60 Sources of Inspiration for Photography

Are you struggling for new ideas? Do your creative batteries feel as flat and lifeless as a skunk in the fast lane?

Here are 60 ways to breathe new life into your love of photography and re-energize your inspiration [update: we wrote a book «inspired» by this blog post — «Inspired Photography: 189 Sources of Inspiration For Better Photos»].

1. Play with «Photoshop»
So much of photography these days happens after the shutter release has been pressed. There’s probably a ton of things that you don’t know how to do in «Photoshop». Learn something new and see what that does for your photography potential.

2. Read the Manual
It’s not just «Photoshop» that can do all sorts of things that you don’t know about. Your camera probably has more settings and functions than you know… or know what to do with. You might find a lot of new ideas in the middle of your camera manual.

3. Watch a Movie
Manuals are all well and good, but movies have cinematographers too. There’s not much you can’t learn about landscape photography by sitting back and watching an old Sergio Leone film.

4. Read a Newspaper
Or you can be a little more intellectual and read a newspaper. The Sunday magazines have the best photos but the work by the staff photographers can be great models for creating striking images for amateurs as well as for photojournalists.

5. Visit a Flea Market
Strange objects mean strange shapes, odd shadows and plenty of potential for unique compositions. And you don’t even have to buy anything.

6. Shop at a Farmer’s Market
You never know what you might find at a flea market. At a farmer’s market, you know you can find colors, spheres, people and displays. And dinner too.

7. Check out Some Wedding Photojournalism
It might not be the sort of thing that your clients expect, but the images on display at the Wedding Photojournalist Association’s website might get you thinking about brides and grooms in a whole new way. Instead of the posing and the tripod, you’ll get to blend into the crowd and document the scene. It’s a whole new skill and it could give your wedding photography a whole new lease of life.

8. Hit the Water
You don’t have to be a scuba diver to shoot underwater images. You just need waterproof housing and access to the sea, a swimming pool or even a pond. And once you’re wet, don’t forget to look up as well as down. Some of the most inspiring images can be taken at the point where the light hits the surface of the water.

9. Hit the Streets
There’s a good reason that street photography is so popular: there are so many good things to shoot there. If you haven’t been photographing roads and crowds, give it a go. And if you have, try a different road.

10. Join a Demonstration
Demonstrations are full of flags, banners, placards and crowds. You can lose people in the mass or pick out expressions in the crowd. The only cause you have to support is photography.

11. Watch a Sports Event
The pros have it easiest at sports events with prime positions and lenses longer than your arm. But you can still try something new at your park on a Saturday afternoon.

12. Visit the Zoo
It might not be as thrilling as a Kenyan safari, but a zoo still has the sort of photographic subjects you can’t find anywhere else. Of course, you don’t have to try to squeeze your lens between the bars. Shooting the kids in awe at the monkeys can create some interesting images too.

13. Shoot Fast at a Race Track

Race tracks also give you an opportunity to use a new technique: speed. Fast cars and a faster shutter speed can make for some inspired shooting.

14. Visit an Exhibition
Obvious, really. And yet so often overlooked. Any decent-sized town is likely to have at least one photographic exhibition on at any one time. Take in yours and see what the top photographers did to get on the wall.

15. Browse Google Images
You don’t even have to leave the house to find inspiring images though. Toss keywords into Google Images, admire the good photos that turn up and ask how you would have improved the poor ones.

16. Join Flickr Groups
The pictures in Flickr Groups are great places to see what other people are doing with a theme; the discussions are great places to find out how they did it. And you’ll probably find that the feedback you get on your own photos will give you plenty to think about too.

17. Just Step Back and Watch
For children’s photographers in particular, there can be a temptation to just dive in and get the photos. Sometimes though, lowering the lens, stepping back and watching the subject can reveal whole new sides. That’s true for portrait photographers, wedding photographers, animal photographers… in fact just about any photographer!

18. Roam the World with Flickr Maps
Flickr Maps might be a bit slower than Google Maps, but it comes with Flickr Images built-in. Choose a part of the world with interesting topography and see what photographers have done with it.

19. Change your Angle
Most people shoot an object by placing the lens right in front of it. When David Rubinger lay on the floor to shoot up at paratroopers in front of Jerusalem’s Western Wall during Israel’s Six Day War, he created an iconic image. What would you create?

20. Change your Time
Find yourself shooting at the same time of day each weekend? So break a habit. Discover what the light at dusk, mid-afternoon or early morning can do for your ideas. And it’s not just the light that can make the difference here. Just breaking your routine can often be enough to give you a new perspective and a whole new way photography habit.

21. Browse Stock Sites
You don’t have to be a buyer to check out the images on stock sites. You can be a professional photographer looking for ideas too… especially ideas for commercial images. And the searching is simple. Looking at the top-sellers will give you a good idea of what the market is buying, and browsing by category will show what other photographers are doing with their themes.

22. Write a Blog
Darren Rowse, over at «Digital Photography School», mentions how much just writing about photography has helped to improve his picture-taking. It doesn’t matter if no one reads it; just putting your thoughts on the page could give you some new ones.

23. Read a Blog
Of course, reading a photography blog is even more inspiring thing than writing one. Not only can you learn what went into a photo and where the idea came from, you can also discover how to sell it. But then we would say that, wouldn’t we?

24. Buy a Photography Book
You can never own too many photography books, and each one you buy should give you a bunch of new ideas. Although that’s true of both books of photographs and books about taking pictures, you might find that photography guides give you more inspiration than a collection of images. The former will give you techniques to try out, while the latter will show you the techniques the greats have used. Stil, if you’re really stuck, go shopping.

25. Browse a Bookstore
Or save your cash, take a pile of book to the store’s cafe and sit and enjoy yourself. In fact, you don’t even have to take the photography books with you. Even the dust jackets of the hardbacks can give you ideas for shots, especially commercial images.

26. Step Away from the Magazine Racks

And if book covers can give you ideas, just think what magazine covers can do. These are designed to be eye-catching and stand out on a shelf. They could make your next photo stand out too.

27. Make Friends in the Photography World
Some photographers find it easiest to shoot alone. Others like to shoot as a group. Everyone can benefit from the feedback, discussions and habits of other photographers.

28. Join Photography Organizations
If you’re a professional and you’re not a member of a professional photography organization, you should be. Not only can organizations help with insurance and legal matters, their news, contests, and profiles of other photographers can inspire to make your own splash among your peers.

29. Shoot Yourself

When you’re stuck for a subject, always remember that there’s an interesting one behind the lens too. Be brave. Put yourself in the shot for a change.

30. Revisit Your Past
You probably have a stack of old images that you rarely review, including many that you can’t bring yourself to look at. Give them another chance. A shot that failed a few years ago might well be achievable today — and give you ideas for more.

31. Revisit Places You’ve Been Before
And the same is true of locations. Even if you’ve taken a photograph in one location, it doesn’t follow that you’ll take exactly the same image a few days, months or years later. The light will be different, your skills will be different… and so will you.

32. Ask «What if…?»
Some of the greatest artistic answers have come from asking the right questions. A good one to start with is always «What if…?» What if you focused on the foreground instead of the background? What if you changed the ISO? What if you got a flash of inspiration?

33. Leave Constructive Comments
We’ve mentioned that writing blogs can help to give you new ideas, but so can writing comments on other people’s images. Just make sure the comments are constructive. Praise the photographer’s use of shadow, for example, and you’ll be telling yourself how to get similar praise.

34. Join Photo Contests
Everyone and their uncle these days seems to be running a photography competition. And for good reason. They’re a great way to motivate photographers to shoot outside their boxes.

35. Choose a Theme
Photo contests are helpful because in addition to prizes, they also give subjects to shoot. But you don’t have to actually enter a contest to win one of those. You can pick your own theme. You could even use the categories on stock sites as inspiration for subjects.

36. Check out the Big Winners
And of course, taking a look at images shot by the winners of big photo contests, such as the Pictures of the Year, can show how far your image are from those at the top of the profession… and what you need to do to join them.

37. Go Back to the Rules
You probably know the rules of photography. And you probably know how to bend them and when to break them too. So maybe go back to when you were first learning techniques and try working strictly to rule for a while.

38. Just Shoot Anyway
There are always times when you lift the camera, look at the screen and think, “No.” But what would happen if you did it anyway? At worst, you’d waste a bit of disk space. At best, you might surprise yourself and find a new kind of composition.

39. Get a Cause
Few people are more motivated than those who believe they’re working for the common good. So join them. Pick a cause, offer it your photography skills and the end will help inspire the means. You could find yourself shooting all sorts of things from campaign posters to t-shirt images to angry demonstrations. The variety should be as satisfying as the campaigning.

40. Play with Textures
While photographers often pay attention to light and composition, the texture of the materials in the subject can be left behind. Try focusing on touch rather than vision for a few shots and see what happens…

41. Play with Colors
Or be traditional and paint your pictures with bold colors and sharp contrasts. Or try using different tones of just one or two colors and see what that does for yourt results. It might not be original but if you haven’t done it before, it could be time to give experimenting with colors a try.

42. Drop Color Altogether

Of course, you could also be super-traditional and focus on practicing your skills in black-and-white. Do you know which shots would look best without color?

43. Play with Settings
Chances are, once you’ve found a camera setting that works for you, you don’t stray from it too far. So start straying. Play with the exposure, change the ISO, switch the shutter speed. And build on the results.

44. Play with a Point-and-Shoot
When you shoot with a DSLR, you can get used to all the bells, whistles and options that come with an expensive camera. So lay it aside, pick up an instant and shoot on the cheap. You’ll be amazed at what downgrading can do for your creativity.

45. Just Play
The beauty of digital photography is that there’s no penalty for making mistakes. That gives you a free ticket to stop worrying about whether a picture will turn out well or be an embarrassing flop, and just shoot. So try just enjoy taking photographs without thinking too much about the results.

46. Try a Different Specialty
Whether you specialize in wedding, portraits or anything else, try a niche you’ve never done before. You don’t have to do it professionally but just doing it for a while could give you a whole new bag of techniques and inspire new ways of creating your images.

47. Read Forums
We’ve mentioned that Flickr Groups can be good places to find inspiration but so can photography forums. Often, photographers use them to pose questions, but even those questions can get you thinking. The answers can get you shooting. (That can include your answers too. Tossing in your own two cents’ worth can get you thinking about all things you’re not doing — or haven’t been doing yet.)

48. Start a Project
Inspiration might come in a flash but you want it to hang around. Instead of thinking of an idea for one photograph, try thinking of an idea for a series of photographs. If you’d decided to take pictures of lightning for example, expand the concept to include extreme weather as a whole and add photographs of windswept trees and sun-bleached rooftops. That should keep you busy for a while…

49. Take a Photography Class
Photography classes make thinking up ideas very easy. You’ll even be given assignments so that you don’t have to think up subjects at all, just novel approaches to them.

50. Take any Class

But you don’t have to limit yourself to a photography class. A cooking class will let you create photography subjects that you can eat. A flower-arranging class could give you new ideas for floral photography. Even an origami class could provide a pile of new ideas for images.

51. Define the Perfect Image
Do you know what the perfect image would look like? Bet you’re thinking about it now, right? Instead of thinking how good the next shoot would be, try thinking about what the best shot would look like… then find it.

52. Create a Shooting Schedule
One way to cut back on the regular head-scratching is to plan ahead. Pull out a calendar and decide in advance what sort of images you’ll be shooting each weekend for the next few months. And leave room for flexibility.

53. Pick a Different Model
If you always use the same models or models with similar looks go for something completely different: the opposite sex, a different height, a new age group. See what a different subject can for your ideas.

54. Ignore the Silly Criticism
This one won’t boost your inspiration but it might stop it being blocked. Ask people to comment on your photos and you’ll always get someone with something dumb to say. The challenge is to pick out the constructive comments and leave out the smartass ones that can make you think twice in the future.

55. Do Something Totally Outrageous
Ever told yourself “That would never work?” Well, here’s a “what if…” What if it did work? Go ahead, surprise yourself. Shoot what’s under the sofa. Snap the top of your head. Do something outrageously silly… and see if it works.

56. Give yourself Limits
Some of the greatest literature has been written under the strictest censorship. So limit yourself. Close the door and shoot only an object that you can find in the room. Or tell yourself that you have to produce a fantastic image within the next half hour. Take up the challenge

57. Tell a Story
Good pictures always tell a story. So try thinking of a story then go out and create the images that illustrate it. That could be the story of your street, a narrative describing a community or even the progression of a cub baseball team. Find where your story begins then use your camera to follow it through to the end.

58. Print your Pictures
It’s one thing to view your photos on a computer screen but printing them out and holding them in your hand can be something else altogether. Try printing a selection of your photos and see whether they still work on paper… and how you can improve them.

59. Take an Object, Any Object…
We started this list by pointing out that flea markets are full of strange objects to photograph. But there’s a limit to how you can photograph an individual object in a flea market. So take one home or pick something off the shelf and give yourself a whole new set of still lifes.

60. Buy New Equipment
And if all else fails, you can always use cash. A burst of new ideas always seems to come free with a new lens.

[update — we wrote a book «inspired» by this blog post — «Inspired Photography: 189 Sources of Inspiration For Better Photos».

Автор и эксперт: PhotoPreneur.

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JoeTech Said:
November 28th, 2007 at 9:51 am
Being sick for the past few days, I found myself bored in one of my moments where I wasn't feeling quite as miserable and so I grabbed up my camera and headed to the back yard for a little fresh air. The air did me good, and I now have a whole new view of my backyard from many angles via my camera.

Jason Said:
November 28th, 2007 at 10:46 am
Certainly a handy guide to helping you think outside the box! At *** they are always looking for fresh photographic ideas to help photographers sell their work. This is something everyone should read to help them be inspired!

Ravi Vora Said:
November 28th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
It's amazing how much you can be inspired by putting down the camera.

L0ch Said:
November 28th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
Your list has given me about 1,000,000 ideas. To bad I’m stuck at work.

Brad Blackman Said:
November 28th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Wow, that's a very nice list that applies to more than just photographers if you modify it a bit. I've shared it on my website, Mysterious Flame. Great job!

Randy Fox Said:
November 29th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
Wow, at least 60 "why-didn't-I-think-of-that?"s in one article.
Thanks!

io Said:
November 29th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
I think you skipped the most important one:
Pick up the camera and shoot.

Lynda Lehmann Said:
November 30th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Wonderful collection of ideas all in one place! Thanks for the great post!

Fotogenik Said:
December 1st, 2007 at 12:28 am
I noticed the item you mentioned about joining flickr groups. I like this one even better. Give it a shot, I can sit and watch it for a full 12 hour shift at my "day" job
***
Cheers,
Stuart

mark w Said:
December 1st, 2007 at 6:37 pm
inspired list, of which quite a few got me thinking about ways I look at the images I take. The one about going back and revisiting old images is especially poignant - I made the policy decision to always shoot on raw from the beginning which has helped me when I've revisited shots with more knowledge of aperture or photoshop and made them better two or three years down the line!

photo gordon Said:
December 2nd, 2007 at 10:53 am
I highly recommend creating your own blog because not only will it help you be more creative you can use it to promote your own business. Keep your blog and your professional website separate and link to your site from your blog. Potential clients will love the blog and then move to your professional site to hire you.
g.
***

Leila Boujnane Said:
December 2nd, 2007 at 7:25 pm
Great inspiring list. And I have to say most of it applies to other industries as well. You could have titled your post 60 Sources of Inspiration. period! I am in the software industry and I could use most of the recommendations! Good work.

Andreas Manessinger Said:
December 3rd, 2007 at 8:45 am
That's a pretty fantastic collection of tips. I guess anyone who'd fail to be inspired, would be dead :)
Good job!
Andreas

Syahid Ali Said:
December 11th, 2007 at 8:02 am
"Drop Color Altogether" everyone! Awesome post man.

Bill Speaks Said:
December 14th, 2007 at 11:37 pm
I love to photograph during changing weather. Look for subjects that reflect the changing light and moods of the weather. In your photographs try to capture the emotion the weather stirs within you.
Bill
***

Gunn Said:
January 4th, 2008 at 4:36 am
Thank you! This's what I've been looking for a big while. I'm quite desperate with blank idea in my head. Your article is really helpful :D

J D Whaley Said:
January 27th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Great site! Was looking for inspiration - did I ever find it! Thanks a million. Keep up the good work.

subcorpus Said:
February 6th, 2008 at 11:36 am
we have a daily photo blog over at *** ...
and living in a small city ... some times we are stuck and dunno what to shoot ...
so lemme try some of on your list ...
it sure sounds good ...

tyna Said:
April 9th, 2008 at 9:58 am
A great source of inspiration.Now i don't have any reason not to succeed as photographer.

jojo12 Said:
April 14th, 2008 at 2:50 am
The only thing most people don't want to do is spend cash on something they're not passionate about. Many people buy expensive cameras and don't even use them or take full advantage of what is there to be used. These end up selling on ebay.

kooshan Said:
April 28th, 2008 at 11:14 am
it's really great tips i also translate it to Persian for my blog ,,, with link to your site and your name of course ...really love it

nathalie Said:
June 15th, 2008 at 10:02 am
THANK YOU!
i found myself bored with the pictures i was taking for a really long time, but these tips have given me endless ideas for new photographs.

carmen Said:
June 26th, 2008 at 11:08 am
As for:'58. Print your Pictures
It’s one thing to view your photos on a computer screen but printing them out and holding them in your hand can be something else altogether'...
I totally agree. Has enyone tried with Canvas Prints? ***

photographik Said:
August 3rd, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Great suggestions! My personal favorite is blog-stalking. How did we ever live without blogs! The only downside is that you can literally spend hours doing it and overlook other things. Se la vie!

Julie Harris Photography Said:
August 4th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
All of those are great suggestions. But what about TRAVELING!!! I have found that nothing inspires my photography more than traveling to various parts of the world and being immersed in those different cultures. That's when I do my best work.

Apoc Said:
October 30th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Another inspirational move I find is to go to a playground and just be a kid, shoot what looks cool and capture the faces of some kids laughing at the adult on the slide. :)

Patrick McHugh Said:
January 15th, 2009 at 10:26 am
30. Revisit Your Past
I recently bought a dedicated film scanner and set about editing all my old film. It takes a while! Initially it was painful, however, I realised that I learned an incredible amount. There are images or ideas that I would like to further develop. I also found that some images were overlooked in the past because they did not fully fill the clients brief but they are great shots on review. Also when scanning and editing you subconsciously spend a lot of time considering good and bad composition. Pull out those boxes and have another look!

Melisa Said:
February 12th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
I also agree with Julie Harris Photography.
And I'd like to add another source of inspiration that I have just recently discovered: PHOTOPRENEUR. =)

Kelli Nixon Photography Said:
March 28th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Love your list! It is absolutely awesome. As artists, we all can use some inspiration and you list will insure that I stay fresh, thus delivering a better product.

regina Said:
April 1st, 2009 at 4:19 am
I'm test driving a new Leica M8. I've always wanted one, but must say it is VERY different from my Canon 50D! I'm inspired by a different physical action for shooting and i'm looking forward to trying it out on my next trip.

andy Said:
April 21st, 2009 at 4:19 am
I will print this out it seems every year when it gets cold and the season is over I need inspiration. Each year it gets more challenging

ryan Said:
April 21st, 2009 at 4:23 am
This is a great list how long did it take you to come up with. I hope you haven't had to do all of them. Deliberate practice helps the most I find.

angie Said:
April 21st, 2009 at 4:25 am
That has to be the largest list of inspirational things I have seen. I find the best way to get over this is to get out and take the next picture. It doesn't matter what it is.

Elisa Kraft Said:
May 14th, 2009 at 6:22 am
Wow- Nice article! I like the fact that creativity and experimentation comes first in your article, and that "buy new equipement" comes at the end. Something brought me a lot further too:
working in team or duos! Taking photos with one or a few model is really nice, a collaboration with an artist preparing the set is also super inspiring! I printed the fruit of this collaboration on canvas -check online something like: ***, it looks so cool! I've got two works in one: the artist painted set in the background, the models' performance, and the photo composition.

Luis Santos Said:
May 31st, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Hi! I am new to photography and like you said in this post, read blogs etc it is good for inspiration etc.. so i do that a lot, and yours is one or the one i read most, thanks for every post and every story
cheers

Lawry McCarthy Said:
June 17th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Got another one for your list - though it is a bit like "Get a cause": Join a Church or other community group and become the unofficial photographer. I get lots of wonderful inspiring shots at my Church. Not only Weddings, Funerals and Baptisms. Also picnics, barbecues, Church meals, fetes, Christ-mass plays, Easter plays, building maintenance etc etc
Cheers, Lawry

Dave Brown Said:
June 25th, 2009 at 10:38 am
I think my biggest source of inspiration is travelling. I find that when I travel I see new things with my eyes, and it's a great thing. I recently went to portland and it really inspired me to get back into photography in a way i never had before. Thanks for the list.

Yaeko Photography Said:
June 30th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Thanks for sharing the tips. I appreciate your work. Very good inspiration for every photographer. Natascha

Emily Said:
July 8th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Its an inspiration, thanks for the tips. Blogging, travelling and taking pictures gives life to me.

James W Said:
August 9th, 2009 at 5:08 am
I keep coming back to this list as I have it saved in my favorites, thanks for the inspiration.

Otto Haring Said:
September 29th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
You forgot. Take pictures of your kids, wife, husband!

Manchester Canvas Printing Said:
October 3rd, 2009 at 5:32 am
Thanks for the inspiration, when I find myself hitting a creative wall I refer back to this list and it gives me renewed vigour.

Gino Siller Photography Said:
October 12th, 2009 at 1:43 am
These are all great tips. I love to photograph at flea markets. Not only is there some great junk to look at, but the the people are great. Its almost like going to Wal-Mart late at night.....

Palm Beach Wedding Photographer Said:
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:38 am
Great inspiration, makes me want to go grab my camera and take some photos. Photography seems to be a sense of therapy to many of us....

Aspen Wedding Photographer Said:
November 20th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
I love it. Great source of inspiration for photographers.

Make the Moment Last Photography Said:
November 20th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I love the list! I've really enjoyed trying out a few of the ideas that I never would have thought of.

Girls Only Portraits Said:
November 20th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
I think my favorite is 'Just Shoot Away'. It never fails to provide new ideas for future shoots. Some great ideas here.

Michael Axel Said:
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Here are a couple that I use (though I'm seldom bored with photography):
- Use a different camera or system. If you shoot with Nikon, go get, or borrow, a Pentax or Minolta.
- Shoot different formats. If you shoot DSLRs, go shoot some B&W 120 film.
- Buy an old camera: Load up 120 film in an old Brownie and see how creative you can get.
- Cross process some film (develop negative film in E-6 for example).
- Shoot some instant film (Polaroid or Fuji).
- Buy an alternative, or toy camera, like a Holga or Diana.
- One of my favorites is to mount a non standard lens on your camera. Take just a 200mm lens with you all day. Or 135mm or 20mm, and nothing else.
- See how many crops you can make off a single image (get a dozen or so photos from the original, just by cropping it). If you can't print yourself or have photoshop, force yourself to shoot a dozen different and unique angles of a single subject.
- Shoot all your images at two stops too bright, or too dark, forcing you to find subject that lend themselves to such techniques.
- Shoot everything "wide open" and close up to play with DOF effects.
- Shoot all your images today looking up, or all shot down to the ground.
- Find an interesting old neighborhood or alley, and take pictures of details.
- Try out food photography. See how well you can photograph your lunch or dinner to make it look appetizing.
- Photograph everyday objects, like silverware, or pickles.
- Stand downtown and ask everyone that walks by if you can take their picture.
- Take pictures of just everyone's feet.
- Take only reflections.
- Focus only on taking images of shadows, and not what is around them.
- Shoot only water, fountains, lakes, etc.
- Shoot photos from your car: at fast food places (yuk!), stuck in traffic, through your sunroof, or better yet, out the window when you're driving fast. Don't blame me if you crash.
The list of possibilities is endless.

ranpagh Said:
December 14th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
amazing list of inspiration.
i have read all the comments here before mine.
now its not just 60 sources of inspiration for photography, it's a LOT.
thanks to your post and to all who comments here.

Shaun Edwards Photography Said:
January 8th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
One thing I like to do is get back to basics to get inspired. Dig out my 35 year old manual Nikon camera with one lens (normally a 35mm). And load a roll of black and white film - remember that stuff?!?!
Or REALLY back to basics and make a pinhole camera - that is a LOT of fun.

Kelli Nixon Said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Great list to stay inspired. Thanks so much for sharing. I like to get out and shoot for myself. Often, we are just shooting for the money and not for the joy of shooting. That can make you uninspired as an artist. My hubby and I like to take photo tours. Just go somewhere with our cameras and see who can take the most interesting photos.

Photography News Said:
February 18th, 2010 at 8:13 am
Great post thanks, if you are looking for inspiration I would look no further than the faces of children, if you can get them to behave nautrally there are thousands of emotions through the range to try.

San Diego wedding photography Said:
March 11th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Wow! Priceless info!

Santa Cruz Wedding Photographer Said:
March 27th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Photoshop is such a wonderful resource - buy a book and learn it properly... For the longest time I wasn't getting the best out of photoshop - but getting serious with it has made a WORLD of difference!

Tamara Murphy Said:
March 29th, 2010 at 10:12 pm
What great info. The hard part can sometimes be finding the time to shoot for fun, but there are photographic opportunities everywhere you look. Very inspiring!

Eric | L'Amour Said:
April 20th, 2010 at 4:47 am
I love it - so many ideas (and I'm definitely using #60 as an excuse!)

Almraya Said:
April 28th, 2010 at 3:19 am
WoW,, I really loved the sources, I have tried few of them in the past and they really worked well for me, am still looking for motivation though, I haven't picked up my 5D for quite a long time..

iPrint Photography Prints Said:
May 6th, 2010 at 5:31 am
Consider this page bookmarked. I've read through all the points above and can't believe you have managed to put this list together. The Magazine rack tip and the Photoshop tip might have got me out of my Photography Funk.
A very greatful vicki @ iPrint photography prints

boyd Said:
May 9th, 2010 at 11:02 pm
Great information and ways to keep evolving as a photographer. I really enjoying shooting portraits but always try to get out of my comfort zone by shooting landscapes and action photos. Sometimes it helps me take better portraits.cb

u2canvas Said:
July 13th, 2010 at 8:52 am
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photo enlargement Said:
August 20th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
As a printer and photographer this list is very informative, Some great photos included also.
A site like this really helps when you a have creative block.
Thanks for the post

marek Said:
August 21st, 2010 at 11:16 pm
OK! Great! And what next? What i can do with my photograps? How can i promote my self, where to go?

Denver Photographer Dave Z. Said:
August 23rd, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Great list to stay inspired. Thanks so much for sharing. -Dave Z.

Denver Photographer Josh Tilton Said:
November 20th, 2010 at 10:43 am
I have to agree with you 100% on cinema being a large inspiration. Well done movies can show us photographers how to compose and work with different kinds of light!

Arran Edinburgh Photographer Said:
November 26th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Fantastic tips that will keep us busy for a while. I love the Flickr maps advice! Brilliant.

Phil (Dallas wedding photographer) Said:
December 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
What a great list. I'm always looking for new ways to inspire myself and your list is really though provoking. As a wedding photographer, it's easy to fall into a routine.
I think hitting the streets with a simple camera and a fixed focal length is my favorite!
Thanks!

Impact Photo Said:
December 21st, 2010 at 3:12 pm
Amazing work! I loved all the suggestions. My favorite is number 57: tell a story.

Peter Said:
December 26th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Great list. Love number 12, and have never tried it. I'll have to go out and get some shots of the animals!

Curtis Wallis Said:
February 9th, 2011 at 11:17 pm
do we need an excuse to buy new equipment? At least I dont. Thanks for the list

Wedding Photographer New York Said:
February 16th, 2011 at 12:59 pm
Amazing work! I loved all the suggestions. I find this blog very educational. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Cindy Brown Said:
March 18th, 2011 at 12:16 am
My favorite is the hardest: "Ignore the silly criticism." I get criticized for being silly quite often. :)

The Visual Soundtrack Said:
March 23rd, 2011 at 3:42 pm
Great list! I pull a lot of idea's from film. Its a great way to think about images from a different perspective. Another big part of is #45 - just getting out and shooting.

Virginia Lazidis Said:
April 13th, 2011 at 12:26 pm
Recently retired, I just purchased a Panasonic LX5 and feel a whole new world of possibilities has opened. #23 I'm doing right now. I think the photo of tomato wedges was excellent, especially with the light coming on the diagonal and different shades of color it produced. You've given me so many great ideas. The first one I'm going to use is #20. This camera takes excellent low-light shots - or so I've been told.

David Wegwart Said:
April 13th, 2011 at 2:51 pm
Great read and a good update on being creative with my work.
I usually leave the Dslr at home when not working and instead have been using an LX3. Just updated to an LX5.
I love what if forces you to do when you have to plan a little more for your images.

Colorado Wedding Photographers, Jason + Gina Said:
April 22nd, 2011 at 5:13 pm
Amazing compilation... thank you!

Zsa'nee Gaines Said:
April 25th, 2011 at 3:50 am
This is the most comprehensive list I have ever seen. If this doesn't work I don't know what will!

Denver Photographers Said:
April 25th, 2011 at 3:54 am
"Just Play" I love that one, its like just writing random thoughts for overcoming writers block.. It opens the pathway for the creative juices to flow again.

personalised photo gifts Said:
April 25th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
"Visit the Zoo" A very basic but brilliant idea of which I had not thought of before, Thanks for the list

Serge AMH Said:
May 19th, 2011 at 8:44 pm
Thank you so much for this. I'm a teacher, musician and an amateur photographer and this list totally does it for me as far as getting inspiration is concerned. Thank you very much!

Denver event photography Said:
May 20th, 2011 at 6:57 am
I like to try numbers 5 and 6. I haven't done this yet. It seems to be interesting shooting in the market. Thanks for sharing the tips. It is very helpful.

bryan Said:
June 10th, 2011 at 1:07 am
this article about inspiration has inspired me

mahtab haider Said:
August 13th, 2011 at 11:08 am
Great list to stay inspired. Thanks so much for sharing. I like to get out and shoot for myself. Often, we are just shooting for the money and not for the joy of shooting. That can make you uninspired as an artist. My hubby and I like to take photo tours. Just go somewhere with our cameras and see who can take the most interesting photos.

True Photography Said:
August 19th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
I like this list. It makes sense to go to a flea market for inspiration :)

Bahamas Photographer Said:
August 27th, 2011 at 9:21 pm
Love this list. I agree with Impact. 57 is a cool idea. I've been meaning to do that one myself.

Wedding Photography Charlotte NC Said:
September 14th, 2011 at 9:05 am
Great post generating new ideas for photography is essential to the art. I have to think outside of the box as a wedding photographer in Charlotte NC. Photography can be so repetitive at times. Coming up with new ideas can be difficult your post has some great ideas to keep photographers moving. Thanks

Angy Chesler Said:
September 14th, 2011 at 4:59 pm
I am a wedding photographer in Hawaii. Most of the weddings here are sunset weddings and we have to be very fast to get the perfect shots. Your tips were great and help me to come up with some new ideas. For me it works best if I practice with models and then I'll be able to use it during a wedding

Wedding Photographer Sussex Said:
November 9th, 2011 at 11:52 am
Definitely look at others work - its one of the fastest ways to grow. If you can't afford good books - find photographers you like online!

Adel Abdeen (@Photographerq80) Said:
December 13th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
60 Sources of Inspiration for Photography *** via @photopreneur

Erik Said:
March 6th, 2012 at 6:39 pm
I shoot anything from wedding to modeling photography and I love the tips you posted here. These definitely give me some creative ideas for when I am out shooting - Thanks!

Anastasia Said:
March 20th, 2012 at 1:13 pm
I like to find sites that no one seems to have discoverd yet. And I found some great images over at *** I really liked that the current issue has a bit of a fine art editorial feel to it.

Photographs to Canvas Said:
April 9th, 2012 at 12:02 am
Regarding #58: Yeah, printing your pictures will also help you with the current awesome features and services photo canvas sites provide currently.

Leo Gozbekian Said:
April 23rd, 2012 at 9:21 am
I am always looking for new ways to inspire myself and think about photography. The list has many insights that I will use,

Brighton Wedding Photographer Said:
April 23rd, 2012 at 6:22 pm
Getting outdoors and wandering around is often the best way to find new inspiration. I get inspired by people, luckily they're everywhere !

Kelli Nixon Said:
May 30th, 2012 at 7:34 pm
Thank you so much for the renewed inspiration! Wedding season is about to begin and I love to get fresh ideas.

60 Sources of Inspiration for Photography

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