Top 5 Artists And Creators That Inspired Me 2019
As I reflect on 2019, I'd be remiss if I didn't share the top 5 influences on my work the last year. All five of these artists and creators are active and engaging online and make up a large percentage of the online content that I personally crave. I'm hesitant to rank them all from 1 to 5 because I have so much admiration for their work as well as their willingness to share. You'll find outside links to their content and my thoughts on how they've had an impact on my work this past year below.
1. Keith Nester. This guy wears many hats and he wears them all well. Keith and I met in 2010 and have stayed in touch regularly since then. Keith is not only a photographer, he works as a representative for one of, if not the top photo printing lab in the Midwest. In addition, Keith has written a book and created some viral inspirational videos all in the last year. Last and certainly not least, Keith is a husband and father of 3 wonderful kids.
Keith had a huge impact on me by inspiring me to start printing and selling my landscapes and wall art photography. He also provided guidance and friendship as I began the journey. I am looking forward, with great anticipation, to what 2020 brings to Keith.
2. Fototripper. Gavin Hardcastle is the guy behind or perhaps in front of the lens at the Fototripper YouTube Channel. Gavin takes you on photo journeys with other photographers giving guidance on his process that he uses in the field. The journeys are to some spectacular photogenic places around the world.
I've been inspired by his humor and the many guests or cohosts he brings on are always entertaining and educational.
3. Steve Mattheis. Based in Jackson Hole, WY. Steve shares his journeys into many national parks photographing spectacular wildlife along the way. Owls, elk, wolves, and other wildlife await you at Steve's down to earth YouTube Channel.
Steve is a down to earth yet award winning wildlife photographer. He inspires me to stay on my journey and provides insight while on beautiful locations, mostly in the western US.
4. Nick Page. Another inspiring and educational YouTuber, Nick shares beautiful photography and his process, from out in the field on shoots to processing and printing images. So much information to consume on Nick's channel.
Everytime I watch one of Nick's videos, his work amazes me and pushes me to keep learning and improving all aspects of my photography.
5. Jim Bigam. This is a late year addition to my top five. Jim is the founder of the Twitter hashtag #ArtAdventCalendar and an accomplished and successful artist. His website features his work as well as information on the advent calendar idea.
Winter can be a tough time on a photographer in the midwest. Jim's #ArtAdventCalendar on Twitter has me excited to share my work, for free across Twitter. This event is not a sales pitch or the hard sell that you typically find this time of year, it's simply artists sharing their work and making social media a little brighter during the holidays.