http://pinterest.com/jjinqueens/inspiration-file-mine/
Subjects: Delilah, obviously.
Natural elements, not quite as obviously, but they keep sneaking in. It seems wood especially keeps sneaking into the backgrounds - the wooden fence(s!), the tree stump.
Light: I haven't really figured out light yet. It baffles me - finding it, using it, exposing properly. In fact, I often think I've got it just right and then end up with a disaster - like using even shade, and finding all my photos look flat. On the flip side, sometimes I have really happy mistakes, like the dappled sun in the picture above, or the lack of light and grey appearance of this photo, which is a big mistake but I love:
Composition: I lean toward wide aperture in the photos that I love, and although the ones that honor the rule of thirds are the most pleasing, I lean toward the right side of the frame.
Elements of Design: I like weird color too, I think - the ones that come out amber, or techicolor in appearance - although I also love very natural, warm tones like the warm woods and stones. Natural textures are very appealing to me - there is a lot of wood and stone in my inspiration file.
Message and emotion.... I gravitate toward the pictures of my daughter that do NOT reflect a giggly toddler - the ones where she is staring straight down the lens, or conveying something intense in appearance. I notice that no pictures of relationships showed up in my inspiration file except one very close up shot of my gram and my daughter's hands.
When looking at my little collage there, I also don't feel really overwhelmed with love the group together. Maybe because they are small, they are less impactful, or maybe I need to get some more skills!
I think the common elements that inspired me the most were the textures - the curb, the tree, the branches against the sunflare, the wooden highchair, the stone bench, the brick wall. When I am out with the camera seeking prey, I am drawn to wooden benches, grass, stones, piles of seashells... natural, 3D elements that you can feel when you look at them.
I also think I am most struck by photos I take with a wide aperture, or that are very close up, that may give the viewer a closer, unexpected look at something they might otherwise walk by (e.g. a tiny portaluca). Maybe I'm rooting for the visual underdog!
