Inspiration from Photographers
I have many different things that I use to keep me inspired and keep those creative juices flowing. Another photographer’s work is one of the best ways to be inspired. One of the photographers I have followed my entire career is William Albert Allard.
There are two things that I continue to learn from him. First, I am inspired by his vision and capturing moments. The thing that made his work stand out from so many other photographers through the years was that he could control the exposure in such a way as to create a mood with his photos. He is one of the few photographers of his generation who spent most of his career shooting color.
When I think of his color photos, I think of Allard shaving the exposure ever so slightly to make the reds richer or going the other way and making it more of a pastel.
Preserving people’s dignity is the one thing I admire most about the subjects of Allard’s camera. He often romanticized the characters and made them hero’s by the camera angle, the light, and the moment he decided to capture for the audience.
When I started, I thought I would pick up the camera, walk out the door, and do the same images he captured. Now I understand that William Allard had to get permission to capture those images even more. He didn’t use some technique to squeeze off a frame without them knowing he was there.
Allard wove himself into the fabric of their lives. Once I discovered this about his work, I wanted to hear him speak and find out how he got that kind of access.
Recently I was inspired by Christopher Capozziello, or as his friends call him, “Capi.” Capi decided to do a very personal and intimate story about his relationship with his twin brother Nick who has cerebral palsy. The result was a short film and a book. The book The Distance Between Us is something I would recommend to any storyteller.
Willing to tell your own story as Capi did with his brother Nick really will help him going forward, in my opinion, for a few reasons. First, it showed that he was willing to be vulnerable and transparent. You can tell he was careful to protect his brother, but at the same time, looking for moments that would be appropriate to share helped tell of the struggles not only for Nick for also for Capi himself.
Do I have the right to tell anyone’s story if I am unwilling to be as transparent as Capi?
Inspiration Gear
It is costly to get inspired, but I cannot dismiss this as a way to get those juices flowing. I know of photographers who are frustrated that they have tried almost everything for inspiration to change to a new camera system.
One of the primary driving factors of the mirrorless camera is many photographers are finding their present DSLR cameras limiting them in some way. One of the most significant factors is the weight of cameras. Bill Fortney, retired Nikon Rep, is using the Fuji system. Read his latest blog post-Fuji X-System REPORT CARD – One Year In.
Carrying around a lot of heavy gear all day can keep you from wanting to shoot anymore, so equipment can help keep you inspired.
I go to websites like Dave Black’s for inspiration. Dave is always trying to figure out ways to take his vision and capture it using light. He is constantly pushing the limits using high-speed sync, painting with light, and studying his subject to find those unique moments that he can capture that sets his work apart from the rest of the industry.
Inspiration from Subject Matter
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| Fuji X-E2, 18-55mm, ISO 200, ƒ/2.8, 1/5 |
Taking my camera with me everywhere I go lets the places I visit help inspire me. So whether I am in Lisbon, Portugal, or my hometown of Roswell, GA, I take photos throughout my day.
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| Fuji X-E2, 55-200mm, ISO 5000, ƒ/3.6, 1/500 |
Sometimes the photos are just goofy and fun. For example, this I took of us on an airboat in Jacksonville, Florida.
This is a cropped version of the photo below.
What does all this have in common?
Work is what it all has in common, and it isn’t something that drops into your lap.
Inspiration comes from sweat.