Finding inspiration in photography isn’t always immediate or easy. That’s why, sometimes, you have to search far and wide for your inspiration, but don’t fret. It’s there, alright, if you just know where to look.

All photographers have experienced this in their careers at some point or another: They’re all enthused when they’re just beginning, yet then, something unexpected happens down the line. They all of a sudden don’t find that they can get motivated to do anything photographically anymore! What happened? Inspiration left them. That’s what.

photo by Zach Dischner

As opposed to letting things get to that point, you should be proactive. That’s why we present you with the following list of things to do… to make sure inspiration is always there.

Always Experiment With New Types of Shots

For many photographers, inspiration leaves them because they’re not trying something new. When this occurs, they’re actually becoming static and complacent in their art form. Don’t let this happen to you! You always want to be experimenting with new shooting styles that you haven’t yet mastered. It’s the perfect way to keep things always interesting.

Looking for some cool images in your pictures? Try bokeh photography. Want to try something truly arcane? Why don’t you give smoke art photography a try? Or what about trying something more classic and timeless? How about trying your hand at monochrome (black-and-white) photography?

Alter Your Shooting Perspective

In the same spirit of always trying something new, a great way to always change and innovate is by switching up your shooting angles. Instead of always, for example, taking shots while standing up on your feet, which is really convenient, you ought to try something radically different.

You can always get down low by taking shots from a crouching position. Or, if you’re really up for something new and exciting, why don’t you try shooting from really down low – as in, from your stomach? You’ll be surprised at how markedly unique your photography angles will look from these positions.

Meet Some New Photographer Friends

Getting inspired can also be about meeting new artists in your niche who are doing things differently from you. By meeting and hanging out with photographers you normally don’t, you’re able to enter their creative space just by being around them. This will translate into you picking up new ideas and ways of doing things, photographically.

Let’s say that you’ve always been used to using editing programs like Photoshop to enhance your pictures. Maybe you enjoy including hard-to-create techniques like the vanishing point in your photos. If you hang around a fellow photographer who’s more skilled at manually creating the vanishing point in images – simply by playing around with angles and subjects – then that’ll rub off on you. Before you know it, you’ll be creating manual vanishing points in your images, too.

Bring Your Camera With You Wherever You Go

This tip on finding inspiration will take a bit of commitment. We admit that wholeheartedly. Even the most ardent photographer will feel somewhat inconvenienced by this tip. After all, lugging around your camera with you everywhere can be a drag… literally. It may be inconvenient, you’ll have a hard time always remembering to do it, and you may get sick of it after a while.

However, that’s exactly what small sacrifice you have to make to always be inspired. You never really know when a perfect-shot opportunity will show itself to you. Yeah, you can just rely on your smartphone camera, we suppose, if you want some more convenience while still being faithful to this piece of advice.

But for those diehard inspiration-seekers among you, nothing’s going to beat carrying an actual camera with you. Carrying a real camera with you at all times will provide you with more capability and flexibility than a mere smartphone camera (no matter how much they’ve already improved in the last, few years!).

And, yes, “everywhere” must be respected at all times. This means bringing your camera with you to the vet’s office (provided you have a pet), the farmer’s market, and even your in-laws’ house!

Take a Photography Class

Sometimes, the most obvious solutions can be effective. Taking a photography class may be so predictable that it gets overlooked, but it’s nonetheless a powerful method to give you inspiration. When you take a class, you’ll get introduced to new ideas or new ways of looking at the same photography techniques you’re already familiar with. In any case, you’ll likely get your mind juggled, which leads to stimulation.

Photography classes are available in a wide range of locations. Think outside the box: There are many online photography classes that you can sign up for. If you want the more traditional experience away from your PC, that’s possible, too. Just head to your local community college or university, where you can sign up for courses just for personal enrichment and not necessarily to earn a degree.

Besides broadening your skill set, you’ll get another bonus by attending a photography class: You’ll meet other photography enthusiasts. This will put you in touch with other creative people who have different takes on shooting. This all adds up to you getting inspired in ways you wouldn’t otherwise.

Various Ways to Get Inspired

Inspiration can be fleeting and, more often than not, it’s also unpredictable and fickle. Sometimes it’s there, but, other times, it’s completely gone! What shall you do? How can you keep it around long enough to make it work for you and your photography?

Just try some of the methods described above, and be pleasantly surprised at your excellent results.

Remember that it’s not a huge problem if you find your inspiration failing you from time to time. It happens to even the best photographers because inspiration is not an infinite resource. It just goes to show you that you have to continuously keep searching for new ways to keep inspiration alive. When you do, you’ll find that you’ll become a source of inspiration for your fellow photographers.