Last Updated on 10/21/2018 by Joy Celine Asto
If you’re in the mood to scour the web for photography inspiration, here’s where you’ll most likely find it.
Photographers, like all creatives, constantly search for inspiration, even in the unlikeliest places. Some of us find it most effective to take a walk around town or go on a trip somewhere far from home. It’s also always a great idea to hit bookstores and libraries regularly to check out some great photo books. Others are content with browsing through countless Instagram posts or hopping around their favorite photography-centric Facebook pages. The Internet is actually a good place to start for brainstorming ideas and getting inspired — if you know where to look. If you’re more likely to have the time to only scour the World Wide Web today (or the coming days) to fuel your next photography project, we have a list of a few great websites to get you started.
Behance
This is our go-to place on the web to look for the best photography work out there, and we think it should be one of yours, too. Behance is both a portfolio platform for all kinds of creative disciplines and a collaborative community, making it a perfect resource for photographers. Here, you’ll have the option to browse projects according to creative fields, so if you’re the type who can grab inspiration from outside the realms of photography, you’ll surely like Behance. While you’re at it, you might want to consider putting your portfolio here as well!
Quick Tip: Browse according to creative fields to narrow down your search.
Flickr
Whether you’ve been doing photography long enough or just started getting into it, we’re sure you’ve come across Flickr. The photo sharing site has been around since 2004, so you can just imagine the sheer number of photos you’ll find there. Before Facebook groups and pages became commonplace for photography discussions, Flickr groups were the place to be if you wanted to “meet” fellow photographers, exchange tips and tricks, and, of course, share your work. The platform remains to be a go-to resource for photographers of all levels, and we see no reason why it shouldn’t be yours as well.
Quick Tip: Look for Flickr groups related to your interests to browse and also share your work.
Everybody’s favorite photo sharing social media platform is also one of the most popular places online to look for photography inspiration. It can come in handy, not only because chances are you already use it, but also your favorite photographers most likely do, too. However, as most Instagram users already know, you’ll need to browse for posts (and users) relevant to you by using hashtags to plow through some senseless selfies and random stuff. Instagram may spell a lot of issues for photographers today (we’ve been covering a lot of that), but there is definitely still some inspiration you can find from the depths of this platform.
Quick Tip: Follow those hashtags (with caution) to discover works that are (mostly) relevant to your interests.
Tumblr
While primarily a trendy platform for bloggers (and what we can call reblog-gers), Tumblr is also home to a lot of outstanding photography. Actually, before portfolio sites like Behance became popular, most creatives, artists, and photographers made their portfolio sites on Tumblr. Some still do, or have kept their Tumblr sites as personal photo blogs. When you sign up for a Tumblr account, you can use it as a blog, search according to tags, and follow accounts you like. As with many similar blogging and sharing platforms, there’s a good deal of random stuff you’ll come across as you go Tumblr-ing around. So, make what you will out of it.
Quick Tip: Use the site’s Search and Explore features to discover works you might like.
500px
While not as popular as it used to be, 500px still houses a sizable collection of photos and portfolios from around the world. Once considered by many as a an alternative to Flickr when the latter’s popularity started to wane, a lot of photographers became keen on sharing their work on this site for two reasons. First, for its community-centered approach on sharing work, with emphasis on encouraging members to give feedback on each others’ work. Then, they also found out that the platform was perfect for dipping their toes into stock photography. A number of changes have happened to 500px since then, but you can still find a lot of photographers sharing stunning work there.
Quick Tip: Head to the Discover page to see a variety of selections and top picks, including Editors’ Choice. You can also narrow your search down to the categories.
EyeEm
Berlin-based EyeEm describes itself as a photography-driven platform that connects over 20 million creators with leading brands, with the goal of “championing world-class images and videos from diverse perspectives across the globe.” Therefore, EyeEm could be the perfect website for you to get inspired with stunning visuals for your next client campaign, or to participate as a creator so you can get your work seen and tapped by various brands and clients. Either way, you can only do so by signing up for an account. Or, if you’re just interested in looking around, you can also check out EyeEm Magazine for their features and get your fill of impressive projects and photography inspiration.
Quick Tip: Check out EyeEm’s Visual Stories section to see their freshest picks for the week, as well as some features that could help shape and hone your visual narrative skills.
British Journal of Photography
Founded in 1854 to record the scientific development of photography, the British Journal of Photography now focuses on international contemporary photography, specifically fine art and documentary photography. Its monthly edition (on print and iPad) tackles a theme, the regular ones being Portrait, Education, Journeys, and Community. Other features to check out include their annual review, Cool & Noteworthy, and their annual talent edition, Ones To Watch. Each issue showcases new talent in their Projects section, and puts the spotlight on established photographers in their Interviews section.
Quick Tip: The BJP website is full of online features to check out; head to Projects to start out.
So, there you have it: a nice collection of websites to bookmark and browse when you have no choice but to turn to the Internet for photography inspiration. If we missed any of your favorites, do let us know in the comments below.