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Sure, photography is about your camera and the settings that you choose. It’s also about composition and lighting and editing… BUT it’s also about how you interpret what you’re looking at. Put 10 photographers in front of the same scene and you’ll end up with 10 (or 100) different interpretations of what is being seen.

So how does that work exactly? If you’re thinking the Eiffel Tower is the Eiffel Tower. Au contraire, ma chère, au contraire…

It’s all about your interpretation that makes your photos unique.

This is one of my favorite topics (yeah I know, I say that a lot), because it’s what makes your photos yours. It makes you unique as a photographer. And yes YOU are a photographer - if you create photos then you are a photographer...you don’t have to be working for National Geographic to qualify. OK, moving on.

Anybody can figure out what camera settings to use. Now I’m not minimizing the complexity of that at all. It took me YEARS to figure out and be comfortable with camera settings. So I’m not saying it’s easy, but I’m saying that anybody who is truly motivated to do it, can figure it out.

But there’s only one person who has your eye. Your perspective. You.

So how do you make the most of your perspective, your uniqueness? Inspiration. If you were thinking this was going to be a technical discussion, you were wrong. This is about finding your inspiration, your juju, your inner reason for picking up that camera in the first place.

Sometimes I have the desire to make photos, but the inspiration just isn’t there. So I upload my photos, take a look...and they’re boring. Anybody could have snapped those photos.

And right now you might be making a lot of those kinds of photos. Because you’re a traveler. And you get inspiration by seeing, experiencing new places and cultures, and meeting new people. So where do you find your juju now?

Well let’s talk about that….

I’ve struggled with that myself lately, so I came up with a list of a few things that help inspire me. Now we’re all unique beings. So some of these might resonate with you and make you want to run out and give them a try. And some might elicit eye rolls. That’s okay. Take the ones that sound intriguing and give them a whirl. And if you come up with some of your own? Add them in the comments...I’d love to hear how you find inspiration too!

Instagram Perusing

Instagram is my happy place. Unlike Facebook which is full of opinions about politics and conspiracy theories, Instagram can be culled to a feed of pretty pictures. Or cat videos. You decide.

What I’ve discovered is that it’s a fabulous place for a quick dose of inspiration. And that can mean anything from following actual people who do things that you dream of doing...to finding artists whose work is completely different than anything you normally like. Just to give those creative urges a little push.

Here are a few of my favorites...

@cat_in_france | Cat Bude is a writer, photographer and foodie posting French lifestyle photos. (I bet you aren’t shocked by this one)

@photographerswithoutborders | Photographers Without Borders inspires me for the social causes they support through their storytelling photos all around the world. This organization and this account, make me want to be a better person AND photographer.

@cig_harvey Cig Harvey is an artistic photographer who makes me think. She has incredibly unique images that are wildly different from anything I’ve ever created before. She makes me want to try new things.

@photofluent_ | PhotoFluent. Don't forget my account!

I’m also a fan of street photography, so I follow the #streetclassics. By following #’s (did you know you could do that??) you get to see a variety of artists within the same topic. Like #travelphoto or #livinginfrance for example.

Listening to Music

No matter how tired or grumpy I might be, if I turn on some funky, fun music...my mood lifts and I start dancing. And isn’t that what we’re trying to do here? Change our cosmic, psychic, mental direction a bit?

Here’s my suggestion for using music to inspire your photos. Find something new, and when I say new, I mean new for you. So if you normally listen to Frank Sinatra (no judgment, I’m a fan) then try Lady Gaga. If you’re a Pink fan, then give Stacey Kent a try. Maybe you love that music from the 80’s (ok a little judgement here, I’m not a fan...but my husband certainly is) then let’s say you listen to a little Pink Martini.

You might hate it. But you might find something completely new that makes you want to dance. And make photos. It’s all related, trust me.

Photo Books

Now this one doesn’t take much explaining. Leafing through a book full of fantastic photos is nothing BUT inspiring! It gives me ideas of new things to try in regards to lighting or angles, or even subject matter.

Here are a few suggestions:

The Atlas of Beauty: women of the world in 500 portraits, Mihaela Noroc

Through the Lens: National Geographic Greatest Photographs

National Geographic Simply Beautiful Photographs, Annie Griffiths

The French Cat, Rachael Hale

Breath of French Air, Diane Evans & Neal DeRidder - our story of moving to and living in France for a year.

Nuevas Historias: A New View of Spanish Photography and Video Art

Museums (when they’re open, of course)

Walking around a museum looking at old, contemporary, bizarre art...just makes my heart sing. No matter what the subject matter, no matter how weird, it makes me happy. Why? Because art makes us think. Makes us feel. And that’s what inspiration is all about.

So when museums are open again, find one. You don’t even have to bring your camera. Just go for the purpose of observing the art, the people, the environment. Think about how it all makes you feel. And THEN go pick up your camera, and see what happens!

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

Nature

This seems like an obvious one to me. But as inspiring as nature can be, it doesn’t work if you don’t pay attention.

When you head out onto a trail, into the woods, on a lake...take a deep breath, and let the thoughts stop. That is when you’ll hear the birds chirping, see how the light hits the water, or notice the roughness of the tree bark. That is when inspiration will seep in and then take over.

Noticing how the light streams through the trees takes a little letting go…of thoughts, the phone, the distractions.

Cooking

This one might make you think “what the heck is she talking about!” But hear me out.

I don’t mean throwing together the same dinner you cook every Monday evening. I mean trying something new. Looking around at the fresh produce at the farmer’s market and creating something different than what you’ve tried before.

Or picking up a new cookbook, maybe an international one like Thai or Indian or French. Creating a new dish that you’ve wondered about, but never attempted.

Find inspiration from cooking by pushing yourself out of your Taco Tuesday comfort zone. Are you with me now?? Are you willing to give it a try?

travel-photography-hamptons-newyork-food

Walking around a city (even your own)

Cities are really inspiring to me. Yes even the crowds and grime. There’s something about the energy of it all. Walking around and seeing other people, the buildings, the food vendors. Similar to being in nature though, you have to pay attention to be inspired. Not just worrying about holding onto your bag so nobody steals it. I mean really being aware of the smells, colors, textures, sounds, angles. Even pausing to sit on a bench and just letting the hustle and bustle move back and forth in front of you.

This hustle and bustle of course is pretty limited right now. But that’s a whole other observation. An otherwise busy city that’s now eerily quiet.

I even suggest heading out to the city WITHOUT your camera sometime. I know, crazy right?? But if you're really stagnant in the creative juju department, this can really spur something inside. You’ll find yourself walking around thinking “oh that would make a good photo…and that! and that!” and by the time you get your camera back in your hands? You’ll be so excited to start creating, and amazed at the photos that you make!

New York City - Battery Park to be exact

Trying something weird and new with your camera

Sometimes to give me a little push into trying something different, I’ll limit myself when I head out with my camera. This might seem counterintuitive, but hear me out (I’ve said that a couple of times during this post I think).

Head out with your camera, and only allow yourself to create photos with aperture of f/4. The whole time. That’s it. One aperture only. Or if you have multiple lenses, pick one...like a prime or fixed focal length lens. Or even a macro lens.

Maybe switch your camera to black and white photos. So that all the photos you create are black and white. Or try a slow shutter speed all day so that all your photos are a little blurry.

You might be able to see that if you limit yourself in some way, it forces you to become more creative. To think in a different way than you normally do. And that’s the whole point.

Talking to or watching inspiring people

Since we’re all a little limited on our exposure to other people right now, you might think this sounds difficult. But because there’s a pandemic going on, you actually have MORE access to people than you have before. What?? Yep. Have you heard of a marvelous invention called Zoom?

Meetings, conferences, lectures that normally are in person all over the world, are now available on Zoom. Pretty freaking cool I think. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so sick of this pandemic...just like the rest of the world is. BUT there are a few good things that came out of it. And having access to worldwide inspiration is one of them.

If you’re a Francophile like I am, you’ll love some of the programs that the AFUSA (Alliances Françaises USA) is providing. I’ve been to several and they are fabulous!

Rick Steves Europe is doing some pretty cool programs too. If you’re looking for travel specific inspiration, you’ll love these options.

There are virtual museum tours happening with museums from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence to the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. What an amazing way to travel from our sofas!

If you haven’t yet joined our online community, PhotoFluent Travelers, come on over. It’s an inspiring group of people and we share travel, photos, updates on events...all kinds of good stuff.

Inspiration can come in the most unusual of places, if you just pay attention

Whew...that ended up being a doozy! But when I start talking about inspiration, I kind of get on a roll.

So I hope that gives you some ideas. Get inspired, get out there, and then come on over and share your results. We’d love to meet you and see what you’re up to!