Inside a Photographer's Notebook 1. 'Look' photo (c) Peter Marlow/Magnum. Quote: Bruce Lee
<<Return to the Learning Zone When I first started entertaining the idea of being a photographer, about 7 years ago, I had a million and one ideas in my head and nowhere to put them. I can’t remember who first suggested it to me, but someone gave me the idea to put them down in a notebook, to collect all my ideas and sources of inspiration in one place. So, I did. Over the following few years I would cut out pictures from magazines, write down quotes that inspired me, have friends write down their thoughts and log important deadlines for competitions and exhibitions.
Inside a Photographer's Notebook 2. Taliban image (c) Vincent Laforet
For the first few years of my foray into photography, this book was my constant companion. The first few years of an aspiring photographer are some of the toughest as you strive to find your direction and voice. I would look at my notebook at times when I needed inspiration, when I needed to remind myself how hard I wanted to push myself and when I wanted to remind myself of the power of a single, beautiful image. Sometimes, that was all I needed to keep going.
Inside a Photographer's Notebook 3. Dates of upcoming competitions and festivals.
Over the coming weeks, I’d like to share some of these pages with you. I will not show all, but a selection of the ones that I think are the most unique and interesting. Why? Well, I think it something a little different for the blog. One of my biggest enlightenments when learning photography, was getting inside the minds of photographers and finding out what they were thinking, why they were thinking things, how they were approaching their work etc. For those who are interested in how I work, this was one of the important things to me when I started out.
To be honest, I don’t actually use this method anymore and this book is now more of a nostalgic piece for me. Saying that, when I open it and look back, I am transported back to my feelings when I first put it together. It’s always useful to have things to go back to that help you remind yourself of your initial motivations.
What do think of keeping notebooks like this? Useful? Do you know of other who have used a similar approach?
Links to Photographers above: Peter Marlow | Vincent Laforet
What a truly wonderful idea, Sean. I have the habit of saving images that I like on my computer, but then I never look at them.
Exactly, Charlie. It makes such a difference being able to carry them around with you. I mentioned I don’t really do this anymore, but what I tend to do now is put my favourite images or multimedia on my iPod, then if I ever need a burst of inspiration, I just play a gallery or mm piece whilst in the field. Works for me!
Hi Sean. Great to see this on the blog. I write in my photographer’s notebook obsessively. It houses my ideas, dreams, and other scribbles, cause it seems that my brain is too scattered to really sort through and process much of this information by itself. I also like to keep accounts of how a day’s shooting went, what i’d change, and other stuff to keep me motivated.
Nice to see I’m not the only one with a photoj notebook.
Hey Alex…I think we are on the same page (excuse the pun). Thanks for stopping by. Please keep your thoughts coming!
I just saw this blog post. With all the things going on my mind right now, I have to write and post it and get a notebook. It is better having a physical presence than in a laptop where everything is virtual and disorganized. Maybe I have too much information everywhere.