Best websites

What are the best websites to view truly outstanding images? I'm interested in all categories including portrait, still life, scenic, macro, and those I've forgotten to mention.

Hi Rachel,

The question might be better framed, "Best source of fine pictures for inspiration?" Or else "Your favorite Photographers?" We have already addressed with this topic very well at least twice, most recently here. However, it's worth bring us back to get even more enrichment!

Every so often, I buy myself a present of book of a great photographer's work. I also try to go to as many exhibitions a possible. I might choose a book from amongst the photographers mentioned in folks preferences.

One most photography websites there are very good pictures everywhere but surrounded by mediocre to worse ones yet! A book, however, is a very simple and concise way of answering your questions. BTW, your scope is enormous. Do one thing at a time. So maybe this week look at one photographer. Pick a name from the thread url=http://www.openphotographyforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7453]here[/url] on favorite photographers and then do a search for their work.

Asher

True, but I am specifically looking for websites. I want a cache of online resources for when I'm feeling stale and not creative. Favorite photographers is a bit different than what I'm looking for.

You might find something you like here
http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/random-excellence/

Perhaps subscribing to a random selection of images to help spur your emotions related to imagery? http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/

Browsing the Web for photographic inspiration is very much like a guy looking for love in a whorehouse.

Seeking "inspiration" through mimicry does not produce inspired work. It produces, at best, something to do. (i.e. "I think I'll take some close-up snaps of flowers today" is not a statement of inspiration.) Also while the Web can be informative it's inarguably a very weak medium for experiencing art in general, photography included.

I agree with Asher. Become interested in bodies of photographic work and their creators. Make every effort to see original prints or, failing that, see the work reproduced in books. Failing that, visit the photographers' own sites (or the sites of galleries or organizations that have a special interest in that photographer's work).

Photographic inspiration comes from experiences and thoughts unrelated to cameras. The truly great photography comes within bodies of work that were often motivated by curiosity or deep interests. Anything. Knitting. Tire repair. Mathematics. Vinyl siding installation. Anything. Try putting the camera away for a week/month/year and just pursue a personal interest. Perhaps take up drawing or painting the subject, even if you have no such talents or skills. I guarantee that such sojourns will produce real inspiration that you will be able to leverage into creating photographic body or work worth keeping.

Ken Tanaka said:

Seeking "inspiration" through mimicry does not produce inspired work. It produces, at best, something to do. (i.e. "I think I'll take some close-up snaps of flowers today" is not a statement of inspiration.) Also while the Web can be informative it's inarguably a very weak medium for experiencing art in general, photography included.

I agree with Asher. Become interested in bodies of photographic work and their creators. Make every effort to see original prints or, failing that, see the work reproduced in books. Failing that, visit the photographers' own sites (or the sites of galleries or organizations that have a special interest in that photographer's work).

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Rachel,

Ken puts it very well. One needs immersion and then some passion. Tim Armes is a mountaineer because he's obsessed with the earth and the sky and everything in between. He gets intimate in one subject and then photographs that series well. He doesn't copy, he just gets a need and works hard to express it.

Look here. His "Artisans" series involved getting to know and enter the world of dedicated workers and try to engrave that experience in an image. He's not flitting here and there or snapping. His "Still Life & Products" collections of series has a group on just one abandoned bicycle. Look at that, not because it's a "good web site", (although it is), rather to illustrate Ken's point about passion and focus. Your interest in your river was one such good project but that is difficult because you don't have, as yet, set of limits on choosing a subject and composition. That's needed to craft one unit of art. Knowing what to include and what to exclude can be difficult as one needs "enough", (and often less than I happen to think is needed), but exclude what adds nothing or, worse, detracts. For that, I think, Ken's idea of drawing/ sketching is a great remedy to try out.

To the passion one can add craft, but without the engine of the former, we are a snappers, working with mimicry or even when really experienced, may rise to highly "talented technicians" but not much more than that. At least the "talented technician" produces works that grab attention to admire and then we might bring our own imagination to that work to make it live for us.

Back to the beginning again, bookmark Tim's website and a few others from OPF, but choose for yourself one exhibition, one photographer or theme and one book. Then a drawing class!

Where you grasp and engage life is your route to being stimulated to have needs to express. The Web? For mutual support, to solve problems and to show others your work.

Asher

Thank you. I'll read this carefully very soon.

Oh, I see what you are saying. But.....I find inspiration in what is WRONG with an image as much as what is right. I need something to serve to spark the creative juices. It's much like brainstorming: lousy things can lead to creative solutions. I don't want something to copy, not at all. But if I can look at photos that have been afforded some merit by someone, maybe I can discover that ONE element even if the rest of the execution is garbage.

I'm also thinking of a Socratic type of approach. If I can look at 3 or 4 or 5 "good" photos then perhaps I can look for "what do all of these images have in common?"

I'm far too rebellious and arrogant to copy anyone. I'm only looking for something to give me a new idea, new way of seeing, conceptualizing. I'm assuming that better than run of the mill images will be better than almost value-less images.

An interesting read is Frederick Franck's Zen Of Seeing. It's not a new-age sort of thing but a classic written some time ago, and it explores seeing rather than looking. I'd recommend it. I'd also agree with Asher's "take a drawing class" remark. I took a few drawing classes as well as a two-dimensional design class at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston teaching wing some years ago and learned a lot about the construction of images. More importantly, I developed an appreciation for that most indefinable term, art. Want to see light handled masterfully? Look no farther than a Vermeer painting- it doesn't get any better than that. Color? Andre Derain's The Turning Road. And so on...

Wendy

Thanks, all. I've bookmarked the recommended sites.

The Zen of Seeing sounds very interesting!

Another good one, FILE magazine: http://filemagazine.com/about.html