Photography Woes: Where to Look for Inspiration? Here are 8 tips to find inspiration.
Do you desperately need the inspiration to begin snapping awesome photographs again?
Probably the biggest dilemma in a photographer’s life – usually the creative ones – is not having new ideas. Creativity cannot be forced and sometimes, there is a complete drought of ingenuity and imagination that can help you find your way with the camera.
Don’t worry. We all go through such phases over the course of our photography experience. What you need at a time like this is an inspiration – something or someone that can re-energize you and get your creative juices flowing like they should.
Now, when it comes to looking for inspiration, there are quite a lot of ways you can find it. We’ve compiled a nice little list of the various options where you could start:
Challenge Yourself
Take part in a contest. While most contests give photographers the liberty of bringing forth their best shots, others define parameters for the competition. Like a “beach shot competition” or portraits or monochrome images – enter one of these. Then go about clicking photographs until you shoot one that’s worthy of a competition.
Visit a New Place
This could be anywhere – a different city, a new country, the local flea market, or a sports event – somewhere you have never been and photographed before. New places give you a different set of subjects to experiment and play around with – definitely worth trying.
Try a Different Genre
Maybe there’s a certain genre you enjoy more than the other – like you could be a fan of landscape photography more than you enjoy taking portraits of people. Sometimes doing the same thing, again and again, makes you lose interest in and the excitement you feel for it. Trying something new always helps you get a new perspective.
Look at Other People’s Work
You may have photographer friends or famous photographers you look up to – take a look at their work. Sometimes, inspiration comes from places you least expect. Maybe you’ll come across an image that makes you want to capture what the same subject would look like from another perspective or something that you notice in the back or foreground of the pictures that could make an interesting subject. Google images is a great place to look for at images. You can also search for an Instagram hashtag such as #shutyouraperture.
Hit the Streets
The streets are full of people and objects and moments that can provide excellent inspiration for your photography projects. Take a stroll and capture whatever catches your eye and interest, whether it’s a building, a bird, a person, or a sign. There is plenty to look forward to when you’re out exploring the streets.
Pick up a Theme
Now, this is where you can be as creative as you want. Picking up a theme is a great way to find inspiration to click some of the most amazing photographs you’ve clicked in a while. Pick something as cliché as sunsets or something as peculiar as shadows or something that reflects a certain emotion, like loneliness. It’s challenging and fun!
Find Your White Whale
We did an article on this one before You can find it here. Your white whale is an image you’ve always wanted to capture and in the perfect way. Look deep inside you and think what is it that you want to capture the most – an isolated trail leading into a dense forest, a surfer on the breaking wave, or bare feet on the dewy morning grass. Think. Go forth. And capture!
Create a Project
Now, this is entirely up to you. It could be a collage of photographed patterns from different places put together into an interesting mosaic or a simple time-lapse series of photographs of the same place captured with the same perspective. Make it as interesting as you want and let the juices flow.
While looking for inspiration, it is important to push your limits and get out of your comfort zone. You have a special eye, an excellent talent to see a shot in everything you look at. Just put your camera to good use and keep shooting! What else do you do to find inspiration?
