Self-portrait
This morning as I was thinking about a new photography project I was asking myself…
Where do ideas come from?
And I realized that looking at the work of other photographers is a wonderful inspiration to me. It’s not the only place that ideas for my work come from, but it is a wonderful way to see what is possible and to learn how each photographer has his or her own style of work that shines through.
Here is a gallery of some favorite photographers:
Kathy Beal
Kathy Beal
Kathy Beal’s photographs look more like abstract paintings to me than photographs. Her flower subjects are reminiscent of Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings. I experience her pieces as meditative, spiritual, and spacious. In an interview in Craft and Vision’s Photograph magazine, she says of her work, “It’s a 50/50 partnership between camera and the post-processing. I start with the camera, shooting out of focus imagery, looking for colour, shape, light, and form. The original image is my colour palette, my starting point, and for the most part, I like the original image as-is.”
For me, creating art is a spiritual act. I believe that we all have the seed of creativity within us and that using that creativity is our connection to spirit. My personal motto is “I don’t have talent; I have access,” meaning that when I’m in the creative flow, I access the higher realm of consciousness, not only of myself, but of a source greater than myself. Time stands still and nothing is out of the realm of possibility. — Kathy Beal
John Keatley
John Keatley
John Keatley is a photographer and director. His images are quirky, imaginative, and sometimes surreal. I am drawn to his work because of it’s creativity, imagination and humor.
For me, style is much more than subject matter. That can factor into it, but colour, wardrobe, time of day, light, camera angle, lens selection, depth of field, subject matter, mode, emotion, and so much more are all part of what defines an artist’s style. I think is is important to discover your style by discovering who you are as a person. Your style should go hand in hand with who you are. In addition to that, you should also discover what you love to photograph and learn to merge that with your style. — John Keatley
Elena Shumalova
Elena Shumanova
I discovered Elena Shuvanova’s work on the internet, probably through a Facebook post of a blog post about her work. Shuvanova is a Russian mother who photographs her 2 children with animals on her farm. For me Shuvanova’s work is all about the light. When I look at the lighting and composition of her photos I feel like I’ve stepped into a fairy tale. She captures such beauty and peace in her photographs.
When shooting I prefer to use natural light – both inside and outside. I love all sorts of light conditions – street lights, candle light, fog, smoke, rain and snow – everything that gives visual and emotional depth to the image. – Elena Shuvanova
Where do your ideas come from?
What sources spark your creativity? Maybe it’s time to explore the work of other artists you admire or to learn to do something totally new. Inspiration comes from unlikely sources. Paraphrasing photographer David DuChemin, “To become a more interesting photographer, you need to become a more interesting person.”
May you walk in beauty.
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