Inspiration (05/26/13)

Staying Inspired

by Steve Carty in Inspiration
04/02/12

I’ve been shooting professionally for 20 years. I’m often asked, “How do you stay inspired?” Well that always demands a long answer. First, I surround myself with people that inspire me. I’m a part of an amazing agency here at Hermann & Audrey. Everyone here works at a top level, and all our shooters are constantly pushing the boundaries of what can be done with a camera. On the agency side, our reps and producers are the tops. We’ve expanded and our our production capabilities with both still and moving pictures. The people I see and work with every day keep me inspired.

Staying social keeps me inspired. I go out. I socialize. I go on photo walks with my camera, I interact with strangers and shoot portraits. I try to meet new people, I even let others take the lead. It always brings me to new places. It’s nice to make others feel good. These little things open my eyes.

Beyond the people that surround me daily, I’m also inspired by the things I find online. I’ve collected hundreds of bookmarks of sites I frequent on my desktop and iPad. Some of these links I share on twitter and facebook, all of them are idea generators, inspired, and beautiful. I look at films, design, art direction, photography, fashion, and technology. I want to see everything. I love online discovery.

Lado Alexi Photographer | Kenton Magazine | Nowness | Mario Vivanco and Patrick Hoelck are just a few of the sites that I peep to get blown away.

The most important thing when it comes to staying inspired for a photographer is to always be shooting. Even if it’s just with your iPhone, it’s important to keep your eyes sharp and full of things that you think are beautiful. I love creating new personal work. Shooting for the love of the photograph. Here are some recent images I’ve created for the love of the craft, made out of pure inspiration.

See more of my personal work here.