[See also: My Photography Workflow, Parts 1 and 2]
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Inspiration.
Inspiration is easy to explain, at least on a colloquial level.
Simply stated, inspiration is the spark that ignites our need to create.
Most of us first get the “spark” to photograph because we are emotionally moved by something. It might be the birth of our first child, or the breathtaking scenery of some unblemished place. It might be an infinite number of things (good and bad) and they all represent stories we want to tell, and we — through our images — are the storytellers.
Inspiration provides motivation, purpose, and focus. We can certainly produce compelling images without it but we’re making it more difficult for ourselves when we do. This is especially true at the novice stage, but it remains true even after we’ve gained a high degree of technical proficiency.
Photographing with inspiration also facilitates an Infusion of Self (discussed in the next section) into our work. We look, we see, we are moved. Everything that follows is our attempt to communicate — through iconography — that which has resonated within us.
Consequently, I always look for inspiration and try to photograph whenever the “spark” ignites me; often, this happens when I’m observing Life’s Little Moments.
Want to find a good starting place for your photography?
Find something that emotionally moves you and point your camera in that direction.
—Peter | Prosophos.
Prosophos 
Can’t help myself again and apologies for the up coming rant!
I find it an interesting topic, when thinking about how it correlates with “who” creates images and the “quality and nature” of those images.
When I was becoming interested in photography I went to a course which was 2 hours one week, one night a week for six weeks. Fairly informal, a room with 8 enthusiastic people keen to learn more. It covered the basics around how aperture and shutter speed could be used and at a VERY basic level using light. In that 6 weeks we also covered different genres (still life, street, portraiture, creating a story, etc) and…….were assigned a weekly assignment.
Ahh…I hated that assignment. Being forced to come back with photos was not my thing! Actually it was what I learnt about myself and photography, so a good exercise in that sense.
However I did notice just how people can be good at one genre but not very good at another!
The first week was “still life”. We had a particular lady in the group. I struggled to come up with anything. On the other hand her photos were incredible. To this day the best still life photos I have seen which were all taken in her house with a fairly basic camera DSLR and kit lens from memory.
The next week was portraiture. Her photos were horrible! Yet others grasped it and created some great images. They also, were not particularly good at still life!
The following week was street photography. Again her photos were not great and I could see her becoming frustrated. Someone new in the group would pop up with the best images in this category.
That is when I learn’t we are all different and see the world differently when creating images. And there in lies the basis for inspiration when creating images (not viewing them, though this helps..no doubt…thats why I visit here!). Even when this young ladies photos created an emotional connection and inspiration for me…to this day I still can not see “it” with camera in hand when it comes to still life…6 years later. Similarly there may be two professional “photographers”; one will see “it” and the other will not and vice versa. It may be a creative factor but it may also be based on what “inspires”.
Inspiration and creating great images, leading to what may be a key strength or weakness is very personal.
I was recently thinking about whether Sebastiao Selgado would make a great “formal” portraiture photographer and Annie Leibovitz a great documentary photographer? Based purely on broad skill and creativity I am sure they could. But I don’t think it would be long lasting. Because the inspiration aspect may be lacking they may not endure what is required in creating consistently great images.
Anyway enough of me spilling my thoughts. Thanks Peter.
Andrew, you write:
“…we are all different and see the world differently when creating images.”
This is a key point in the next (as of yet unwritten) section.
As for your observations in your course about the differing strengths of different students, I know I gravitate towards portraits, and even the rest of my photography benefits from the inclusion of human figures (I suspect this may be true for many photographers). This is why I respect strictly landscape photographers… I can’t “see” the way they see.
Peter.
I just stumbled across this section of your website. I’m delighted you’ve decided to give us your thoughts on what you refer to as “workflow.” I appreciated your acknowledging that while it may be a learning process for some, it will be a chance to compare notes for others. I’ve been shooting for decades, and I bought my first Leica, an M3, when I was seventeen. I believe I know a fair amount about photography, so of course I’ll be comparing notes. Having said that, just looking at your photographs is a learning experience, a revelation, and there is undoubtedly some truth to the idea that those who believe they know all they need to probably know as much as they’re ever going to.
Maybe I missed it elsewhere on your website, but the photographs posted here seem to have been shot exclusively with Leicas. Do mine eyes deceive me? I met a man many years ago who had stopped wearing shoes, period. I found that revelation a sufficient prompt for a followup question. How did he handle the problem of broken glass or cold weather or shoes-only environments I wondered. He said he had found that, shoeless, he followed a different path than he had before he’d changed his life by this simple, yet profound, decision. He said he’d noticed that squirrels had pathways to which they kept because of their own tiny-little-tree-climbing-feet situation and that the same thing had happened to him.
Picking up a Leica and sticking with it can have an analogous effect. One notices, for example, the image quality and goes off in a direction that exploits and explores what can be done with that characteristic. Cartier-Bresson said that every camera he tried led him back to the Leica. I’ve wondered what pathways would be revealed to me were I to forego all the photography I thought I could do only with other machinery and stick exclusively to what really appeals to me. Perhaps your work is a map that includes some of those pathways.
So nice to see that you’ve posted new images only one day after my first visit.