So much great photography but...
It's not easy to find! There is a lot of great imagery out there. Plenty of inspiration. But, there’s also much more rubbish than ever before. You have to dig around a lot to discover the gold.
I'm always on the lookout for ideas and inspiration. It's partly how I grow as a photographer. In this blog post I'll share a bit of the work and projects that have served as a source of inspiration to me of late. Some of it comes from sources or photographers that you may already know. Some, many of you will see for the first time. I've always appreciated people directing me to great, inspirational work. That's the motivation behind this post.
As always, please feel free to contribute to this post. Comment or suggest amazing photographers or projects. I'm very interested and so are other lovers of photography.
3 Great Instagram Accounts You Probably Don't follow
I say that you probably don't follow them because these great photographers don't have all that many followers yet. I'm not a huge fan of the way images are displayed on Instagram. But, one can't deny that the platform is a great way to see photos without all the clutter of some of the other platforms.
Tako Robakidze
I came across Tako's work while I was in Georgia researching a town that I was planning to visit. There's a certain mystical quality to her work, yet it feels so real at the same time. She is Georgian, so the work also has a very personal feel to it. There's a certain level of intimacy.The images in her account are a window into a world that very few know or will ever see.
INSTAGRAM: takorobakidze
Mikolaj Nowacki
I've met Mikolaj in person. He's a fellow Panasonic Europe ambassador based in Poland. His work has been featured in Nat Geo Poland, Da Spiegel and Burn Magazine. The man is the prototypical reportage/documentary photographer. I remember him taking his camera everywhere during our time at Photokina. Mikolaj shares a mixture of work on his Instagram account. I follow it with great curiosity, as he seems to have been working on a few personal projects of late.
INSTAGRAM: mikolajnowacki
Bahar Mohamadian
I'm always really curious about countries which seem to be difficult to access. Iran is one such country. There is still relatively little information on it in western media. When there is, it's generally negative and sensationalist. It's refreshing to see images by someone from Iran, even more so, from a woman (seems there many more men photographers than women in the world). On her account Bahar posts images of everyday life, from a personal point of view. Like Tako, she provides us with a window with a world which very few will actually get to in person.
INSTAGRAM: bahareh.mohamadian
Super informative site on street photography
Have you ever been curious what it’d be like to go to a certain city as a photographer? I have, plenty of times. I’ve also often wondered about the visual potential some cities have, beyond what I see in post cards. Then there are questions like - “What are people’s reactions to being photographed in the streets?"
F.D. Walker has created a very useful resource that answers those questions. It’s for anyone interested in traveling and photographing in the streets of some of the world’s most photogenic cities. His website is Shooter Files. It’s full of solid photos and street photography guides to various destinations. Much of the information is something that you’ll only get firsthand from a street photographer who’s been there. Great stuff!
This Should be a compulsory Facebook page to follow
Photographic Mercadillo – this Facebook page does have over 120,000 followers, which means it’s well on the radar of many photography enthusiasts. However, if you’re not following it and you’re into reportage/street/documentary/travel photography – follow it now!
It’s great page to expose yourself to some incredible imagery from photographers that you may not have known about before. The stuff they post almost never fails to impress and to inspire.
An amazing photographic movie
Joey L is a well known commercial/documentary photographer and film maker based out of NY. I’ve had him on my radar since he was a teenager. I’ve always been a fan of his abilities to push the envelope. This film isn’t new, but it’s the best thing I’ve seen of its’ kind. He takes the vlogging talk-to-the-camera concept and combines it with his strong images and voice over. The result is a compelling documentary about his experience with the Kurdish resistance forces as they fight against ISIS.
FREE educational resource from Magnum & Lensculture
If you don’t know Magnum Photos or Lensculture you’ve been living under a rock! Magnum was the first photo agency. It represents the work of many of the world’s most important image makers of past and present. Lensculture is known for featuring some of the most fascinating and inspiring contemporary photo essays. They’ve paired up to create a great PDF ebook titled Wear Good Shoes (the title comes from one of the pieces of advice you'll find inside). The ebook is packed with iconic imagery and pearls of wisdom from the photographic legends.
Need More inspiration?
Do you need even more inspiration and some actionable advice on top? Check out my educational resource Behind The Scenes Travel Photographer Of The Year Winning Portfolio. It's about more than f-stops, compositional rules and gear. You'll learn how to make powerful, compelling images worthy of awards and publications. Best of all, the advice comes from real world experience, not from photo educators who only know how to teach.
