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Photography is a beautiful and creative way to capture the world around us from our own unique perspectives and share it with others. However, we know that whether you’re a beginner or a professional photographer, finding inspiration for photography can sometimes be challenging.
That’s precisely why we built this article. To help you discover where to find photography inspiration in your daily life. Here, we'll explore different sources of inspiration, from nature and travel to social media and photography clubs. Furthermore, you will learn about one of the best places to customize and order photo prints online.
By the end of this article, you'll have various new ideas and resources to turn to for inspiration and to help you take your photography to the next level. Now, let's jump to it and discover nine ways to motivate yourself if you feel stuck or uninspired as a photographer!
Check out the video above by Canon Europe to see what techniques a professional fashion and portrait photographer uses to find photography inspiration everywhere.
Table of Contents
- Photography Inspiration: Browse Social Media
- Photography Inspiration: Sign up for a Photography Challenge or Course
- Photography Inspiration: Spend Time Outdoors
- Photography Inspiration: Print Your Favorite Images
- Photography Inspiration: Work With Other Photographers
- Photography Inspiration: Invest in New Gear
- Photography Inspiration: Join a Photography Club
- Photography Inspiration: Travel
- Photography Inspiration: Follow Your Passions
- Recommended Photography Gear
Photography Inspiration: Browse Social Media
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Social media is, without a doubt, one of the best places to find photography inspiration today. It’s loaded with amazing photo and video content, and regardless of how much or little you post, browsing what other people share is a great way to get ideas.
Our favorite platforms to help get our creative juices flowing are Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. Other popular websites include Facebook, TikTok, BeReal, and Vimeo.
Photography Inspiration: Sign up for a Photography Challenge or Course
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Committing to a photography challenge is another wonderful way to get inspired as a photographer. There are endless photo challenges, so no matter your experience or what you like to shoot, a simple Google search will provide you with a long list of options.
Similarly, photo courses are a fantastic way to learn something new and light a fire underneath you. We have taken both online and in-person courses and have always walked away as better photographers and ready to start shooting.
Photography Inspiration: Spend Time Outdoors
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When you are stuck in a rut, nothing gets you out faster than spending some quality time outside. While we would love to tell everyone to take a week or two off of work and spend it in nature, we know that’s not something everyone can or wants to do.
However, escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday life and going for a walk, hike, or bike ride is easy. All you have to do is throw a small backpack together, and off you go! Make sure you bring your camera and try to leave your phone at home so you can be completely present.
Photography Inspiration: Print Your Favorite Images
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Did you know that you can gain inspiration from your own work?!? Whenever we need visual art photography inspiration, we look back through our old photos and print out some of our favorites to remind ourselves to pick up the camera and get to work.
With that in mind, one of our go-to resources is Printique. They are a leader in the online printing industry, offering a broad lineup of products and services, including gorgeous canvas prints, metal prints, and photo albums.
But Printique is so much more than prints and albums...
You can print your images as wall decor, photo gifts, or cards. You can also order your prints in a calendar, as a puzzle, or on a mug. And that just scratches the surface!
On top of that, their combination of excellent quality, friendly staff, and low prices is unbeatable. When you're trying to find photography inspiration, it's nice to have a well-trained team at your side to help you get the prints you need to dig deep and create more beautiful images.
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Photography Inspiration: Work With Other Photographers
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Whether we are bouncing ideas off our friends or working together on a project, collaborating with other photographers is an excellent way to feel inspired. As the old proverb goes, two minds are better than one, which is often true in photography.
Working with other creative minds is a great way to learn photography tips and techniques that work for others and allows you to see what inspires them during a shoot.
Photography Inspiration: Invest in New Gear
Photo by ugurhan via iStock
Getting your hands on some new gear is also an easy way to gain photography inspiration. Whether it’s a new camera, lens, tripod, etc., you will want to play with it for hours and hours to see what it can and can’t do.
We recommend checking out MPB. They are a trustworthy and reliable online platform selling used photo and video gear at unbeatable prices. All their cameras and lenses are dutifully hand-inspected by professional product specialists and backed by six-month warranties, allowing you to make your purchases confidently and worry-free.
Photography Inspiration: Join a Photography Club
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Photography clubs are also a terrific place to get inspired. Whether you are brand new to an area or have lived in the same city for your entire life, we guarantee you that there is a photo club you can join. Topics range from general photography to specific niches like landscape or portrait photography.
Meetup and Facebook are two places where you can find photography groups online. Many universities and libraries also have clubs you can join if you are a student.
Photography Inspiration: Travel
Photo by Sam De Nike via iStock
Travel is the best teacher we have ever had. It teaches you to see the world differently, try new things, be more adaptable, and grow as a person. We bring our cameras everywhere, and all the new experiences naturally inspire us without even thinking about it.
Remember, you don’t need to travel to far and distant countries to get inspired, though. Even a short weekend trip to the mountains or a neighboring town can do the job.
Photography Inspiration: Follow Your Passions
Photo by Sam De Nike via iStock
Lastly, always follow your passions! If you are shooting one genre of photography that doesn’t bring you joy, don’t be afraid to make a switch. Otherwise, you will get stuck and never grow as a photographer.
For example, many people only shoot weddings because that’s where the money is, and they have absolutely no interest in weddings. That’s an easy way to burn out and quit the photography business forever. Instead, make time to shoot what you love!
Moreover, once you shoot what you love, get a print made! As I mentioned earlier, Printique is a leader in the industry and offers superb quality products at great prices. Whether you need a canvas print, a metal print, a poster print, or something in between, they’ve got you covered!