Inspiration

One of the biggest challenges many photographers face is not knowing where to start, finding the motivation to create, and staying inspired. It’s a common experience, whether you’re just starting out or have years of practice behind the lens. Throughout this course, we’ll encourage you to push yourself to create new work consistently. For some, this will be exciting. For others, it might leave you thinking, But what should I create?!

In this lesson, we’ll explore strategies and tools to help you overcome those inevitable moments when inspiration feels out of reach — because, let’s face it, those moments will happen. With these resources, you’ll have a reliable foundation to get back on track and keep your creative momentum going.

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 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.

Local art museums and galleries might seem like an obvious choice for inspiration, but they’re often overlooked in favor of online resources. There’s something uniquely powerful about standing in front of a physical piece of art, absorbing the colors, textures, and details in real time. Beyond photography, galleries host a variety of creative expressions—from painting and sculpture to multimedia installations—and each can give you fresh perspectives on composition, color theory, storytelling, and more. Plus, you might discover emerging artists or local talent you’d never have encountered online.

One of the best parts of visiting these spaces is the element of surprise: you never know what you’ll find on any given day. Maybe you’ll stumble upon a cutting-edge photo exhibit that challenges your notions of portraiture, or a traditional collection that inspires you to experiment with more classical approaches. The experience also connects you to your local artistic community, giving you a sense of place, context, and cultural flavor that a digital feed just can’t replicate.

Ready to explore? Here’s a resource to help you find galleries around the world, so you can tap into that well of inspiration whether you’re traveling or staying close to home.

Let’s look at some other spaces to find inspiration:

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 | BlueSky | 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.