Inspiration in Unexpected Places

Sometimes it can be hard to find inspiration—especially when everything around you feels mundane. One thing I like to do is hold my camera up to my eye and slowly pan around the room. I practice my metering techniques by finding an interesting object, perhaps one illuminated by light coming through a window, and meter for the appropriate exposure. These simple exercises help me stay sharp and ready for action!

Finding creative perspective in everyday surroundings.

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Another great way to spark inspiration is to step outside into bright sunlight. The metering will be quite different in this setting, offering a valuable opportunity to practice exposure readings using different techniques, such as spot, center-weighted, or evaluative metering.

• Bright daylight casting shadows outdoors.

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Recently, I’ve been spending time in the hospital, and as you can imagine, the brown walls and grey ceiling tiles aren’t exactly inspiring. Fortunately, a friend brought me some flowers. Suddenly, my room had a splash of colour. I placed them on a table; the light wasn’t phenomenal, but the vibrant colours were enough to get my creative energy flowing. Out came my camera, and I started composing images. It felt good—I hadn’t picked up my camera in a few days. That moment lifted my spirits and gave me a chance to reconnect with my craft.

A small gesture with a big creative impact.

• Macro shot of flowers with soft natural light

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You see, inspiration can be found in many forms. Sometimes, we just have to look for it. And if we’re lucky, it might even come to us in the form of a literal gift.

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See more of my recent work here; Instagram