Who or What Inspires You?

[Ian Leake]

It seems to me that most people tend to be inspired by other photographers, or at least that's how it appears in Internet forums...

I think that this is one reason why there are so many "same same" photos on the internet.

 

[naknak]

The ideas inside the subject.

Kyprianos

 

[reellis67]

I think that this is one reason why there are so many "same same" photos on the internet.

I suspect something like that myself. I think that when people are moved by a photograph, or a photographic style, they tend to want to emulate it, which may not be that big of a problem in itself. People learn by doing, and if people can learn something from emulation then it seems like a good thing. There is a lot to be learned from exploring someone else's ideas, but the problems begin to arise when people don't move beyond this stage - it is, at least in my own experience from youth, a source of mental blocks, frustration, and a general creative malaise. You are not doing something of your own, and therefore after enough repetition it gets old and unfulfilling.

I only really started to fully embrace what I was doing with the camera when I stopped trying to emulate the work of other photographers and started exploring my own ideas for what they were. It took quite some time coupled with a little artistic training, a good deal of exposure to non-photographers, and a willingness to not care what others would say about what I was doing.

I think that it is normal for there to be people out there posting the same ideas over and over - there will always be people in the learning process and that's all part of it. And, perhaps, it is normal for many people to never to move beyond that stage, and for fewer still to move far enough beyond it to the point that they can create things that are new, exciting, and powerful. As I see it, there is nothing wrong with not having reached that final stage - we cannot all be masters of everything - so long as you understand where you are and don't go around announcing yourself to the room before you enter when all you have ever done is emulate the work of others...

- Randy

 

[Laurent]

You are not doing something of your own, and therefore after enough repetition it gets old and unfulfilling.

I only really started to fully embrace what I was doing with the camera when I stopped trying to emulate the work of other photographers and started exploring my own ideas for what they were.

I was in the same case, and realizing this helped a lot. I now stopped trying to emulate St Ansel's images, and started to create my own.

Regularly reading Lenswork is a great inspiration source, as it brings new ideas in, and is a good source of reflexion about photography.

 

[johnnywalker]

I find I get inspiration from some of the photos in the APUG gallery.

 

[BryceEsquerre]

Photography is something that takes a great deal of time, practice, research, and compassion to understand. I've been slowly getting into photography for the last 2 months. It has given me a new insight on life. Developing these insights through photography keep me interested. I guess you could say that is inspiration.

 

[jonjameshall]

I'm inspired by

the space between objects...

 

[phc]

People, and some painters. And some film-makers.

Cheers, P.