inspiring

What a strange year this has been, right? Yet, curiously, this has also been a year in which I have probably taken the greatest leaps in my photography for some time. Because when you are doing something new, or have been pushed into a new way of life, you can either freeze and panic... or you can use it as an opportunity to try new things. To innovate.

Photographer Roland Miller and Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli recently teamed up in a first-of-its-kind collaboration between an Earth-bound artist and a ISS-bound astronaut, to create a one-of-a-kind photo book that will appeal to space nerds and photography lovers alike.

Photographer Kyle Roper is no stranger to unique camera creations; he was the producer for the viral Skyscraper Camera Project. But his latest project is a bit smaller and more intimate. Amid the pandemic, he turned his front door into a camera to capture beautiful large-format black-and-white portraits of his neighbors.

In an attempt to make the best of a difficult year, the Australian Institute Of Professional Photography (AIPP) put on a unique photo contest. Called the "Silver Lining Awards," the competition didn't just highlight some of the best photography in Australia, it gave contestants a chance to improve their work before submitting final images.

If you spent any time on social media yesterday, you probably ran across the latest Nike ad titled "You Can't Stop Us." The brilliant bit of video editing was put together entirely from archival footage, combining multiple frames into a seamless montage that's dropping jaws left and right.

A one-day initiative that took place around the United States yesterday shows the impact photographers can have when they team up to make a difference. It's called "10,000 Headshots," and it involved booking and shooting free headshots for 10,000 unemployed Americans across the country in a single day.

Underwater photographer Kurt Arrigo recently set himself a new challenge: working together with a group of professional freedivers, he wanted to turn a wreck in the Mediterranean Sea into an "underwater playground."

For the July issue of British Vogue, the iconic fashion magazine has decided to do something a bit differently. Rather than featuring models and high-fashion, they're using the opportunity to honor three front-line heroes: a train driver, a midwife, and a supermarket assistant.

Adorama has just released a stunning cinematic tribute to the city of New York that could not come at a more poignant moment. At a time when the creative flame at the core of the city has been snuffed out by a small piece of genetic code, New York Rhapsody stands as a testament to the fire that is waiting to come roaring back.

This period isn’t easy for anyone. Professional photographers are struggling with the implications of being on lockdown and suddenly having to stop all work from one day to the next. Hobbyist photographers may be in a similar situation with jobs, children and household duties all being juggled in an unprecedented dance that is completely new and unknown.

Perhaps you have a dream of becoming a professional photographer or you have already started your professional photography business. If for you it’s still a dream what is it that’s holding you back? If you have already started how was it for you? Did you start part-time, nervous about taking that first step or did you, like me, jump straight in?

Following the 2017 Women's March and the rise of the #metoo movement that saw so many women speaking truth to power, award-winning street, portrait, and fine art photographer Pedro Oliveira was inspired to start a project that would shine a light on some "equally fierce women." That's how Beyond the 60th Sense was born.

ROAM, the global adventure community founded by some of the best photographers and filmmakers in the world, has announced the winners of the first annual ROAM Awards: a wanderlust-inducing set of photos, videos, and essays that will have you reaching for your camera with one hand and booking a plane ticket with the other.

ILFORD PHOTO just released this 15-minute short film that looks at the work of Brendan Barry, a large format photographer, lecturer, and camera builder who does unusual work with cameras and photography. It's titled, "The Camera Maker."

Photographer Pete Souza was the former Chief Official White House photographer for presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. He recently sat down with the camera superstore Adorama for this inspiring 6.5-minute Spotlight feature.

A huge part of my photo practice is not taking photos. Photography is an inner game. What comes out in our photography is the total expression of who we are, how we think, and what we see.

If you love photography but are often afraid to share your work due to a fear of failure and rejection, here's a dose of encouragement and inspiration made just for you. Apple created this 3-minute animated short titled "Share Your Gifts."

Apple just launched a new ad campaign called "Behind the Mac," featuring stories of how people are using the company's gadgets and technology in special ways. One of the creatives featured is photographer Bruce Hall, who's legally blind. You can watch his feature in this 1-minute ad.

Monica Lazăr is one of the millions upon millions of people around the world who struggles with an anxiety condition. For her, social anxiety makes it difficult to spend time with other people and causes her to become isolated. Four years ago, however, Lazăr discovered a passion for photography, and her gorgeous self-portraits have changed her life.

Photographer Johnathan Chen recently gave this 13-minute TEDx Talk about how art and science came together to inspire him to create mesmerizing images through experimentation.

Here's an inspiring 14-minute TEDx Talk by photographer Billy Weeks about documentary photography. Weeks explores that specific moment in which a photographer and subject "intersect with a single point of view."

Here's a 15-minute video featuring the internationally acclaimed sports photographer David Katz, a man who was diagnosed as being legally blind when he was just 3 months old.

Looking to build up your brand as a photographer? Here's an inspiring 15-minute discussion with well-known photographers Chase Jarvis and Ben Von Wong that's filled with advice on how you can do so.

Want to see what a passionate photographer looks like? Just look at the life and work of 25-year-old Indonesian professional photographer Achmad Zulkarnain. Despite being born without hands and legs, Zulkarnain became interested in photography and has since made a name for himself as a photographer and retoucher.

SLR Lounge recently published this 8-minute video on 10 ways you can light and shoot the same scene. But it's the short monologue at the end, starting at 6m38s, that has received quite a bit of attention in the online photo community. Pye Jirsa talks about how every photographer can help foster a culture of supporting one another.