Inspiration or Copying
I would like to hear your opinion on an issue that is currently being discussed on one of the online Mom communities I belong to. In this community there are a few photography related groups that I subscribe to and participate in occasionally.
Pretty frequently there are challenges where everyone can submit a photo relating to a theme and people can submit a photo and then everyone votes on them. Last week there was a challenge called “New”. That’s pretty open to interpretation but a lot of the women put up photos of newborn babies. It is a mom’s group afterall…
I didn’t do a newborn, I did the photo of Uly in the red hat that is in two posts back. It was a new hat. It fit.
Anyway, one member wrote up a post that talked about how she was kind of unimpressed with everyone’s lack of creativity in not only this mini-contest but in many others. She talked about how most everyone just copied the idea from the example photo and did not come up with their own idea. The post was intended to motivate the readers to think out side the box and encourage everyone to try to be creative and think of their own ideas.
I replied with a comment that went like this:
One of the ways that an artist starts out learning how to draw or paint is to copy or trace someone else’s original work. It isn’t done in the spirit of plagiarism or unoriginal thought, it is done to learn how make the correct pen or brush strokes and how to learn control and composition.
I think copying some one else’s ideas for photography is one way in which we learn to be better photographers. So many of the people in these groups are just barely starting out and learning how to use a camera. While that doesn’t necessarily mean that we need to directly copy and not think of original ideas, it is where a lot of these group members are in their development.
Maybe we need to encourage discussions about finding inspiration or thinking outside of the box. Perhaps that is what many of these people need in order to grow as photographers. I know I could always use ideas or ways to think more creatively and develop my own style and original eye for composition. I want desperately to develop my photographic abilities to a level where I feel like I can say that I am an artist. It is an art form that I really want to experience and truly understand.
So I think you can understand what I am saying. I am saying it isn’t always bad to copy an idea. In fact, in my podcast interview with Kiera Haddock she mentions getting ideas and mutating them into your own. I mean, it’s 2009, humanity has been around for a while. Do you actually think every single thought you have is completely original?
Personally, I don’t. Maybe I’m being cynical.
Anyway, I was wondering what you think about this. Do you find inspiration from other’s work? Do you find a cool photo in Flickr and try to shoot a similar image so you can learn from it? Or do you completely abstain from viewing other people’s images so that you are only doing original work?
Personally, I’m a copier. Or at least I am in the sense that I get ideas for shots and try to learn from them. I am not likely to be one of the newborn-baby-photo-posting-people. I like to submit my own idea for contests, if I have them.
I am not opposed to learning from others ideas.
And you know I can’t leave a post, especially a long post without a photo. Uly’s birthday is on Friday. Can you guess how old he will be?
January 27th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I don’t intend to ever stop looking at what other photographer’s create. I have learned SO much from looking at their images and what inspires them. When I look at other’s work, I learn composition, use of light, and posing. I am not looking to copy anything that another photographer does. I am looking for inspiration and ideas. I am looking for photographers who use light in amazing ways. I am looking to improve my use of all these things.
When I was just learning photography, I was very focused on the technical side of photography. I was learning my camera, it’s settings, how to use the settings to create what I saw. When I was learning, I did try to copy other work. I subscribed to a photography magazine and would look for ideas there that I might be able to use. One day, I saw an article with several photos using natural window light. I tried recreating these with my kids and the light in my house. I got some great photos. I am so glad I did that. I learned that I loved natural lighting. I learned that windows in my house could provide this light. I have created hundreds (actually thousands might be more realistic) of images using natural light in my house. I created some very bad photographs and some that I displayed on my walls. I LEARNED a ton. I copied once and then played with the idea creating different things.
I think to some, thinking outside the box comes very naturally, but for most of us, it takes work and practice to continually make images that are original and our own. That type of thinking generally comes once you are no longer a beginner and with a lot of practice. Every artist has other artists who inspire them and who they have learned from. I am no different. It is the best way to learn. Sorry this is so long.
January 27th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I don’t intentionally set out to copy other’s work but I definitely draw inspiration from them. I completely agree with you that this is the way in which we learn. I would be so honored (and completely shocked) if someone were to draw inspiration from one of my photos : )
January 27th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Happy 5yh Birthday to Uly on Friday!!
Oh, I so agree with your post today. In fact, I saw a beautiful photograph yesterday and all I want to do is try to set up something similar. I’m not thinking of copying it, but I did get so much inspiration from it. It was just such a good idea. I love looking at other people’s ideas and then coming up with something that’s my own.
January 27th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I am all for the copying! I am not a creative person so I always draw ideas from others. I don’t care if it is original; I just want it to look nice That goes for more than just pictures. I completely agree that by copying you learn the proper technique. Without those skills your work, no matter what it is, is going to be hit or miss. That is why I spend time on websites like yours; to get ideas and learn. Honestly, what do we spend most of our time in school (preschool all the way to college) doing, we spend all our childhood copying the knowledge and ideas of others until we learn and internalize them to understand and make our own. Thanks so much for sharing your ideas with others and letting us copy!
February 1st, 2009 at 11:49 pm
I truly believe that there is no such thing as being able to “copy” someones work. Just try to do it if you don’t believe me! It’s the hardest thing! Every experience includes so many variables that the experience is never the same! Oh, we can try to set it up similar but there’s always the differences that are obvious. So much can be learned by trying to copy something - Not only a small part of the experience of the original artist but the mind opening experience you find for yourself. The only copiers come from Xerox!