Inspiration in Photography: Training your mind to make great art a habit

I found Brooke Shaden this past year and she opened my eyes to the world of creative fine art portraiture. Before this I had all these ideas in my head but I had never considered myself 'creative' even though I have worked in a studio for 11 years and owned my own portrait studio for 2 of those years.I watched her a few times on Creative Live where she was just so inspiring with her words, took notes, and soon started following her blog and youtube where I discovered that she is all about giving back to the art community. Unlike other artists, Brooke will put out there her whole creative process, literally from start to finish, even her editing on the images sometimes, and just shares so much to help others, where other photographers in this cut throat industry would rather die before telling their 'secrets'.I received this book as a Christmas gift from my husband and as soon as it came I ripped open the box like a kid at Christmas! I was surprised to find that even though its a 'softcover' book, it is very large, 12x12 I believe to be exact just looking at it I'm guessing thats the size. There is a lovely pearl finished cover (I believe the texture is a pearl finish, its very lovely) it's a thick book, almost 200 pages packed FULL of images. Not only her images but also 'case studies' of other photographers and their work is featured as well. I have yet to read it, but I have skimmed through the whole book and the amount of images is just wonderful I could look at them all day and read her descriptions on them, I can't wait to read it and as soon as I leave this review I'm going to start.It has a full list table of contents that starts with how Brooke herself started out, then goes on into different aspects of inspired art, even touches on the 'fashion' art which she does not really do a lot of but it's neat to see the few photos she does include of it. I did read the last few pages where she has her 'inspiration exercises' and I can't wait to try some of the ones I have not yet done (a few I have already learned from watching her on CL).Brooke is the leading photographer in this genre, and if you are looking to expand your creativity, mind, and seeking inspiration then I highly suggest this book! Even if you are just a lover of art and photography, I recommend it just for the sheer amount of images that are included. I also recommend that you go check out Brooke Shadens blog and possibly Facebook and youtube as well before you buy this if you have never heard of her, because from the negative reviews I could see that a few have bought this book NOT knowing who she was and it is vital to understand her work so you are not disappointed with what you find. She is not going to offer a 'magic wand' of inspiration or a secret ticket to stardom, but what she is going to offer in this book is a whole new world of possibilities and her encouragement to follow your dreams!Now, its only $20 bucks, buy the book and then tell me how much you love it :) Time to dig in!

This book is intended for photographers, but I feel that anyone can gain wisdom from what Brooke Shaden and the other contributors have shared about finding their inspiration. The exercises in this book really work! Thank you, Brooke, for sharing with the world!

The book fully delivers what is in the title, but it delivers much more. I have to admit that I bought the book merely because I liked the author as an artist and enjoy her images, but thought the book wouldn't be that interesting for me because I feel inspired every day. I was pleasantly surprised. The book is an excellent reminder of how to create great images, not images that are created to please an audience, no imitations of other artists' styles, no regurgitation of fashionable artistic concepts, but OUR images, from our heart and soul, images that we can be proud of, images that we would probably create if we had only a limited time to live (and we all do, but we forget).

This book is packed with really useful information for coming up with ideas and concepts. It's interesting to read and will be a reference whenever I am stuck for an idea. I liked the preview of the book when I saw it on Amazon and decided to buy it but I was quite pleasantly surprised that there is SO much more to it. This book came along at just the perfect time for me too. I do photo shoots with models and it can be difficult to come up with concepts for a shoot sometimes. But I have a feeling that it will be a very long time before I am stuck for an idea again :)

I have been a photographer (semi-pro and self employed) for many decades and continue to work to create images for my own artistic satisfaction and the benefit of others. I have an extensive library of excellent photography books that I have collected over the years. This book is the only one I have ever purchased that I wished sincerely that I had not. I am very open minded and eclectic in my choices of photographic literature, always endeavoring to be open to learning anything I can through study and practice and I remain dedicated to my craft. I regretfully and honestly must say that in spite of the excellent quality of the printing and writing, this book is the only book I have purchased which will fail to join my library and be assigned to the trash. I found it painful to view and read and so self indulgent that it hurt my soul. Also, this is the only negative review of a photo book that I have ever written and I hope that it helps someone to avoid the pain that I experienced in reading this text and viewing the images

If you are interested in Fine Art Photography, especially if you are a photographer, do yourself a favor and read Brooke's book. It is absolutely fantastic. One of the toughest things about Fine Art Photography is coming up with original ideas. Brooke's book gives you tons of tips and exercises to help you see the world differently. She also takes you through many iconic photos and tells you her inspiration and her process while shooting. I've seen Brooke speak on Creative Live and at Photoshop World and was impressed. After reading her book, I'm a huge fan!

It's got some good advice, but really is more just a picture book. Great photos, though.

Great book!! So many amazing pictures and interesting details!! I can’t wait for her to do another book soon! Love

Brooke Shaden is such an inspiring photographer, and her work blows my mind. I don't go a day without hearing fine art photographers mention her name. I didn't know about her before this book, but was interested in fine-art - this book has made such a difference to my own photography; its dark and beautiful and inspiring. She teaches that you can make art with any lens and any camera. That you don't need the best things - reading this book will make anyone with a camera a better photographer! It takes a while to digest, I've read through the pages, looking at the images endless amounts of times, and it never gets old. You'll feel more than inspired, and probably search her YouTube account where the fantasy continues. If you're interesting in Fine-Art photographer, or any portrait photography - I highly recommend this book. The best money I've spent so far.

I love Brooke Shaden's work and this book is a visual feast plus she talks about inspiration and showcases some other artist's work. Brooke is one of those natural teachers that is always happy to share insights and inspire others. If you love digital photography and Photoshop digital art then you can't fail to enjoy this book.

For me this book has led me through new ways of thinking and as an admirer of Brooke's work it was grata to see many more examples of her images throughout the book. I haven't yet even sat down to consciously work through some of the suggested exercises for inspiration but I'm still finding I cannot sleep at night for a head full of new and exciting ideas. Brooke's writing style is so easy to read and not overly wordy. Chapters are short meaning you can dip in and out of the book whenever you have 5 minutes to spare or take a great chunk in one go. While Brooke's style won't be to everyone's taste I think the ideas and processes discussed in the book can still be highly relevant. Time to go and get my camera...

Very pleased with this book. More pages and illustrations than I expected. A mixture of artists work as well.

Loved this book, full of inspiration! Although not a technical book it really opens your mind and gives pointers too. It helps with planning a shoot and also the considerations which you would probably not think of. For those who are wanting to follow an art inspired route into photography it is a must, I know I will refer to this time and time again. The imagery inside this book will blow your mind alone.