Inspiration is one of the keys to success in photography and frankly life in general, if you are not inspired you’re not going to progress as a photographer, even the world’s best photographers are inspired by other photographers work, nature, and life in general. Inspiration for me is something I can find almost anywhere, whether it be one of my favorite movies, a book, magazine, or another photographer, I am always looking for something or someone that inspires me. The key to utilizing your inspiration to its fullest, its important to understand who you are as a photographer i.e. what you like to shoot, what types of images speak to you the most etc. etc..

Since beginning my journey in photography about a year ago my inspiration has shifted a lot. Because I was so new to photography at the time my main source of inspiration came from flickr, and occasionally still does. Flickr is a great place to learn new techniques and to interact with other people who share your same passion for photography. As ashamed as I am to admit it, I was obsessed with HDR when I first got into photography and that obsession proved to be a great way for me to put myself on the fast track in learning all of the technical aspects behind digital photography. These days my focus has shifted towards more towards the naturally lit, lifestyle and portraiture images so many great photographers are producing these days. While I am not going to list all of the photographers who inspire me I will list a few that I think other people will really be inspired by.

Nick Onken is probably my favorite photographer these days. Nick is a commercial and editorial photographer based in SoCal. I first found out about Nick through his blog, nickonkenconnection, which happens to be a great place for photographers to gain insight on the photo business. Nicks images caught my eye because they are primarily naturally lit and just seem to radiate the easy going California/beach lifestyle. I don’t really know how else to explain them, just check them out yourself.

Another photographer who’s work I really enjoy is Fred Egan. Fred is a wedding and portrait photographer based in Dallas, Texas. His images give off an very all American, laid back, classic vibe. I initially found out about Fred through his blog which is a great resource for photographers considering entering the business.

Another photographer that really inspires me is Jay Reilly, Jay is a San Diego based photographer who’s images really capture the beach and surf lifestyle, Jay has also been doing some great underwater work. You can check out his blog here.

These are just a few of the photographers that inspire me. I hope you enjoy their blogs and their work as much as I do!