Ok, so you’ve got the interest, where do you find inspiration…? Below are a few ideas that might help..

1] Shoot a Sporting Event:

There are always sporting events going on around in your local area & in the main they will be open to the public…but check. They may be at your local school, college or down
at the park or local football team ground. It is a great opportunity to take action shots as well as portraits. It is also a great opportunity to practice action shooting if you ever want to make a career at sports shooting. However, please bear in mind that you should seek permission from the person in charge.

2] Flickr’s ‘Explore’:

Try taking a look through this feature within Flickr. There are some great images within here that won’t fail to get your juices flowing. The images within here are what Flickr deem as interesting for one reason or another. You shouldn’t copy these images as such but use them to form your own twist on it’s theme. Of course once you have decided on & taken your image then why not submit to Flickr to have them include it within the feature!

3] Visit an Artshow or Museum:

Art Museums & shows are really good places for inspiration because the exhibits there are derived from artist’s visions on subject matter. It is especially beneficial to understand perhaps why a particular artist chose that subject or what ‘twist’ they applied to it for it to become a show piece as this will only serve to widen your imagination & thus increase your enthusiasm.

4] Learn a New Lighting Technique:

As I’ve mentioned before, flash photography is a personal favourite of mine because the outcomes are completely under your control & are limitless. I never fail to get re-inspired as every time I move a flash head or alter the output I get a different image & as such strive to find something really different.

5] Read a Magazine or Brochure:

Study the images contained within magazines or brochures & you won’t fail to find a vast array of different subject matter. Even the most simplist of ideas can offer grear inspiration.

6] Photoblogs:

Looking through other photographer’s blogs can be extremely inspirational. These people have probably been lacking inspiration themselves but found their ‘mojo’ again so to speak & exhibit the finest of their wares. A vast array of ideas present themselves. Look at as many as you can & create a list of what tickles your fancy & then go & get shooting!

7] Go for a walk:

Just being out in the fresh air can be inspiring enough. As you walk observe everything around you assessing the lighting conditions, potential subjects & the surrounding environment. I particularly like to do this at dusk & dawn as the sky, sun & clouds are sometimes just come together to create a one off beauty of a photo..just remember to take your tripod!)

8] Replicate famous historic art:

Old masters are not called masters for nothing. Pay particular attention to the composition, lighting & poses of these images & understand what they are portraying. I like to try & figure out where the what the light source is & where it is from (by looking at the shadows & highlights). Achieving a similar shot can sometimes be challenging but then if it was easy we’d all be ‘masters’…

9] Photograph your family:

Your family are always there. You need no invitation. Shooting your children in a natural & unstaged way can be so rewarding. I have 3 young children & guarantee every day they provide countless opportunities whether in the house or in the garden. In fact there are so many opportunities you’d spend all day with your camera hot.

10] Photograph food:

Ever wonder how they shoot food & fruit in magazines making them look absolutely delicious. Well it’s relatively simple with a white sheet & a separate flash head. Try using water droplets on apples for example with different flash level outputs & positions & it won’t be long before you’ll be producing great pro looking images yourself.

There are quite literally thousands of ways of getting inspired! They are around you all the time…you just need to open your eyes & look at things from a different angle using a different perspective…..