This is kind of a fun one. How I find my inspiration as a photographer. It really has become such a natural part of what I do each day, that I really am so intertwined in it, that I have to stop a minute and really think of how I do find my inspiration. It is like asking someone how they walk. You are so use to doing it that you have to stop and think of how exactly.
So here it is. 10 ways that I find inspiration as a photographer.
1. Watching chick flicks.
Matt and I trade this sort of thing off. Star Trek one movie night and chick flick of some sort the next. A girly movie like that can inspire me in several ways. For example, posing. A montage of a couple over time will often make me say, PAUSE! I snap a shot with my phone as a reminder later to do something similar with the natural way the couple might be interacting together. When I take pictures of a couple, I want them to look natural in what they are doing and having the right posing can be a huge part of that.
Another thing that watching a romantic movie might inspire me, is the various beautiful settings that scenes are placed in. It could be Pride and Prejudice and a romantic estate scene with Mr. Darcy. And while I likely will not be dressing my clients up to such a time period any time soon, I might think of arranging a session that involves the mist rising over the grounds of a elegant garden setting in the earlier morning, or a stroll by the lake and the sparkle of the sun glistening on the water behind them when they kiss or a prop such as a wood rope swing hanging from a tree for a bride and groom is something fun and perfectly romantic.
2. Traveling
This does not mean hoping over to Europe. Although our trip to Italy was a wonderfully culture filled artistic experience. It can simply refer to driving around town or taking a hike in the mountains. I am almost always constantly scouting out new and exciting locations as I ride or drive around and think, "I LOVE that! That view is stunning, that setting is perfect, the light is just perfect right now, I have to come back with a ____ session" It may be a month or a year later, but I have documented in my phone the ideas and later have a treasure of ideas stored to be able to offer my clients to capture something beautiful and unique.
3. Watching other couples and families
It can be anywhere. I can literally be sitting in church and see a family several pews up. Four children mixed in with a mother and father. A daughter leaning against her dad with his arm around her and the dad glancing over and the mother with the son on her lap asleep as they give each other that sweet look of love for each other and the family they have built.
It can be a stroll in the park and watching the way a couple is flirting with each other or walking holding hands. The way she blushes and throws her head back as he says something funny that she can't help but shake her head and smile cheek to cheek giving him that look of bashful happiness.
4. Artwork
When my husband and I traveled through Italy and were able to take the tour through such places as The Vatican Museum, I soaked in each painting, the way the characters interacted with each other. The way a subject would grace a painting with the way she stood or sat in it. The way a subject was made to look strong an heroic or delicate and graceful.
This is inspiration for posing, ideas of certain shoots, props that might be great for an engagement shoot set up, or a starting point of thinking how I can help my clients to relax and be natural in front of the camera.
5. Painting
This may sound a bit out of there in regards to photography but it is an art that I have studied having learned to actually paint and draw. Not just viewing artwork but studying has helped me to be a better photographer. The way I look at light, apply the rule of thirds, look at negative space in general have been some of the elements that have helped and inspired me. I have been able to take what I have learned about movement and emotion of the brush on canvas to the movement and emotion applied for the subjects I photograph. For example, a bride and the way her arm is posed, or the way she moves her dress.
Also, part of the reason I have listed painting is the study of color done has helped me to generally develop the taste of what colors look good together. What will have that right contrast. What will be too distracting from the subjects face and what will compliment their skin tone.
6. Magazines
I rarely pull physical magazines out anymore as we move more fully into the digital age, but I do find that having an actual magazine is refreshing in comparison to a screen. The smell of the perfume samples that fill a fashion magazine invoke ideas and images in an of itself. It is true. That is way you will often find scents presented in clothing stores as they are working to invoke excitement, a feeling of youth etc.
Flipping through a magazine and taking a shot with my phone or ripping out and collecting images can inspire me for posing, settings, ideas for what to wear, ways to help me couples and families interact etc.
I could be looking at a picture of a model sitting somewhat dramatically in a library study booth modeling back to school clothes... but I might think, "Hey, this would be fun is a doorway or similar small setting that is a little different.."
And then there are pictures of celebrities together and I can look at a picture and ask myself what it says with their body language. While I find it rather over the top for strangers to analyse celebrity strangers on their relationship based on their body language of a single millisecond of one picture being taken, I also find that be looking at pictures of couples in real time I can take what I like or don't like. For example, the eye sight of the individuals can say more of where the attention is focused. The fluidity of the hands or wrists can say sentences in and of themselves of the comfort of the couple and contentment...
7. Pinterest
This amazing tool is great but it has to be used in the right way or it can also be hindering. I have even read articles before about the slowing of unique creative ideas since the introduction of Pinterest as it is used as a copy cat zone for artists and creators of all kinds rather than inspiration. While pinterest can offer many great ideas for posing, setting etc, I want to create something that is more unique to my own ideas.
It can be something simple to get me started. Such as seeing a chalkboard back to school sort of picture and taking that element with a new perspective, new props, different subject and adding some additional ideas of my own.
The best pictures come with more spontaneity with the help of a little planning too. Cookie cutting just isn't inspiring so it is definitely a tool to be used with caution otherwise it can be hindering to the creative flow.
8. Old musicals
I have put this in its own category because it is not your average modern romantic movie but a black and white 1940's musical has couples that joyously parade about the stage with spins and jumps and poses that are fun and romantic and these elements are some of the ideas I get for anything from wedding party portraits to families interacting with the camera in a fun and unique way.
On the rare occasion, I do get to theater having seen a wonderful handful of plays and musicals such as The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Wicked etc.
One of the things about theater, is that the characters "cheat out" to the audience.. which is a term used for simply facing out to the audience. Having done a little theater myself, I have learned about this and apply it occasionally in my posing though couples occasionally give me a look of confusing when I say, "cheat out" and I quickly realize they never did theater in high school :)
Theater in general exposes one to hours of carefully choreographed movements and poses that are made for their audience. It has inspired me to apply different characteristics and moods to the variety of couples and individuals I work with.
9. Observing every day life.
It could be my two sweet babies sharing Popsicle's on the back porch steps looking at each other. It could be how my toddler comes up to me excitedly about a dandelion that she found and the way she wants to show it to me. These moments all inspire me in how I may approach a family or child portrait session later on.
10. Shopping
I am certainly not saying to get out and get crazy with the wallet! But simply getting out and experiencing new settings and surroundings and smells and tastes and styles.... you name it. You are going to invoke new ideas while you are at it! New ideas can be anywhere. And I mean anywhere.
Once I was at the grocery store and I noticed this funny fruit in the produce department. It was an alien fruit. Anyway, I thought, "That is so interesting... I wonder how I could use that for a shoot." That piece of fruit inspired a segment of shots for a couples engagement video I did a short time later. The segment had the couple sharing different types of fruit together as a representation of the different stages and joys and trials they would share later in life. The alien fruit was rather strong and had a sour in taste so basically we joked that it was representative of parenting teenagers down the road.
utah engagement videography-becca cole from
Rebecca Mabey on
Vimeo.
Thanks for reading! I hope you have become inspired about being inspired. What ways are you inspired as an artist. Not just in regards to photography or film, but in art in general too! Comment below and let me know!
