Time spent studying photographs

I spend a lot of time studying photographs. Not just the photographs I take but also photographs from others. Some of the others I know, and some of them I don’t know. I say studying because I don’t merely look at the photographs. By studying the work of others I find styles and techniques I like, things I had not really considered before, and things I don’t like.

It is said the average person spends about 15 to 30 seconds looking at a piece of artwork in a museum. 15 to 30 seconds! I suspect that may be much lower when we’re talking about viewing images on social media or a website and yet there are lots of people willing to give a critique or opinion on a photograph on social media after spending a few seconds viewing it.

Studying the photographs and artwork of others is a way I have found helps me become more creative. I don’t attempt to copy what others have done but use their work as a springboard for my own work, especially if I see something I find compelling. Try it, browse through the work of others, and spend more than a few seconds looking at each photograph. You may be surprised at what you see.