Lesson 1: Inspiration and Feedback

A large portion of this course will focus on feedback and inspiration.

First, let’s tackle inspiration. We’ll go into this more in later lessons, but this week’s assignment asks you to seek out inspiration in the form of a another photographer’s work. We often see the question: ‘but where do I go to be inspired?’ A fair question, and one which has various answers depending on your personal idioms and interests. I also believe strongly in finding inspiration outside of your given medium - meaning don’t be limited to photography, but seek out different sources of art; film, music, traditional, modern, written, etc. But, getting back to photography, there are different resources available to you to seek out contemporary and older photography. Here’s a list of just some of them.

• Local art museums and galleries. This may seem obvious, but going to a local gallery is an incredible source of inspiration and opens you up to artists you may otherwise not encounter. Here's a list of galleries worldwide.

• Online Magazines/Groups/Blogs. The New Yorker Photobooth | Magnum Photographers | National Geographic | World Press Photo | The British Journal of Photography | NYTimes Lens | Lens Culture | Aperture | VII | Lomography | F-Stop | PDN | Frankie | It's Nice That | American Suburbx

• Social Media. Instagram is the first that comes to mind for most, but there are others worth noting. Flickr | NatGeo Your Shot | Behance | Vero | [YouPic] | Pinterest

• Famous Photographers. Again, may seem obvious, but successful photographers are notable for reasons. This Fstoppers article lists the 100 most influential photographers of all time.

• Photography Book Publishers. There are countless photography book publishers that you can browse. Some include: Taschen | Steidl | Mack | Mörel | Gost | And More | Here’s a list of recommended photography books.

• Online Communities. Obviously your peers in the photo class are a wonderful source of inspiration, and we encourage you to look at and interact with their work. Outside of the photo class (and 52 Weeks project) there are multiple great subreddits that are worth checking out. r/photographs | r/analog | r/birdphotography | r/photojournalism | r/earthporn | r/itookapicture | r/streetphotography | r/photoessay | r/nightpictures. You’ll also find subreddits for your specific gear.

While not a comprehensive list, the above options will help you get started looking at photography critically and intentionally. Remember that not everything will spark inspiration, so when you find something that does, take note of it. You can make folders on your computer of inspirational photos (don’t forget to write down the photographer and source), or bookmark sites and photographers who interest you. Some find that creating mood boards is a great way to start you on track to putting together your own work based on inspiring photos.

Now, on to feedback. One of the most crucial tools for improving photography is through critique - both receiving it and giving it. When requesting feedback, it may help the other photographer to have some added context about what your goals were for the image, how you approached hitting your goal; basically why you made the choices you made. You may also add specifics about what you’re looking for feedback on specifically. All this information allows the reviewer to approach their critique in a way most meaningful to you. Keep in mind that some may request that you give them no context so that they can come in with a clear point of view. They may follow up with questions about intent and choices, but want to start from a fresh perspective. The photo above was submitted for critique by a panel of professionals, and was submitted without context. The feedback received did touch on some things which I felt I could have clarified if I were given the opportunity, and in some ways felt a little irrelevant. And you may feel that way sometimes. It’s important to remember not to get defensive and discouraged. Feedback is not personal, and while you may find some less helpful, focus in on the points which are. Going in with an open mind and an understanding of differing perspectives will ultimately help you to grow as a photographer.

When requesting feedback in the discord and subreddit, let’s default to adding context to lessen the load for the mentors.

During this course you will also be tasked with giving feedback. If you’re new to photography, you may feel that you’re not ‘in a place’ to give feedback to others. You’d be wrong. All perspectives have value, regardless of how long you’ve been in photography or the level of education you have of the subject. Photography is a visual medium, and you have been consuming visual media your entire life. You have an inherent understanding of it whether you consciously recognize it or not.

Alright, so you’ve accepted that you can give feedback, but now you’re asking ‘how??’ The main thing is that feedback should be constructive and actionable. What that means is that there needs to be more than what you like and dislike - there needs to be substance. For example, non-constructive feedback would look like what you see in the comments of most instagram posts. You know the kind - “Sick tones, bro! 🔥🔥🔥” While probably appreciated by the photographer, it doesn’t really say anything. Instead, note what makes the photo ‘sick’ and ‘fireemoji.’ Is it the composition, where the subject is places in the frame, the overall story? Identify why you are having the reaction to the image that you are. Now for the actionable part. When giving constructive criticism, it’s important to note what can be done to improve the overall image. This would look something like “I love the energy of the overall scene, but I think we could bring more attention to the subject. Try getting closer to the point of interest to really highlight it.” Notice how what works was identified, and actionable advice is given. For more on how to give meaningful feedback, read this Fstoppers article.

That’s all for this week! Go on to the next page to see your assignment for this week. Looking forward to seeing what you do!