Where do you go for Inspiration? - Project ideas

[Nicole]

What happens when you run out of ideas, or just hit a mental brick wall for things to take pictures of? How do you get back into it? How do you find things that you haven't photographed 1,000 times before?

I'm currently going through old Utata Projects to get ideas and inspiration.

Where do you go for inspiration?

[hitkaiser]

I would be lieing if I gave you a straight answer, if im not inspired I simply don't shoot because no matter how hard I try, later on Im never completely satisfied with the shots, whereas when im in the right "mood" it just comes naturally

I would say check the flickr interesigness category and have a look there

Actually come to think of it, reading case studies is more inspiring than anything else, seeing what makes other photograhers tick and looking into their way of seeing thinks and thinking does actually help

[photonoob]

If no inspiration is presenting itself, I like a 'random' assignment; I tell myself I'm going to go to some place or other and not come home until I've taken a good pic - or at least done my best to.

If not that, then the old 'within 20 metres of your front door, there's a good photo just waiting to be taken' strategy - it makes you look at things in odd or new ways, I find.

[googlit]

Sometimes it's fun to come up with a photo scavenger hunt for yourself and just walk or drive around, trying to get them all.

I like to go to the zoo and take pictures there. I always come back with something new, and I've been there loads of times. Parks and cemeteries are good for this, too. Besides getting new pictures, you never know what you might learn. :)

[ChristianJames]

just start taking random picts, even if it's just your bookcases in your room. Play around w the composition, or aperture, or shutter speed to make it artistic. And if that doesn't work, get drunk and start shooting, guaranteed to get you out of a rut.

[beckywithasmile]

There is a park that my family goes to almost every spring. I always come back with a few new shots of things I've never noticed before.

Boquets of flowers are always inspiring too. My roommates have watched me move my cameara and play for hours taking pictures of boquets that have been left.

Otherwise a lot of times the way light hits something or the shadows something creates inspires me to take pictures.

[RainPacket]

Since I don't have the time to go traveling much lately, I just try to watch for opportunities in my neighborhood. A shop window that had an entire wall of little golden waving 'maneki neko' (fortune cat) statues, the way a sunset looked through the branches of a tree growing alongside a bridge, the Space Needle seen from across the Cut.

If I don't feel immediately inspired, I come up with a challenge to myself. Experimenting with depth of field, etc. Not a shot to inspire me, but a challenge to get me thinking.

One of my more recent challenges to myself was to come up with a good way to shoot a macro of a little clockwork piece I had. I finally affixed it to a piece of standard HP printer paper, then propped it (with the paper behind it) up against my writing notebook on my desk. Took the macro shot, and had a lovely background and texture with the clock.

[andy206uk]

I jump in my car, put the roof down (if the weathers good) and drive out in a random direction, until I find somewhere or something to take photos of. When I'm done I'll keep driving.

[Nicole]

Originally Posted by andy206uk

I jump in my car, put the roof down (if the weathers good) and drive out in a random direction, until I find somewhere or something to take photos of. When I'm done I'll keep driving.

Who could fault you for that theory I know if I had a car like that (or a car at all) that would be my ideal day

[henryscat]

I drive north a few miles to the lower part of the Scottish Highlands.
There's always inspiration there!