I’m not a big fan of being stuck in a rut. Rather than coast by and let creativity get stale I turn to personal work and self assignments to challenge my own way of seeing. This usually involves stripping down to bare bones gear and venturing out into the great wide open (cue Tom Petty). Not my typical go-to style, more reportage, let things happen organically, sit back and observe.

On that same note, being such a visual person I get a ton of inspiration from the movies and music videos. Some people may not be a fan of M. Night Shyamalan’s Lady in the Water, but visually its a stunning film with cinematography that is subtly thoughtful. I can relate to the DOP’s POV:

It’s the balance between the familiar and the contrived, the know and the dream, something in your heart and somewhere you want to go.
Christopher Doyle
Director of Photography for LADY IN THE WATER

Shoot for Universal, here’s the A-Team.