Finding influence from all mediums

As a photographer, I like to follow the work of others who work behind the camera. I have my favorites, such as Sabastio Salgado, The Turnley Brothers, Annie Leibovits, and others. Artists in every medium have their favorites and those in that particular craft that they aspire to.

Having gone through school and getting a fine arts degree though, has instilled in me the benefit of letting myself be influenced by art other than photography. This probably started when I was young from my love of music. Though it is not inherently a visual art form, the sounds do create feeling and images in the mind. Just the raw passion I get from hearing a great song helps me both come up with new ideas and bolsters my strength to move forward with a project.

Painting, sculpture and other visual arts have been a tremendous source of inspiration to me as an artist. Everything from the old master painters modern abstract have given me a better sense of composition, light, color and mood. My photography mentor, Stephen Perfect always referred to photography as "painting with light" (I believe he was quoting someone else, but I'm not sure who originally coined that phrase). Painting especially, can reveal a multitude of of ideas for every type of creative person out there.

Even installation pieces and avant garde Dada artists have been a great help to me over the years. When asked who my favorite living creator would be, in recent years I have not even had to think before I answer "Andy Goldsworthy" (if you are unfamiliar with his work, it is worth it to look him up).

Another art form that has always fascinated me is the music video. A director has around three and a half minutes to put images with a certain piece of music and make it interesting. A good many don't really go for originality, they mostly just try to make the musician look sellable, but a few really take thing to a great place.

It is my recommendation that anyone who considers themselves a creative person (don't we all?) is wise to expose themselves to anything and everything. Go to the library and check out books on all forms of art, hit up the museum and art galleries in town, browse through the record store and look at CD covers (they still have some record stores left, don't they?), Go see a theatrical production of something that looks interesting. The list goes on and on of what is out there to be influenced and inspired by, no matter what type of thing you do.