I am continually amazed and inspired by other photographers and artists on the web. The more on I click on their images the more I find myself bookmarking and revisiting their work. Often, I will reach out to those artists via email and inquire about their inspiration, experiences, and motivations. Most photographers are reachable and usually return a message with some insightful information about their photography. This turns the artist from a simple set of galleries of images with some descriptions into a warm and inviting conversation, perhaps not as friendly as physically sitting down with a cup of coffee, but friendlier nonetheless.
The feeling of email is a little different than commenting on a photograph on a social site. On social sites photographers are soliciting comments and information regarding their images. An unsolicited comment or question will often times foster a dialog that goes deeper than the one-sentence responses indicitive on those sites. Additionally, by emailing other artists not only are you gaining insight into their photographic process, but you are providing encouragement them as well. So often as artists we find ourselves locked in a phase that may take some external stimulus to help us view our work little differently. As a result, this may inspire a whole new tangent of ideas.
So take the time today to email a photographer or two you admire. You might just find that it may help bolsters both your work and theirs.
This is not a solicitation for emails to me, seek out photographers on the web and send them a shout!
