Photography Inspiration – if you are looking for it!

We all buy a DSLR for one of the following reasons:

1. We think our creative juices are overflowing like a boundless river and we don’t want it to waste out into the sea of nothingness, so we think of building a check dam to channelize and irrigate our creativity further. A DSLR is due.
2. Sometimes, we are struck by a bolt of inspiration. We see a photograph of a beautiful naked woman and think, whoa, what a bastard! (the photographer, of course) If I can become a photographer, I can also…. (I know what you are thinking, but I don’t mean that) take such beautiful, artistic photos!
3. Sometimes it’s just social pressure. We look around us and see that every Tom, Dick, and Harry has a DSLR and we want to prove we are no lesser Dick.
4. Sometimes, we feel we have a lot of cash to be burned and think, let me buy a camera, for the heck of it – yeah!
5. We think we have been so good with a mobile camera so a DSLR is going to transform us into a world-class photographer. Besides, we are also impressed by that long rocket launcher of a lens our neighbor has.
6. We think we can impress the new girlfriend with a big camera.

Then we realize:

1. That creativity juices are only seasonal.
2. That the bolt of inspiration is only momentary. We are never going to be like that bastard!
3. That Tom, Dick and Harry have already moved on to something else. iPhone 6S is the new craze and we want to prove that we are no lesser Dick.
4. That we have some more money to throw away and have a lot of space left in the cupboard for new gadgets. To hell with the old ones.
5. That the DSLR isn’t automatically converting our average shots into magical photographs like Instagram does in our mobiles. And that photography isn’t only about lenses.
6. That a new DSLR can keep us thrilled only as much time as the new girlfriend can – a month!

So we allow the DSLR to catch dust in the shelf.

I have also been suffering from creativity drain for the past couple of months despite constantly getting opportunities to use my camera. But then, even the most prolific photographers face downturns.

A few weeks back, when I was in my hometown for Christmas vacation, I was stuck indoors due to incessant rain. I was forced to look ‘inwards’ for inspiration, and I found my long-dead grandmother’s collection of China clay tea set among many other ceramic items which are more than half a century old. The China clay did the trick.

My creative juices are flowing again. You can see the result here – not bad uh?

The message is if you are someone who’s looking for a bolt of inspiration to make you dust off your camera and start again, maybe you can start from your kitchen.