That’s enough of that business stuff – reading time now.

I’ve had a good reaction to my meltdown in my last missive from many of you – and even had a report from one of the clubs I judged at last week saying how they had appreciated and understood the sentiment (someone else reads my blog entries).

So continuing the theme of getting you to look outside of the photography club world, here are some articles (with audio discussion) about great Australian photographers including Max Dupain, Rennie Ellis, and one of my favourites – Trent Parke. They are well worth 10 minutes or so of your time to see some amazing work and listen to professionals discuss them.

Another article I came across was this interview with newly minted Magnum photographer Matt Stuart. This is street photography – and like the best of the genre it tells stories.

Speaking of story telling, Pete McKinnon (who I’ve mentioned before) has a very challenging video blog post that makes you think and get beyond the gear and why we take photos. You may not like what he did to get his story, but his explanation of how little gear he used is relevant and how he planned the shoot is also important. Planning is important in any shoot – be it landscapes, wildlife, people or whatever. If you plan carefully you will allow for the equipment in your camera bag.

Finally, on the theme of being creative, here’s a suggestion from Nicole York in fStoppers to seek your inspiration beyond the photographic fraternity – books, music, history, other forms of visual art. Create new things with inspiration from others! Use things like the smell of freshly cut grass (smell often generates very powerful emotions), or the great poets and playwrights or music that sets you thinking – can you encapsulate that in a photo? Give it a go.

To finish up, my journey of inspiration this time is about Sydney photographer George Byrne in Feature Shoot that examines some whimsical abstract images (he calls them abstract meditations) of Los Angeles inspired by the New Topographics exhibition from 1975. The movement took a new view of landscape – this time of the man made environment and looked at it austerity – not the usual images we see in clubs. Byrne’s images are are both minimalist and abstract in this vein, but importantly there is wit. Look at how he uses colour and juxtaposition. See what you think.