This week I want to share some tips on where to draw inspiration when you reach a black consciousness phase. I want to show you some of my favorite shots from 2006 MSNBC pictures of the year, and of course the top ten from the less known photographers here, on DA.

What do you do when you don't know what to do</u>
You get these "I don't know what to do next..." phases? When you want to do some photography, but your creative ideas simply ran out... Well, I can tell you what I do. You should know that what works for me may not be right for someone else. I am more of a "street photographer", I don't direst my shots, don't plan them. I'm not into models or stills in particular and so I depend solely on inspiration.
1. Check out the weather.
When I have an idea what I want to take pictures of, it's easy.. I go there. When I have no idea what to shoot, I simply go without knowing where. I check the weather to decide on the general idea. Warm days (without clouds in the sky) are good for urban shots since I don't need the sky in the frame, and it's mostly shaded anyway. Warm days with nice clouds are perfect for IR or landscape. Colder days are great for nature, Macro and reflections (puddles of rain), and they are also good for indoor shots and moody landscapes. Think of nice places you know that can natch these conditions, and simply go. The world is moving, and all you need is watch it revolve around you.

2. Get the perspective of your sensor
So, now you know the direction you match the gear. Wide lenses for landscapes, tele lenses for nature, middle length for urban...
I love taking the lenses I plan on (not the whole bag) and limit myself to the gear. That gives me aim at what I look at and help me focus on a perspective looking at the world. Looking at everything without that focus can make me miss a few ideas. It's kind of limiting yourself to think like the camera, instead of the person you are. I always feel more focused as a photographer at seeing things, than I feel when I don't have the camera on me.

3. Watch and think before you shoot
Don't force yourself to shoot. Blend into your surroundings. Feel the tempo of what happens around you and things will look differently. Take some time to examine things from a wider point of view, and then start breaking it don to details, scenes, corners. For an example, look at a street and feel the commotion. Direction people go, people that stand, compositions, the way the light falls, advertising billboards, colors, shapes, patterns.. now break it down to what will happen if you focus on a someone if he passes the building in a exact second.. What if you take the tall building from a wide angle, including a bus stop from a low angle... So, take some time to look before you act.

4. Dare yourself to try it differently
You've seen something interesting? Good! Now try and think of the way to present it. If you present it exactly like you see it, it has to be really special not to look corny. I mean, that's the way everybody sees it all the time... So, take a second and think as a photographer. The angle changes a lot. Maybe go to a higher point of view, maybe a lower, maybe through a reflection, maybe against the light, and maybe with a different depth of field. The point is to challenge yourself to think differently because there is someone that you want to show it to, and you need to make him stop and think to make an impact.

5. And back to the first stage... your ideas
This is a very important stage for a creative photographer, one that wants his pictures to be more than beautiful and have a meaning. The ideas don't have to come from planned scenes. You have an opinion on things, a personal thought. How can you make it come to life through photography? That's maybe the hardest part, but when you figure this out - you are on your way to making a difference. People want to see ideas and opinion in photographs, and not only beautiful colors. When you look at something you want to shoot stop for a second. Think. How can I show it in a way it will show it is you that's taking the picture. A lot of who you are as a photographer hides in this.

Good luck

OK, MSNBC picked his top 2006 pictures.
Some are so wonderful I want to share them with you. Enjoy!



























For the whole collection --> www.linkinn.com/wiki_101.php?a…

Now, I invite you to take a look with me, at 10 of my favorites Under my weekly spotlight





The color combination and the composition is absolutely wonderful.
Everything is so well balanced. The sky, the light, the composition and the colors. Really a wonderful job seeing and capturing that.


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A split second is captured here. That split of a second when nature and man meet, Such power in this shot, and still it flows in an artistic motion. Special.


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Anybody thinks of chucky?
Yes, strong expression here.


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Mature Content

Another one that is a little scary, but I think it's deeper.
The expression is very strong.


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Perfectly captured shot. The perspective of the interior space id impressive. The depth of the space is drawing you in. The people walking on the sides add the human dimension and the "busy" city life. The B&W is perfect making it so simple to comprehend.  
And get this... only 15 pageviews so far (including mine).


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The rocks never thought they will be part of a minimalistic long exposure shot. And if they did.. they never knew they will get featured on my journal.


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Great capture!
I've seen these, and made some of these myself, but what I really like here is the brilliant natural framing. You have to plan this really good to get it like this. you have to compose it, but the tracking focus is changing all the time, so it's complicated to do. I love the "eyeball" composition. Bravo!


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Great atmosphere and mood.
I love this shot. It could make a wonderful poster.


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And a little abstract, a B&W abstract.
Nothing to explain and nothing to understand. Love it for what you see.


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National Geographic point of view.
A look at other cultures and people. Beautiful shot.


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It's amazing to see how much beauty and quality is passed un-noticed here in all one week. I hope that more great work will get noticed here. It's up to us. Use the comments favorites power to support the un-noticed.

Keep supporting!


*****



1. Art is all about expression

2. About Photography, and Israel too

3. DA Thoughts

4. Infra Red

5. Let me shed some Light

6. All the Info you can probably get on me – The BTL with G

7. Listen to "One Day"

8. About freedom of speech and ethics

9. A Different Look At Israel / Part 3, and part 4

10. Where you can download the "A Different Look At Israel" presentations.

11. Summing up 3 years of being a DeviantArt member

12. Summing up what I had to say in 2006

13. Special Interview - An Eye On The World

14. Tips on Shooting indoors

15. Tips on recommended filters

16. Using build in flash

17. Keep your pixels yours

18. About making money in photography

19. Do you know how to get exposure?

20. When does photography become manipulation?

21. About making money in photography

22. A Light unto the Nations

23. Shooting RAW or JPEG?