FAQ - inspiration

I love questions...asking them. Answering them.

The one I often get is, "Where do you go for inspiration?"...I think this is a great question; not just for photographers but for mothers as they raise their children, teachers, dads, speakers, writers, people who love fashion, makeup, music, graphic design...whatever it may be.

For photography, I tend to look at magazines, other photographer's work, movies, or I "people watch" and study movement...sorry if you've caught me staring at you!  I realize as I write this how creepy that could be, and I should keep some thoughts to myself. :)

But probably something that has inspired me since I was about 13 was music videos...growing up, I didn't even see that many, but the few times I did, I'd study it and memorize images from them.

Well, my all time favorite music video is Fix You by Coldplay.  I remember exactly where I was sitting when I first saw this video.  Often, if I hear the song first, the video is a disappointment...but Chris Martin (lead singer of Coldplay) rarely disappoints.  I really know nothing about analyzing art, so I'll just tell you what I think...

I love subtlety if it's done well...if it's not, it tends to just be boring, but when it's done well, it's magic.  To me, the song is so beautiful and I absolutely love how they made it to be very understated.  It's an extremely emotional video but in such a toned down way...if that makes any sense at all. To me, it's perfection. It probably doesn't hurt that Chris Martin is just so dang cool too. :) So, there you have it...my love affair with this video and how it inspires me to find ways to communicate emotion in a subtle way without being boring.

*It may not let you play this video...if not, it's on youtube.