In last week’s regular newsletter installment I made a haphazard list of some things to try and how to go back to school while enjoying one of the greatest times of year to be out exploring your world. Some you may have taken a few of those suggestions to heart, but hey, we’re visual people, right? This week I’ll point out some photographers that I hope will inspire you to get out there and look at your world in fresh ways.
I did quite a bit of research with some particular criteria. The first criteria was to select some other’s photography work that does not require anyone to travel to far-away lands in search of some unbelievable or at least novel scenes. Instead, I wanted to find photographers that have some unique ways of interpreting their world, ways that could work with readily available scenes for just about anyone. The secret is to start exploring your world with genuine curiosity and noticing how magical the world and more importantly how magical cameras are.
The second criteria was to select photography that’s not going to require any new gear, no special gear, no lenses you don’t have. Most of this can be done with what everyone of us already has; the key is using what you have in a different way. The third criteria was to select some photographers that had a mastery of some of the list of suggestions I made in ways that were not just a one-off gimmick but a consistent and meaningful use of some of the techniques I mentioned.
Sure, a few of the techniques I brought up can be fun but can also be a unifying, and very personal way of approaching a project. Here’s the thing… There’s nothing wrong with playing. I encourage play when it comes to making pictures. It’s more than fun; in a lot of cases, that’s where creativity and inspiration meet. You may make a dozen failures your first time out, but I’ll be willing to bet there will be at least one picture you make that will spur you on and cause you to start thinking of scenes to either return to and try again or point you to subjects that will work. Before you know it, you’ll be knee-deep in a project that is compelling and drives your work forward.
Some words of advice:
If you’re not well practiced in some of these techniques, pick just one and learn it well before you start trying all of them or, worse, trying to combine them.
If you see something or a few things that are inspiring, save them. Again, focus on one inspiration first. If you have too many things rattling around in your head when you’re out making pictures, it can just be too much; go slow.
Make note of the time of day and lighting situations of what inspires you. When you see that outside, it’s time to make pictures. Don’t try to make pictures in light that is completely different than what you chose as inspiration. Huge mistake.
Anna Lilleengen
If you like simple, uncluttered landscape and nature, this might be right up your alley. Note the broad use of dark shadows completely lacking in detail rather than ratcheting things up just because you can. It’s all about shape and color palette, and of course, some tasteful multiple exposures. Nothing complicated here; in fact, a lot of this work is using the same scene or scenes over and over. Take your time and look, print out a page and make some notes, slow down and enjoy yourself.
Christopher Weeks
Nature, urban, any old place? This photographer uses camera motion and slow-shutter effects on just about anything. Wide scenes or tight abstractions. His technique is effective and in many cases compelling. He’s well-travelled, but I’ll bet you can find some scenes here to inspire taking a closer look right outside your own door. He seems to organize things in a way that I probably wouldn’t. Inside each of his galleries is a giant diversity of subject matter, so don’t jump to any conclusions based on the representative thumbnails. Inside each, you’ll find a vast diversity of subjects.
A big thanks to all of our readers, but especially those that help us keep the lights on with a paid subscription. These first two are just the tip of the iceberg. I have a ton more that go far deeper and are far and away not even close to the same. Let me know if you’d like me to keep on going with some more photographic inspiration .