Photography inspiration can come from many sources but a key one is the work of others. Creative Camera offers a showcase for some of the best photography around. So, the question you should ask is what makes the images of some photographers better than others?
The photographers here have chosen to explore an area more local to them. It’s not a prerequisite for great photography and it’s by coincidence that their inclusion shares that trait, but in seeking photography inspiration it’s a good starting point. Keeping it local can mean a less obvious take on things. As online portfolios increase in number, seeing and revealing something different becomes more challenging. By knowing and exploring your patch, you can differentiate yourself.
Do the individual images in the series relate to each other? Is there a visual idea going on? When looking at good work, one gets this sense. Individual photos have their place of course, but across a set, the photographer can develop their vision. Place, photographer and project; a Venn diagram to create a unique way of looking at the world.
Does the series develop? Historically, some photographic movements approached the series as a documentary record. Each and every image, both in composition and proportions resembled the others. The only change was the subject, and in some cases that deviation was also curtailed (The Bechers). Contemporary photography tends to favour a less radical approach. We want to see a progression through the images, revealing both different location views, visual ideas and compositional structures. Great photography is about balancing cohesion and variety.
There’s a spectrum of compositional appreciation. You can preference minimalism and simplicity, or complexity and detail as you wish. Both require particular skillsets, but undeniably we can mostly agree when we recognise what works, and what we think of as good composition. More often it’s about nuance and the subtleties of balance within the frame, rather than showing obvious photographic rules. Through a sequence it becomes more apparent that an artistic mind is at play, delighting in these small details, hinting at the photographer’s way of seeing.
The photographers here have chosen to explore an area more local to them. It’s not a prerequisite for great photography and it’s by coincidence that their inclusion shares that trait, but in seeking photography inspiration it’s a good starting point. Keeping it local can mean a less obvious take on things. As online portfolios increase in number, seeing and revealing something different becomes more challenging. By knowing and exploring your patch, you can differentiate yourself.
Do the individual images in the series relate to each other? Is there a visual idea going on? When looking at good work, one gets this sense. Individual photos have their place of course, but across a set, the photographer can develop their vision. Place, photographer and project; a Venn diagram to create a unique way of looking at the world.
Does the series develop? Historically, some photographic movements approached the series as a documentary record. Each and every image, both in composition and proportions resembled the others. The only change was the subject, and in some cases that deviation was also curtailed (The Bechers). Contemporary photography tends to favour a less radical approach. We want to see a progression through the images, revealing both different location views, visual ideas and compositional structures. Great photography is about balancing cohesion and variety.
There’s a spectrum of compositional appreciation. You can preference minimalism and simplicity, or complexity and detail as you wish. Both require particular skillsets, but undeniably we can mostly agree when we recognise what works, and what we think of as good composition. More often it’s about nuance and the subtleties of balance within the frame, rather than showing obvious photographic rules. Through a sequence it becomes more apparent that an artistic mind is at play, delighting in these small details, hinting at the photographer’s way of seeing.
