I love inspiration and pinterest as much as the next woman. One thing I wanted to do this year was actually draw inspiration from my photography board into my everyday, real life work. Often images I pinned or added as favorites on flickr were things I hadn't tried before: a new perspective, a unique processing, peculiar lighting.
Inspiration here by Mmmary!!
{My take: processing}
I love how Mary's books became the focal point and how green(ish) her processing was. I processed this photo with selective color, which I rarely do. I think because I need to be sure that my food photos for work are color calibrated correctly I don't usually play around. I love using books as props, too. You can see that evidence here, here and here!
Inspiration here by luckygirllefty
{My take: lighting}
Because I took a nap and it was dark outside already (not an unusual thing in January) I missed the pretty time of day that Katie captured in her photo. I love interior shots, especially with a voyeuristic bent. I wanting to creating something similar and used the dark sky and dark room to let my star light take center stage.
Inspiration here by Apron of Grace
{My taking: baking paraphernalia}
There was something so yummy about how Mary composed that butter, and I found myself baking the day before my surgery and figured I'd do a more similar pose. I love photographing cooking utensils. I wanted the cinnamon to take center stage here and it did. I also wish I had slate counters.
Inspiration here by Eugne de la Pena
{My take: peaceful b&w portrait}
Eugne's image is so peaceful: the bed, the woman sipping tea, the b&w conversion... all of it! I think moods are sometimes hard to create in photography because unlike film there's no sound or music. I wanted my image to reflect a more pensive peace. Self-portraits require extra effort, but I'm always glad when I do them.
Inspiration here byJohn Gilchrist
{My take: snowfall in the evening hours}
Here's something you may not know, taking photos of snow is really challenging. This was my second attempt, and what I've come to realize is that for someone who is new to shooting low light and in the dark without a flash requires a light source of some sort. John used the light from the streetlamps and I used this giant "B."
Inspiration here by living outside the stacks
{My take: Moody standing shot}
As cliche and tired as they can be, I still love a good standing shot. Daenel's shot is so pretty because of the layering that is going on and also the processing. I found myself on some bricks streets Saturday and had to try my hand at getting a good standing shot. It was wildly sunny and so I ended up doing little work in ps. I also wanted to celebrate wearing normal shoes again. I have to keep my laces really lose, but at least I can wear them!
All in all, I am trying to be more deliberate with my work, especially my 365 project. I want to understand why I find certain images inspiring; what is it that draws me in? I want to challenge myself.
How are you taking inspiration and interpreting it for yourself? Are you overwhelmed by the amount that is out there?
