Be You!

I found the above photo, where else, Pinterest, and it's something I work hard to keep in mind as it's something I struggle with. In today's day and age there are so many venues that can help us find creative inspiration for our work. This also leads to comparison which is very easy to get wrapped up in and can in the end be detrimental to our creativity. I have noticed a lot of clients I work with and even fellow photographers out there who will pull a lot of their ideas from Pinterest. If you know me, you know how much I love Pinterest. The vast majority of my recipes and DIY projects are from Pinterest, but I try to limit how much photography inspiration I get from Pinterest. 

Why?

Because I would rather try and do all I can to come up with a session organically, which is hard. And to be honest, with how many amazing photographers out there it's hard to come up with something totally original. But comparing my work to others never helps me improve my own work. Never. 

For my lovely clients;

I have seen it many times where a client comes to me with tons of ideas they have found via Pinterest that they want to replicate. I also have clients who search through all the sessions of overly romantic couples, and the client I am working with just are simply not that romantic. There are a lot of things I can do to help the couple pose and look romantic. But the bottom line is, it's much easier to Be Yourself then to try and be an exact copy of something you saw on Pinterest. If you are a goofy couple and love to laugh and crack jokes then embrace that! Look for inspiration that revolves around that! You, your family and friends will see that in your photos,

"These photos are so you!" 

Don't try to force something you're not! I promise, it will be easier, you will be more comfortable and be much happier with the end result. Guaranteed. 

For my fellow photographers;

Please do your best to use others work as a springboard for your creativity, not a crutch. I am disappointed  when I see another photographer do an exact copy of another artists work. With everything you do you should do your best to make it your own. You should want to be striving to have people be able to recognize your work and say, "That's Soinso's work" when they see your work. I use Pinterest as a springboard for inspiration, but it's not my only source for inspiration. With each session I try to really focus more on the subject, the location, and using it to shoot in unique ways, thinking out of my usual comfort zone and avoiding try to recreate things I've seen others do. 

Get out there! Keep shooting! And let the creativity flow!