Surf’s Up in Spring Lake

When tasked with a still-life photoshoot assignment, I thought it would be simple, considering my love for taking photos. However, this was not the case.

Even though I take photos of my dogs and surroundings every day, I found it difficult to gain inspiration. The more I thought about what I wanted to take photos of and the aesthetic I wanted to achieve, the harder it was to come up with ideas.

I loved the photos my Instagram inspiration, Matt Inwood, shot. However, I found that my style was more light and happy than his dark and rustic look. I did use the natural light you can see throughout his photos, as well as shadows over my subjects, which you can view on my Instagram post.

Soon, I learned that thinking more about getting a good photo created a bigger struggle. The photos I took were spontaneous, and at the time, I was not trying to look for specific details. I love what I captured because they represent what home means to me.