How the Best Advertising Photographers Find Inspiration

Whether or not Picasso once said "good artists copy; great artists steal” continues to be a very frequent topic of discussion in the world of creatives.  However, the validity behind who uttered these words is quite irrelevant. What is of value and where creatives should redirect their focus, is to the true meaning behind this saying.

There are very few things in this world that are truly an authentic, original creation.  Rather, most ideas piggyback off another idea from another artist, another image or another time and place.  Utilizing what has already been done to find inspiration, is a smart skill that many of the BEST photographers would encourage others to do.  Spending time on Behance.net or flipping through Archive Magazine, is a great way to stay up to date with the industry, evolve skills and adapt styles.  

However, when looking at published work, there is a fine line between inspiration and imitation.  Imitators are lazy, they take the path of least resistance to simply replicate what they already see.  They do not take the time to really think of how they can personally make an impact, how they can make the work their own, or put a unique spin on what was originally created. This VICE article about the Los Angeles photographer Tyler Shields’ career, does a great job outlining the difference between being inspired by images versus flat out copying them.

Inspiration on the other hand, builds upon what has been done and often triggers an emotional response, sparks creativity and opens the door for conversation. When the best photographers find inspiration, they are able to do just that - they take innovative, conceptual ideas and find ways to make them different, elevated and completely own able. 

Simply changing the lighting or adjusting one angle is not enough.  Fusing numerous pieces of inspiration together, adding your own style, concept and personal point of view will guide you in the right direction. Maybe it is taking the style of one photographer's lighting and meshing it with the theme from a set designer and then adding in your own artistic approach to develop an entirely new creation. 

Whatever it may be, inspiration is everywhere.  You can get it from seeing a new image, discovering a new artist or even just stepping outside your front door.  To create unique works, photographers have the ability to lean into numerous outlets for inspiration, but the best advertising photographers will use inspiration to interpret, not to imitate.