The True Meaning of Originality

What does originality really mean? As photographers, we spend a lot of time looking at the work of others for inspiration and we also copy techniques so that we can learn them and make them our own. So where do you draw the line between “inspired by” and “copy of”? This is a particularly difficult distinction to make nowadays because we live in an age where all the “easy” photographs have already been taken. You can’t simply visit Mount Rushmore to create fine art photographs of the sculptures there; a thousand other photographers before you have already done this with that same thought in mind. You can’t visit the most famous national parks and take photographs inspired by Ansel Adams because, well, Ansel Adams already did that!

So what does it mean to be original? It is, I think, a surprisingly difficult concept to navigate. Let’s explore a few thoughts concerning this concept of originality and — who knows — by the end, we may be better equipped to create something truly unique!

Read More

Click Here for More Information