need inspiration from others, from any other aspect of life. Incredible! So why is it that all your photographs are a bit flat and boring? They all look the same to me. Oh, right, so that's your style .... hmmmm.
There again, I've come across those that tell me that they have created their own style, their own special, unique, inspirational style of photographs .... er, haven't I seen that somewhere before? Oh, right, I see, you've put your own twist on a photograph that Jerry G created, right!
Honestly, I don't think any of us can afford to stop being inspired, however long we've been in the industry, but equally, we need to watch how the inspiration creeps into what we do, making sure it is inspiration, and not copying.
I use a range of things for inspiration - I love watching movies and some mainly US TV shows for ideas of what to shoot and how to shoot. For example, I love CSI Miami and the way that they do tight crops and use negative space. The separation is fabulous too as are the colours. Some music videos can also be great for getting ideas from, such as those created for Christina Aguilera.
I also use art for inspiration, looking at how artists use light, composition and posing. There is a fabulous painting in The Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, called The Death of Nelson which is full of inspiration around use of layers, linking of subjects, and lighting, as well as posing. I also love the work of Edward Hopper and Jack Vettriano, as well as the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, particularly John Everett Millais.
And then there are other photographers - I love some of the great masters of photography, such as Norman Parkinson, Cecil Beaton, Henri Cartier Bresson, Eve Arnold to name just a few, as well as contemporary photographers. I find Annie Liebovitz's Hollywood covers fabulous for inspiration around photographing groups and creating links between subjects, and Mario Testino's lively groups are just amazing!
But there are other photographers whose work I get inspiration from who are not out there in the media as 'famous' photographers, yet just as worthy. Take a look at Kevin Wilson, Bella West, Julia Boggio, Parker J Pfister, Johannes van Kan.
And then, of course, people watching has to be one of the most inspirational things we can do, as we watch people doing what they do naturally. So next time you find yourself saying you don't look at other photographers for inspiration, that you don't copy others when really you do, that you have loads of ideas, just ask yourself this .... if this is what I am able to do when I don't look for inspiration outwith myself, how good might I be if I did look for inspiration? Maybe, just maybe, you could exceed your own expectations!
There again, I've come across those that tell me that they have created their own style, their own special, unique, inspirational style of photographs .... er, haven't I seen that somewhere before? Oh, right, I see, you've put your own twist on a photograph that Jerry G created, right!
Honestly, I don't think any of us can afford to stop being inspired, however long we've been in the industry, but equally, we need to watch how the inspiration creeps into what we do, making sure it is inspiration, and not copying.
I use a range of things for inspiration - I love watching movies and some mainly US TV shows for ideas of what to shoot and how to shoot. For example, I love CSI Miami and the way that they do tight crops and use negative space. The separation is fabulous too as are the colours. Some music videos can also be great for getting ideas from, such as those created for Christina Aguilera.
I also use art for inspiration, looking at how artists use light, composition and posing. There is a fabulous painting in The Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, called The Death of Nelson which is full of inspiration around use of layers, linking of subjects, and lighting, as well as posing. I also love the work of Edward Hopper and Jack Vettriano, as well as the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, particularly John Everett Millais.
And then there are other photographers - I love some of the great masters of photography, such as Norman Parkinson, Cecil Beaton, Henri Cartier Bresson, Eve Arnold to name just a few, as well as contemporary photographers. I find Annie Liebovitz's Hollywood covers fabulous for inspiration around photographing groups and creating links between subjects, and Mario Testino's lively groups are just amazing!
But there are other photographers whose work I get inspiration from who are not out there in the media as 'famous' photographers, yet just as worthy. Take a look at Kevin Wilson, Bella West, Julia Boggio, Parker J Pfister, Johannes van Kan.
And then, of course, people watching has to be one of the most inspirational things we can do, as we watch people doing what they do naturally. So next time you find yourself saying you don't look at other photographers for inspiration, that you don't copy others when really you do, that you have loads of ideas, just ask yourself this .... if this is what I am able to do when I don't look for inspiration outwith myself, how good might I be if I did look for inspiration? Maybe, just maybe, you could exceed your own expectations!
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