muses + musings

7 Tips To Find Inspiration in Eye-Catching Images

I used to want to be an archeologist. I saw myself jetting off to faraway lands to dig up treasures to find new meanings in the country’s history. I even had the cutest outfits picked out for all my adventures. That dream didn’t last long. I soon realized that the reality of being an archaeologist was less exciting than Indiana Jones and Lara Croft made it look. Digging up dust and rocks on a hot day is just not my idea of fun. Being glamorous and artsy has always been more my cup of tea. I’m a writer, but I also love many artsy mediums. I’m in awe of painters and worship at the feet of amazing photographers (I’m also a bit hyperbolic).

So I transferred my obsession from archaeology to National Geographic Magazine. The photos of the beauty of the earth captivated me. I wanted to take just as beautiful pictures to give Mother Earth the reverence she deserved. I started with disposable cameras. I would take long walks and take random photos. I started photographing nature and soon found joy in capturing people in street photography. I only realized I was telling a story with my pictures once the images were developed. Shortly I graduated into digital photography. I used the many photo essays I created to assist in writing my fiction stories. It was lovely to use one artistic medium to inspire another.

What I love about photography is its capacity to capture fleeting moments in time, which is a gold mine for all creative authors. Every snapshot contains an untold narrative, freezing in time feelings, scenes, and intriguing details that might inspire our own works of art. I’ve learned that when we use visual cues to our advantage, we can give our stories new dimensions and depths of meaning that we couldn’t have otherwise achieved.

Here are some of the ways I use photography as a writing tool by either taking your own photos or studying the images of some expert photographers:

Character Development: Photography can help create characters readers will fall in love with, root for, cry over, or just love to hate. Taking editorial photos of real people doing real things can improve the descriptions and motivations of your characters.

Visual Storytelling: Visual storytelling can improve the narratives of your stories. Studying photo essays can help writers practice writing emotions, elicit empathy, and tell stories with few words.

Story Prompts: I love a good story prompt. Especially when writer’s block is living in my head rent-free. Photographs are excellent starting points for narratives. A picture might spark an idea for your writing story, topic, or conflict. You can create photo albums of one-of-a-kind scenes and use them to springboard new story ideas.

Visual Inspiration: Photography can inspire creativity. Photos can spark writing ideas, emotions, and character descriptions. It’s a cliche to say it, but it’s true: A picture paints 1000 words. One photo can spawn a whole novel.

Setting and Atmosphere: Photographs can assist authors in creating vivid environments and evocative descriptions. Photos of landscapes, towns, and interiors can add sensory details to the world-building in your novels.

Symbolism and Metaphor: Symbolism enriches literature, and you can learn how photographers use visual clues to convey deeper meanings by analyzing their work.

Living in the Moment: Photography helps writers see and record fleeting moments. Honing this talent can make writers more colorful and lively in their writings.

I strongly encourage you to look into how images can spark your imagination, lead you toward new ideas, and add credibility and depth to your writing. The stage is set for photography to transport you to exotic locations or lands of make-believe, create vivid emotions, and build the mood for your stories.

I hope these tips provided you with some inspiration. Remember that photography can be an excellent resource for improving your fiction writing but treating the photographers and their art with the utmost respect is essential. Use photographic imagery as a jumping-off point for your own imaginative narratives.