9 Endless Sources for Photography Inspiration

When you get sick and tired of everything and you feel like inspiration has left you for good, don’t give up on the search for it. There are dozens of ways to get inspiration back from referring to social media to spontaneously participating in photo contests.

Inspiration can be a small spark that encourages you to take on new projects, learn something new, and indulge in new activities. Explore the different ways you can scout for photography inspiration, and let us know what your go-to sources are.

Endless sources for photography inspiration

Social media

Let’s start from the easiest way to get inspired – using social media for productive procrastination. This is particularly about Pinterest and Instagram which are the platforms with hundreds of millions of visuals. From graphics and illustrations to photos and videos – you can find photography ideas for every kind of project you’re working on.

First things to check out for photography inspiration:

Follow top photographers on Instagram
Check out hashtags for photographers
Save Instagram posts in thematic folders
Create separate mood boards on Pinterest

There are many creative ways to use social media. You can use the very visual platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and groups on Facebook to discover new artists, find new ideas, and ultimately have social media profiles that also provide you with a constant feed of ideas.

Movies and TV-series

Watching movies and TV-series is an amazing activity because you can both get inspired and relaxed. Angles, scenes, light, and even post-processing – all these things can inspire experiments. A great idea is to keep notes of your ideas and inspiration as you’re watching inspiring movies and shows. However, for movies and TV-series to be useful instead of entertaining, you have to be picky in your choices.

We also know that it’s tough to sit down and just find something to watch. We covered all the basics in the past few years:

Works of other photographers

Pablo Picasso once said: “Good artists copy; great artists steal”. This means that the works of other photographers should be a source of inspiration for you in a way where you pay attention to a photographer’s signature style and try to use and interpret it in your own manner. Refer to photographers working in your field, reinvent an approach, or establish a new one based on his or her work.

Photo collections

If you’re working hard on a stock photography portfolio and you want to become a best-selling author, you should check out the top 10 stock photography themes and corresponding photo collections. With images from these collections, you will not only get inspired to create beautiful shots but also popular ones.

Photography contests

Photo contests can be a source of photography inspiration in two ways. You can go to a photo contest website, find the works of finalists or winners, and analyze why was their photography honoured with awards. Or you can enter a photography contest and it is likely that the competitive spirit and burning deadlines will get your creative juices flowing again.

Environment

Although we are used to thinking that inspiration is solely a positive notion, people often get inspired to create something great based on problems, concerns, and personal issues.

For instance, if you get deeper into the issues of environmental protection or research the global challenges our planet faces today, you may get inspired to take shots that will make a difference for society. Some of the greatest photographers choose to shed light on environmental issues and other problems of our contemporary society. It’s enough to be naturally curious and passionate about the things you believe in and want to stand up for.

Books

Photography inspiration is arguably everywhere, but few things can replace the joy of seeing works in print. The simple pleasure of reading also creates stories in your head, you end up creating your own characters, angles, and viewpoints. No movie scene can be as colorful as the one you imagine and the power of imagination is where inspiration comes from.

Whether you’re a portrait, a landscape or a fine art photographer, fiction is what you need to pay special attention to. It trains your imagination but also develops empathy – an integral skill for every photographer.

Photography magazines

One of the Depositphotos up-and-coming photographers, Anna Gribtsova, once said that pictures, angles, and light from movies are things that you will automatically remember during a photo shoot. The same rule applies to magazines. Every image you look at in a photography magazine is an important part of a visual experience a photographer needs to have. So, subscribe to Foam, Subjectively Objective, Archive Collective or any other you magazine you like and make it a habit to look through them once in a while for inspiration.

Routine

No matter how trivial it may sound but there are a lot of photography ideas in routine. Whether it’s early morning rituals or busy working day – different people have different habits and following them may culminate into a comprehensive project. It is also said that mundane tasks help set our imagination free because the mind naturally wanders.

To notice the peculiarities that will make the shoot special, try to practice mindfulness. Slow down. Instead of burning the candle at both ends, pay attention to your thoughts or feelings, look at other people, talk to them, and ask questions. You can’t even imagine how much photography inspiration you can get when you live in the moment.

Yes, you got it right. Inspiration is everywhere. It is in books, in nature, in movies, even on social media and in TV-series. One great habit for all photographers is to keep track of inspiration. You can jot down things you liked or didn’t like and in keeping notes and sketches, you watch yourself grow as a professional with time.

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