The Story Behind The Photograph: What Inspires Pro Photographers?

Professional photographers are talented experts at capturing the subtle nuances of a complex narrative, so we know there’s always a story behind the photograph.

I’ve written extensively on this topic before (for example, see: Words Can Be Worth A Thousand Pictures In Marketing Your Photography), but this is the first time I’ve collected actual stories, thoughts, and inspirations from photographers who do this every day for a living.

It doesn’t matter which genre of photography you specialize in — weddings, commercial, portraits, advertising, fine art, pets, you name it — you never capture an image without intent or purpose.

Something about the subject inspired you to press the shutter at the precise moment you chose to, and with the settings needed to bring out the best features. This is one part of the story behind the photograph, but there are also other elements that exist outside the frame and, specifically, in the mind of the photographer.

To get a glimpse into these rarely-seen areas, I asked professional photographers to submit one of their favorite images together with the story behind it.

What inspired them at the time, what was the context of the image, and what is it about the photograph that they and their clients love so much?

In fact, I decided to make this an ongoing project to see uncover as many of these powerful photographic stories as possible, and to shine a light on the gifts and talents of as many dedicated professional photographers as possible.

The articles listed below each showcase a small group of professional photographers, grouped together by genre. Check them out and I’m sure you’ll find some inspiration and motivation you can apply to your own photographic work.

And, if you like their stories, you can help them to inspire even more people by sharing them on social media.